This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Your holiday salad will be bursting with seasonal flavors when you drizzle them with this simple Cranberry Balsamic Dressing! Made with only 3 simple ingredients, including leftover cranberry sauce, it’s a delightfully festive twist on a basic balsamic vinaigrette. It’s also lovely to enjoy the day after Thanksgiving over some leafy greens with your leftover turkey!
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: No-cook
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Dressing
I hope that the day after Thanksgiving you typically have a relaxing day, enjoying time with family or friends after feasting on amazing food. And maybe you are still feasting on amazing food. Because we all know the best part of Thanksgiving dinner is the leftovers!
Sure, there are plenty of things to make with leftover turkey. But whether you opened a can or made homemade Cinnamon Orange Cranberry Sauce, there always seems to be a smidge left. What to do? Try this deliciously sweet and tangy cranberry vinaigrette! Here’s why it should be on your list of Thanksgiving leftovers recipes…
- So simple. You only need three ingredients plus a little salt and pepper to pack a serious flavor punch. It’ll amp up any salad, or you can drizzle it over your extra turkey, on a sandwich, or use it for dipping veggies.
- Make a lot or a little. If you don’t have enough cranberry sauce left to scoop on your plate with your leftover turkey, you can still make a batch of cranberry balsamic vinaigrette This recipe calls for a quarter cup, but you can easily cut the recipe in half to have just enough for lunch, or double or triple it if you are going to make a big salad for a main dish or a potluck.
- Allergy-friendly. Unlike other salad dressing recipes, this one doesn’t have any gluten, dairy, or eggs.
Recipe Ingredients
Only three ingredients come together into a velvety smooth and rich-tasting cranberry balsamic salad dressing. Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need, but be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full amounts.
- Cranberry sauce. Any will do. Homemade or from a can. Jellied or whole berry. Just use your favorite.
- Balsamic vinegar. If you aren’t a balsamic fan or feel it it too strong, try apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar.
- Olive oil. I recommend extra virgin for the best flavor, but you can use any oil you have and like to use in salad dressing recipes.
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
How to Make Cranberry Dressing
Just combine everything in a small blender jar and blend until smooth. If you don’t have a small blender jar or Magic Bullet, many times you can screw the cap off the bottom of a standard blender jar that holds the blade in place. This fits on many standard glass mason jars. Just screw it on and place it on your blender.
Proper Storage
Once you’ve blended it all up, you can use it right away for an epic day-after-Thanksgiving salad that uses up even more of the leftovers from the feast. Or keep it tightly covered in the fridge to enjoy on salads for up to a week.
Make it a Meal
While I usually use this cranberry dressing on a simple salad with my leftover roast turkey or even some Slow Cooker Cranberry Balsamic Beef you made with more of the leftover cranberry sauce, along with some sliced apples and honey glazed walnuts, here are a few other ideas for you:
- Make a gourmet salad. Your salad will be restaurant-quality when you prepare this Harvest Turkey Cobb Salad or Winter Fruit Salad drizzled with cranberry vinaigrette.
- Have it with leftovers. Just toss it with greens to go alongside the Turkey Pot Pie Soup, Cranberry BBQ Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. or Tetrazzini you make with the leftover bird.
- Use it as a marinade. Yes, this balsamic cranberry salad dressing works as a marinade, like in this Grilled Chicken Salad with Berries. Serve a side of Cranberry Balsamic Glazed Cauliflower Wings.
More Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes
Balsamic Cranberry Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cranberry sauce
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients in a small blender jar, Magic Bullet, or a glass mason jar that can attached to your blender blade (see Note) and blend until smooth.If you don't have one of these appliances, you can whisk it in a bowl, but it might not be as smooth.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to three or four days.
Notes
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakesandkalechips on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
Love this dressing!!! I am such a cranberry freak, cranberry on my salad sounds perfect to me:-) I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving! Hugs, Terra
Thank you! I love that I made an entire batch of cranberry just to “play” with – so many tasty ideas!