Very Cherry Vinaigrette

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If you adore cherries, you've come to the right place! This easy cherry vinaigrette recipe comes together in minutes, and it's perfect atop all the summer salads, lettuce and grain-based alike.

Cherry vinaigrette in small glass jar with spoon, on white marble stand with a few cherries

When cherry season is here, we just can't get enough! This cherry vinaigrette recipe is a delicious way to use fresh cherries and adds a light and sweet salad dressing to your favorite green salads or grain-based salads. And if you're already thinking a salad with cherry vinaigrette is a salad that needs some goat cheese or feta... you would be right, my friend.

Like our basil vinaigrette, this cherry vinaigrette makes a smaller batch so you can easily finish it while it's fresh.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions & Variations
Equipment
Storage
Cherry Vinaigrette FAQs
Top tip
Very Cherry Vinaigrette

Ingredients

This cherry vinaigrette recipe is incredibly simple, but when you have sweet, peak-season cherries, you really don't need much else! Sometimes I like add a little bit of agave, maple syrup, or honey, but this vinaigrette is delicious either way.

Fresh sweet cherries - cherries will provide natural sweetness and primary flavor to this vinaigrette.
Extra virgin olive oil - a usual suspect for vinaigrettes.
Light vinegar - I love a good sherry vinegar, white balsamic, or other light-colored vinegar. O Olive Oil has my favorite vinegars to use for salad dressings, and I highly recommend them!
Salt - a little bit of salt enhance the flavor.
Optional sweetener - agave, maple syrup, or honey (use agave or maple syrup to keep it vegan)

Instructions

Fruity vinaigrettes are easiest when you have a blender or food processor. Wash your cherries, get your ingredients, and let's go make some vinaigrette!

Pitted sweet cherries in rectangular glass container

Pit your cherries and remove any stems. You can use a cherry pitter, but I often just tear them apart with my fingers.

Cherries, olive oil, vinegar, and salt in food processor before being blended into vinaigrette

Place the pitted cherries, olive oil, vinegar, and salt in a food processor.

Blend the cherry vinaigrette ingredients until completely smooth (about 30-60 seconds). Taste, and add sweetener if desired. Pulse to combine.

Small glass jar of cherry vinaigrette on gray-white surface with a few cherries

Transfer your vinaigrette to a storage vessel (I typically use jars), and serve right away or place in the fridge until you're ready to use.

Substitutions & Variations

Below are some ways you can modify this vinaigrette to your liking.

Allium - Most vinaigrettes also have some sort of allium, such as garlic or shallot. Feel free to include a clove of fresh garlic or half a small shallot to get a more savory-sweet vinaigrette.
Dijon - Similar to alliums, many vinaigrettes also include a bit of Dijon or whole grain mustard. Try adding 1 teaspoon to this recipe!
Basil - Cherries and basil are so tasty together. Throw in a few leaves of fresh basil to make a cherry basil vinaigrette.
Marinade - You could totally use this vinaigrette as a marinade for pork tenderloin... it'd be delicious!

Cherry vinaigrette in small glass jar with spoon dripping with vinaigrette over the top, on white-gray surface with cherries

Equipment

Food processors or blenders work really well for emulsifying vinaigrettes, as well as easily breaking down fruits or herbs. I highly recommend one for this cherry vinaigrette recipe!

Storage

Store cherry vinaigrette in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I usually use a jar for storing my vinaigrettes.

Cherry Vinaigrette FAQs

Can I use frozen cherries in this vinaigrette?

Yep! Just thaw them completely first before using. To thaw frozen cherries, I like to move them into a separate glass container and leave them in the fridge overnight, or on the countertop for a faster thaw.

How do I serve cherry vinaigrette?

My two favorite ways to serve cherry vinaigrette are over a grain-based salad (such as wild rice or farro), or over greens with cherries, nuts (walnuts, almonds, or pistachios... really any nut!), greens onions, and feta or goat cheese.

Top tip

To make the best vinaigrette for your taste buds, season to taste! In other words, try the vinaigrette and add more salt or sweetener - just a little bit at a time - until the flavor is enhanced and balanced.