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Fresh Strawberry Vinaigrette with White Balsamic (5 Minutes)

DF Dairy-Free GF Gluten-Free V Vegetarian
Posted by Jess Larson on June 19th, 2026
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Forget wasting your berry patch harvest on vaguely fruity dressings—every drop of this Fresh Strawberry Vinaigrette delivers peak-season berry flavor! Tangy white balsamic vinegar and a few aromatics make fresh strawberries sing in this perfectly balanced blender dressing. It's ideal for drizzling on peppery summertime greens, grilled meats, grain salads, or anything with creamy cheese and fresh herbs!
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A spoon holds up creamy pink strawberry vinaigrette above a glass jar filled with the dressing. Fresh strawberries, a bottle of white condiment, and a jar of honey are nearby on a light wooden surface.
Photography by Gayle McLeod
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Makes: 1 1/2 cups

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette: Fruit-Forward, Fresh, and Vibrant

I’ve been dreaming of making the perfect strawberry vinaigrette for years – something that makes the most of summer’s juicy-sweet bounty. My goal was simple: let the berries be the star of the show without getting muddied down by heavy ingredients or blended into something overly sweet.

I leaned into what makes summer strawberries so magical – their sun-ripened sweetness and fresh berry tang. While my initial attempts were a little one-note and smoothie-like, I played with the balance of fresh berries, zippy Dijon, and sharp shallots and garlic until the vinaigrette was juuuuuust right: savory, not too sweet, and still tasting distinctly like strawberries. I felt a little like Goldilocks. 😉

Naturally thick, brilliantly pink, and giving true berry zing in every bite, this fresh strawberry dressing is made for tender summer salads, but is also great with hearty grilled steaks!

A jar of creamy strawberry balsamic vinaigrette with a spoon in it sits on a white wooden table next to a fresh salad with greens, strawberries, goat cheese, and pecans. A small dish of ground pepper is also nearby. this Recipe for Later!
This easy, berry-forward vinaigrette is definitely worthy of your beautiful summer strawberries.

Key Ingredients

A basket of fresh strawberries surrounded by jars of mustard, vinegar, oil, honey, a bowl of salt, ground pepper, shallots, and garlic cloves on a white wooden surface.
Seven simple ingredients go into this berry dressing: fresh strawberries, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, shallots, garlic, Dijon mustard, and honey.
  • White balsamic vinegar is my pantry staple secret to a vibrant strawberry vinaigrette! The lighter, tangy vinegar keeps the dressing a gorgeous pink. Using a traditional balsamic would overpower the fresh strawberries and leave you with a thick, syrupy dressing. 
  • Fresh, ripe strawberries are the key to the best, brightest homemade dressing. Opt for smaller berries for their more concentrated, sweeter flavor. If strawberries aren’t in season, use thawed frozen strawberries instead.

🍓I also tested this dressing with freeze-dried berries and preserves, but they missed the mark on texture (no one likes a slimy dressing!) and lost the bright, bold, undoubtedly fruity flavor I was chasing.

Salad Dressing Essentials

How to Make Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

I love using a blender to make my dressings—it makes a totally smooth vinaigrette in minutes, with practically no effort!

A top-down view of a blender cup filled with fresh strawberries, whole garlic cloves, mustard, a shallot, salt, and pepper, with a hand pouring liquid from a glass into the cup. Other ingredients are arranged around it on a white surface.
Add all the ingredients to a blender, and let it do all the work! The vinaigrette is ready when it’s smooth and emulsified.
A bowl of pink, frothy salad dressing being stirred with a patterned spoon, surrounded by jars of oil and mustard, a small bowl of salt, and a striped napkin on a white wooden surface.
It’s a naturally creamy dressing, but you can thin it with a splash of water to make it more pourable.

👩🏻‍🍳Adjust to taste: If your strawberries are on the sweeter side, add more balsamic or salt to make the strawberry flavor pop. If it’s leaning a bit too tart, add a touch of honey to bring out the strawberries’ sweetness.

A spoon hovers over a glass jar filled with thick, creamy pink strawberry salad dressing. Fresh strawberries and a jar of honey are visible in the background.
When so many strawberry salad dressings only taste just fruit-adjacent, this restaurant-worthy vinaigrette is loaded with true strawberry flavor. 

Serving Suggestions

I first made this fresh, vibrant berry dressing for my Strawberry Arugula Salad, but it adds bold, fruity flavor to my Mixed Greens Berry Salad With Herbed Chicken Breast! 

For an unexpected but fantastic pairing, serve this tangy-sweet dressing with smoky-rich grilled meats like Grilled Lemon Chicken (try it in a grain bowl!) or Perfectly Grilled Steak. 

A jar of pink strawberry salad dressing with a spoon sits on a wooden table next to a fresh salad with arugula, strawberries, nuts, and cheese. A small dish with cracked black pepper is nearby.
Bright, juicy strawberries and a white balsamic are the perfect pairing to create a fast dressing that tastes unmistakably like strawberries.
A close-up of a fresh salad with arugula, sliced strawberries, crumbled feta, pickled onions, candied pecans, and pink strawberry vinaigrette being drizzled with a spoon.
Who says summer berries are just for dessert?

I can’t wait for you to try this Fresh Strawberry Vinaigrette! If you give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!

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A close-up of a fresh salad with arugula, sliced strawberries, crumbled cheese, pickled onions, glazed nuts, and a pink strawberry dressing drizzled on top. A spoon with more dressing is visible in the corner.

Fresh Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (5 Minutes)

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 ½ cups 1x
  • Category: Sauces & Condiments, Entree Salads & Bowls Recipes, salad dressing
  • Method: Blended, Blender, No-Cook
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Print Recipe

Description

Forget wasting your berry patch harvest on vaguely fruity dressings—every drop of this Fresh Strawberry Vinaigrette delivers peak-season berry flavor!

Tangy white balsamic vinegar and a few aromatics make fresh strawberries sing in this perfectly balanced blender dressing. It’s ideal for drizzling on peppery summertime greens, grilled meats, grain salads, or anything with creamy cheese and fresh herbs!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 ounces strawberries, hulled (about 1 ½ heaping cups)
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar (see Recipe Notes)
  • ½ small shallot
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey (or substitute agave or pure maple syrup for vegan)
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1–2 tablespoons water, to adjust consistency

Instructions

  1. Blend the strawberry vinaigrette: Add all listed ingredients to a small blender. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and a few twists of black pepper. Blend until the vinaigrette is smooth and emulsified. Add water as needed to adjust consistency – the vinaigrette can be slightly thick and creamy or more drizzly, depending on your preference. Adjust to taste – I like to add an extra pinch of salt or a splash of white balsamic to ensure the flavors pop.A glass blender cup filled with strawberries, garlic, shallot, mustard, salt, pepper, and honey, with a hand pouring liquid into it. Other jars of mustard and honey are nearby on a white wooden surface. A hand holds a patterned spoon above a glass bowl filled with frothy pink smoothie, surrounded by jars of honey, mustard, and a blue-striped cloth on a white wooden surface.
  2. Serve: Enjoy immediately. My favorite pairing is this Simple Strawberry Arugula Salad, where its tangy-sweet flavor is the perfect complement to peppery baby arugula. It’s also delicious on this Chicken Berry Salad, a heartier mixed greens salad with herbed chicken breast, strawberries, and blueberries. Enjoy!A spoon drips strawberry dressing into a glass jar filled with the pink sauce. Fresh strawberries and a striped towel are nearby on a white wooden surface. Bottles and a jar lid are in the background.

Equipment

Notes

Jess’ Tips and Tricks:

  • Strawberries: As the star of the recipe, this vinaigrette works best with peak-season strawberries. Use the ripest berries you can find – smaller berries tend to be more flavorful than larger berries. Depending on the sweetness of your strawberries, you may want to adjust the amount of honey used – through recipe testing, I found 1 teaspoon to be the perfect amount without overpowering the berries. Fresh strawberry substitute: If you cannot find nice fresh strawberries, you can also use frozen strawberries for this recipe. You can blend them straight from the freezer, but the vinaigrette will be very cold, like a smoothie, so thaw first as desired.
  • White balsamic vinegar has the sweet-tangy flavor of traditional balsamic, but with a lighter body, more delicate flavor, and pale color. I reach for it anytime I want balsamic flavor without the dark color or syrupy texture. Here, it adds classic balsamic flavor that works so well with strawberries, while preserving the vibrant color of the fresh berries. If you don’t have it, you can substitute regular balsamic – just note your vinaigrette will be darker in color.

Make-Ahead and Storage:

  • Storage instructions: Store this fresh strawberry vinaigrette in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It will thicken as it sits – simply stir in a tablespoon of water or vinegar to loosen it up.

Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!

A glass jar filled with pink strawberry vinaigrette, sprinkled with black pepper, with a spoon inside. Surrounding the jar are strawberries, honey, a bottle, and a jar lid on a white surface.
A bowl of fresh arugula salad topped with strawberries, pecans, shallot, and crumbled cheese, being drizzled with pink strawberry dressing from a spoon.

Hi there, I'm Jess!

If there’s 1 thing to know about me, it’s this: I am head-over-heels in love with food. I’m on a mission to make weeknight cooking flavorful, fast, & fun for other foodies, & PWWB is where I share foolproof recipes that deliver major flavor with minimal effort. Other true loves: pretty shoes, puppies, Grey’s Anatomy, & my cozy kitchen in Minneapolis, MN.

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