Pomegranate Dressing (Pomegranate Vinaigrette)
Posted Nov 14, 2020, Updated Mar 16, 2024
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Homemade Pomegranate Vinaigrette recipe is the perfect way to dress up winter salads! This pomegranate salad dressing is made in less than 5 minutes with healthy ingredients – including whole pomegranate seeds. It’s paleo, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free.
To me, salad is a must-have side dish at any and every food-centered gathering. This Pomegranate Vinaigrette is the perfect homemade salad dressing for your winter salads!
It’s packed with fresh pomegranate seeds and a dash of lemon juice, giving it a sweet and tangy flavor! This Pomegranate Vinaigrette is gluten, dairy & refined sugar free! And it’s paleo and vegan, so it’s perfect for any and every person who will dine at your table this season! Oh, and did I mention that it’s ready in 5 minutes or less!
Pomegranate Dressing: Ingredients & Substituions
This recipe only has a handful of ingredients, but here are a few possible substitutions!
- Pomegranate seeds. You can use pomegranate juice to make this recipe, and then there would be no blending required. However I love the nutrients added from using whole seeds!
- Olive oil. Any neutral oil works well in this recipe. I recommend avocado oil or canola oil if you don’t have olive oil.
- Maple syrup. The maple flavor really adds to the fall/winer taste of this dressing, however you can substitute honey with great results.
- White balsamic vinegar. Regular balsamic vinegar tastes great in this recipe too, however the color will change if you use a dark balsamic. Apple cider vinegar also tastes great.
- Dijon mustard. Substitute your favorite mustard, but please don’t leave it out. The mustard acts as an emulsifier and keeps the dressing from separating!
How to Easily De-Seed a Pomegranate
Pomegranates are our favorite winter produce item, we literally buy cases of them at eat them in days. I am well aware that the thing that keeps most people from buying pomegranates is how much work they are to deseed.
Well this video called The Fastest Way to De-Seed a Pomegranate changed my life. I literally can have 6 large pomegranates ready to eat in under 10 minutes thanks to this method!
How to Make Homemade Pomegranate Vinaigrette
This pomegranate dressing recipe is very easy to make Just place the ingredients in the container of your Vitamix (or other high powered blender) and blend until smooth. Using a Vitaimx ensures a silky-smooth dressing.
NOTE: The only thing to note is that it’s important to add the liquid ingredients first, then the rest for easy blending.
Pour Into a Jar/Serving Container
Once you have finished blending the pomegranate salad dressing, transfer it from the blending container to a glass storage or serving container. I love this salad dressing bottle – I use it all the time. But any glass or ceramic vessel works well
Store
If you don’t plan on using the pomegranate dressing right away, or have leftovers, store it in an airtight container with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Serve
Serve this pomegranate vinaigrette on top of your favorite salad! Here are some suggestions:
- Try it on this burrata salad.
- For the perfect winter salad use this pomegranate dressing on this Brussel Sprout Salad.
- Make your own homemade croutons to dress up whatever salad you make! Also try these cornbread croutons.
- For another use of pomegranates, this beet and pomegranate smoothie is a nutritional powerhouse.
Pomegranate Vinaigrette Recipe FAQs
Salad dressing is a condiment that I always make at home because it’s easy and so much healthier than store-bought varieties. You exactly what is in your dressings (and can pronounce all the ingredients).
This Pomegranate Vinaigrette is packed full of nutrition, which adds to the health benefits of enjoying a hearty winter salad rather than negating some of them with processed ingredients.
Yes, they are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. Pomegranates are loaded with fiber and antioxidants, both of which have amazing health properties. This is why I chose to create a pomegranate dressing using the whole seeds instead of just juice (even though the juice is still nutritious as well).
This recipe lasts for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.
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Pomegranate Dressing (Pomegranate Vinaigrette)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in the container of a Vitamix, (or another high-powered blender).
- Blend on low speed and gradually increase to high.
- Continue blending on high for 30-60 seconds or until your dressing is smooth and all pomegranate seeds have been blended.
Video
Notes
- Pomegranate seeds. You can use pomegranate juice to make this recipe, and then there would be no blending required. However I love the nutrients added from using whole seeds!
- Olive oil. Any neutral oil works well in this recipe. I recommend avocado oil or canola oil if you don’t have olive oil.
- Maple syrup. The maple flavor really adds to the fall/winer taste of this dressing, however you can substitute honey with great results.
- White balsamic vinegar. Regular balsamic vinegar tastes great in this recipe too, however the color will change if you use a dark balsamic. Apple cider vinegar also tastes great.
- Dijon mustard. Substitute your favorite mustard, but please don’t leave it out. The mustard acts as an emulsifier and keeps the dressing from separating!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Laura, The pomegranate vinaigrette look perfect. the color is beautiful 🙂
I want to keep this color but don’t have white balsamic. Have you tried substituting white vinegar for the white balsamic? Thanks!
I have 2 pomegranates sitting in my fridge now, will this equal 3/4 cup seeds?? Also, how long will this keep in the fridge? Thanks!
Hey Sonja! That will probably be a little more than 3/4 cup seeds, although that depends on the size of your pomegranates and they vary quite a bit in that department! It should keep for up to a week!
Could this dressing be preserved by canning? If so, how? Also, what is the equivalent of Pom juice to the 3/4 cup of seeds? Thanks
Hey Kelly! I am not familiar with the canning process, as that hasn’t been something I have explored in my culinary adventures yet! 🙂 I would use 1/2 cup of pomegranate juice for the 3/4 cup of seeds!
Oh my! This pomegranate vinaigrette was delicious – and so easy to make! Will have to try this for my family. Thanks so much!
This pomegranate vinaigrette looked soooo good, I had to try and make them. I used your suggestion and used ½ cup olive oil.
Legit speechless, this pomegranate vinaigrette recipe looks unreal!! I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing Laura!
this looks way too delicious and tastes delicious as well. Tried it with my husband and turned out to be super delicious. thanks for sharing
Is there anyway to make this oil free? I am oil free vegan and I would love to use this dressing it looks so good. Thank you.
Hey Carrie….hmmm…I’ve been thinking about this question all day. You could try substituting water for the olive oil…although I fear it could lack some flavor. If you want a creamier dressing you could also try almond or coconut milk, although it could taste more like a smoothie than a salad dressing! LOL! I haven’t tried using anything other than oil, so it would be a total experiment on your behalf if you did! 😉 If you do give it a whirl let me know how it goes!
I tried it without oil and used water. It was fantastic and didn’t compromise on the consistency. I also made a batch with olive oil and thought it tasted too much like olive oil. I am oil free and suspected it was just my heightened tastebuds so I had a non vegan try both. They loved both and confirmed that the batch with the olive oil didn’t taste too “olive oily” and it was very tasty. Surprisingly comparing the consistency of the two batches proved there wasn’t very much difference between them. So for all oil free plant based eaters or vegan’s; go for this recipe without oil-you will love it and so will your non vegan friends! Thanks for a great recipe!!!
This looks delicious, the color is perfect! I sure need a Vitamix!
I think everyone needs a Vitamix! LOL!