I serve this dressing over a bed of tender baby greens, diced red and yellow bell peppers, freshly roasted walnuts, crumbled feta cheese, and dried cranberries. If you like red onions, place a few slivers of red onion on top. The sweetness of the dried cranberries with the crunch of the roasted walnuts are a perfect compliment to this vinaigrette. This is a really terrific and elegant salad. Be creative – add some pear chunks or mango chunks if you like! This Raspberry Vinaigrette pairs well with the sweet aspect of a very colorful salad.
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad
In a food processor equipped with a lid where you can pour in liquids, add the raspberry vinegar, raspberry preserves, and Dijon mustard. Mix to combine. Next, with the food processor running, slowly drizzle the walnut oil into the bowl. Mix well so that the vinegar and oil emulsify nicely. Stir in the minced shallot and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook’s Note: Make no substitutions!!! Raspberry vinegar and walnut oil are readily available in local grocery stores (Publix, Milam’s Market, and Fresh Market in the Miami area). These are the two key ingredients – without them, it’s not raspberry vinaigrette! Also, like all nut oils, the walnut oil should be stored in the refrigerator after opening as it will go rancid in time, so buy it in small quantities to keep it fresh and tasty.