This blueberry pomegranate vinaigrette is fruity, punchy and perfect for summer salads. Easy to make in just ten minutes, it's packed with fresh fruity flavours and a little different to citrus based salad dressings.
I often find that sauces without lemon, some vinegars or a lot of additives are hard to come by in the store, which is why I love to come up with new ones to liven up a salad in the summer. As well as my tahini dressing and pumpkin seed dressing, I also recommend to try little blobs of macadamia nut pesto on a salad, it may sound a little odd but the flavour is lovely with fresh cucumber and lettuces.
This blueberry pomegranate dressing is bright and fresh, with quite the zing! Pomegranate has a slightly sharp taste which works so perfectly with the sweet blueberries. So lovely on fresh salads for BBQs and picnics.
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⭐ Why this recipe is so good
- Tangy fruit. Pomegranate has a natural 'tang' with a slightly tart taste. Perfect for a salad dressing, perhaps on my pomegranate cucumber salad for extra sweetness!
- A little different. So many dressings are based on citrus, but this recipe feels a bit special.
- Easy to make. Just a few steps to this fun fruit vinaigrette.
🥄 Ingredients
Make sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
This is a 'few ingredients' salad dressing, and aside from the pomegranate uses pantry staples. Some notes on a few of them:
- Pomegranate and blueberries: the main ingredients, use fresh produce without any browning or other discolouration.
- Extra virgin olive oil: use a good olive oil if you can as it gives a much better depth of flavour.
- Apple cider vinegar: this is optional for those here for low histamine recipes, but gives a nice kick of flavour if you are able to tolerate it.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Salad dressings are the easiest thing to make, and I haven't bought one from the store in years. Usually it's just add ingredients to a jar and give it a good whisk to combine. This blueberry pomegranate vinaigrette recipe does have an extra couple of steps, but I promise you they are worth it!
Step 1
Remove the seeds from the pomegranate (image 1). There are a few ways to do this, but personally I slice it into two halves and then use a small spoon to scoop them out. For the stubborn seeds, place the pomegranate over your hand with your fingers apart. Bash with a wooden spoon and the seeds should fall out!
Step 2
Add all the ingredients to your blender (image 2).
Recipe tip: be sure to wear an apron! Removing pomegranate seeds is a messy job and the juice will ruin any white t-shirt within seconds . . .
Step 3
Blend! Then have a taste and adjust with more vinegar for a sharper flavour, or a little more maple syrup for extra sweetness to preference (image 3).
Step 4
Pour the vinaigrette into a sieve placed over a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to help press the vinaigrette through the sieve. You will be left with the hard seeds, which you can simply discard (image 4).
💭 Recipe tips
- The number one tip is to wear an apron! The very bright pink juice from the pomegranate will definitely ruin your clothes and does like to spray everywhere . . .
- This is a fairly 'thin' salad dressing as we use lots of juice from the fruit. To make it thicker in texture you can add a little more olive oil.
- Give the dressing a good shake before use if it has been in the fridge for any length of time.
📋 Frequently asked questions
The easiest way I have found is to halve the pomegranate and then place seed-side down in the palm of my hand. Then use a wooden spoon to bash the pomegranate, so the seeds fall out. Make sure to do over a bowl! You can also use a teaspoon to remove any stubborn arils.
Pomegranate has a lovely sweet but tart flavour, with a touch of acidity. Perfect for a vinaigrette!
Don't be tempted to skip the sieving aspect of this recipe! It transforms the dressing from a grainy, bitty dressing that nobody will enjoy to a lovely smooth one perfect for your salads.
🥣 More delicious dressings, dips and sauces
There are many sauces to try out here, from sweet to savoury. Check out my sauces page for more ideas including my zingy honey ginger dressing and my dill tahini salad dressing. Some recent recipes to enjoy:
I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating ⭐ if you like the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds roughly one small pomegranate
- ½ cup blueberries
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar optional, adjust to taste
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper optional
Instructions
- Remove the seeds from a small pomegranate.
- Add the pomegranate seeds and all other ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend well so the dressing is combined.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the dressing into it. Use the back of a spoon to press the liquid through the sieve so you are left with the hard bit of the pomegranate seeds and any remaining pith. Discard this bit.
- Transfer the vinaigrette into a jar or other salad dressing container for use immediately or for your next salad (keep in the fridge). Enjoy!
Notes
- To de-seed a pomegranate I find that removing the seeds with a teaspoon and then holding over a bowl and giving it a bash with a wooden spoon is best. I also make sure to do it in a large bowl sat on an old tea towel in case the juice goes everywhere!
- This is quite a runny salad dressing rather than a thicker 'sauce-type' dressing. If you keep in the fridge, give it a good shake before using to combine the oil and vinegar as they will slightly separate.
- If you are on a low histamine diet, then you may wish to use a lower histamine vinegar such as white distilled vinegar (scores 0 on the SIGHI list) or leave out completely.
- Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance, food compatibility for histamine
All ingredients in this recipe for pomegranate vinaigrette / salad dressing score 0 on SIGHI, with the exception of:- apple cider vinegar, which scores 1. If you prefer, white distilled vinegar scores 0 on the SIGHI list.
- black pepper, which scores 2 although it is stated that small amounts are tolerated. This is optional to preference.
B mccollum says
I absolutely love it. I was very depressed knowing I must be on a strict low histamine diet. I enjoy salad, and a dressing will make or break a meal. This one will be the only one I need. Thank you!!
Claire says
So glad you enjoy the dressing and so agree that a salad tastes so much better with one!
Anne Maubach says
Can I use pomegranate juice? (It has only pomegranate and blueberry juice). If so how much do I use for this vinaigrette recipe?
Claire says
Hi Anne, I haven't tried it using store bought pomegranate juice myself so I don't know the exact amount required, but I would guess it would be about a third of a cup. You may need to make the dressing, and then adjust by adding a little more of the juice to get the right taste and consistency you like.
Flo says
Thanks for your so many creative recipes. As I am on a low histamine diet since 2020, but have a child with egg and milk allergy, I tend to lose my creativity facing the amount of restrictions. Your blog is full of creative freshness,Thanks!
I have this year discovered pomegranate molasse and am very happy with this libanese staple ingrédient. Good brands are made with 100% concentrated pomegranate juice. Nothing else. It gives a gorgeous tangy-sweet pomegranate flavour to your salad sauces. Particularly nice with fresh herbs like parsley, mint
and cilantro and cabbage-carrots salads.
Claire says
Hi Flo, so glad you like the recipes! Hope they give you some recipe inspo! I haven't tried pomegranate molasses myself, but I should give it a try 🙂