This sweet and tart, bright and crisp Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette is oil-free. It is flavored with champagne vinegar, mint, and is sweetened with Medjool dates.

I’ve always associated the bright sweet/tart taste of raspberries with summer. Some of my earliest childhood memories involve braving the spiky brambles of my great uncle’s raspberry patch in order to sneak a mouth-full of raspberries right off the canes…and then run fast so that I wouldn’t get caught!

Now that I’m grown up, I’m happy to find my raspberries in the produce section of my local grocery store. Two-for-one deals on berries mean that summer is finally here!

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Things you will need to make the recipe for Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette (Oil-Free):

fresh raspberries
champagne vinegar
fresh mint leaves
Medjool dates
water
salt and pepper to taste
you will also need a high-speed blender or food processor

Tips and Tricks for Making the Recipe for Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette (Oil-Free)

There is a handy printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. Scroll down or read on for some great recipe suggestions.

Medjool Dates:

Before you get started with anything, pit and soak the Medjool dates in hot water for about 30 minutes. The dates will be very soft and mushy when they are soaked enough. If your dates are old and dried out, they will need to soak longer.

To learn more about Medjool dates, read this post. You might be surprised how versatile they are!

The best produce for the best results:

Start with the freshest and most flavorful berries you can find. If you don’t like the flavor of the berries before you blend them up, they surely aren’t going to be improved by adding in extra ingredients.

Raspberries can turn moldy very quickly in your refrigerator. Buy them shortly before making this recipe and wash them just before using them.

Source bright, fresh, unblemished mint leaves. They should be about this size. If they are smaller, then you will need to use a few more.

The champagne vinegar:

I used champagne vinegar in this recipe. If you can’t find it and want to substitute in white wine vinegar, that will be fine. They are very similar in taste; both light and bright tasting kinds of vinegar. White wine vinegar is just slightly stronger tasting than is champagne.

Blend it up!

Put all ingredients in a high-speed blender and process until smooth. Add in a little salt and pepper to taste.

How long will this dressing keep?

If you start with super fresh berries then you can keep in an air-tight container in your refrigerator for no more than 4 days. But it really depends on the berries you are starting with.

Why doesn’t this recipe use oil? And won’t that taste weird?

I am a whole-food plant-based vegan. This means that for my health, I choose the whole food over highly processed food. I’m not opposed to fat in its whole forms such as in avocados or nuts, but I do stay away from processed oils when possible.

Will salad dressing still taste good without oil?

This raspberry mint vinaigrette will taste great! It gets its flavor from the other ingredients, not the oil. It will have a slightly different “mouth-feel” though than it will if you are accustomed to eating salad dressings with a lot of fat.

Once, your taste buds have adapted to oil-free, you won’t enjoy the slippery feel of oil on your tongue. If you aren’t sure about this, try going half and half with the water, subbing in 1/4 cup oil, and then next time, sub in only one tablespoon. You’ll soon find that you don’t need it.

What are Medjool dates and why do we use them in this recipe?

Medjool dates have a rich almost buttery/caramel flavor. They are great for replacing processed sugar in many recipes to which you can add a liquid. Again, this is in accordance with the whole-food philosophy. I am going to choose the whole food over more processed foods when reasonable.

These sweet little gems are good for you too! They are high in potassium and fiber and low in sodium. Read more about Medjool dates in this very informative article by Fruits & Veggies More Matters. Medjool dates are typically found in the produce department. Just ask your grocer if you are having trouble finding them.

Things I found useful when making this recipe:

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The Recipe for Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette (Oil-Free)

Thank you for reading through this post and for being a part of Veggie Fun Kitchen. If you make this recipe and like it, leave a comment; and five stars would be very much appreciated!

If you are looking for another yummy oil-free berry recipe, try my Strawberry Balsamic Dressing (Oil-Free). If you would like a berry dressing made with oil then check out my Very Berry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette. I used avocado oil for that recipe.

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