Take advantage of the rich, aromatic and nutty flavour of walnut oil to create a tasty salad dressing. Complement it with the tartness of the sherry vinegar and freshness from the raspberries. Simply delicious!
What is Walnut Oil?
Walnut oil, in my mind, is highly underrated. Walnut oil is simply oil extracted from walnuts. It, therefore, has a really rich, nutty flavour that enhances ingredients.
There are many reasons walnut oil doesn’t present itself as a popular choice.
Firstly, it has a low smoke point which means that it’s not great for high-temperature cooking. When heated, it tends to lose its flavour and can get a bit bitter.
Walnut oil is best used uncooked or as a cold sauce. It is, therefore, perfect for salads. With its limited use, it takes longer to finish a bottle, which means there is less demand.
Secondly, it is a very delicate unrefined oil that is cold-pressed. The cold-pressed concept means that a steel press presses the walnut to extract all of its natural goodness. The specialty oils made in Perigord and Burgundy regions of France are magnificent, albeit expensive.
Lastly, unrefined walnut oil has a short shelf life when compared to oils like olive oil. Unopened, they will last a year. When opened, they must be kept in a cool, dark place.
You can, of course, purchase refined walnut oil for longer shelf life. We still, however, do not recommend cooking on the heat with it.
Walnut Oil Health Benefits
Walnut oil has no carbohydrates, which of course then means zero sugar and no fibre.
This oil is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and comprises a fair amount of healthy polyunsaturated fats. This is beneficial for heart health.
Cold-pressed unrefined walnut oil can help to reduce blood sugars and chronic inflammation.
Raspberry Walnut Dressing Ingredients
Walnut oil: Walnut oil is simply oil extracted from walnuts. The nutty flavours work really well with the fresh raspberries.
You can try the Jean LeBlanc French Walnut Oil Stone Mill cold-pressed or A L’Olivier Cold Press Walnut Virgin Olive Oil in Bottle.
Sherry vinegar: The subtle oak and nutty flavours of the sweet yet tart sherry vinegar marries well with the walnut oil.
For a reasonably priced sherry vinegar, the Roland Sherry Wine Vinegar is a good buy. For a great quality sherry vinegar try Gran Capirete Sherry Vinegar Aged 50 Years.
Raspberries: Fresh raspberries are best, but if not in season, frozen raspberries will be adequate to use. Or if you have the foresight, you can freeze fresh ones for use later on!
Honey: Although we only ever use a small amount of honey, using good quality honey is always the best option. Select pure organic honey to create the best flavours.
Allspice: Allspice is a single spice made from dried berries of the allspice tree. It has hints of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg—lovely flavours to complement all the ingredients in this salad dressing.
You can try the Morton & Bassett Allspice Ground or the Frontier, Allspice Ground.
Raspberry Walnut Dressing Method
Place the raspberries in the mortar and gently grind until mashed up.
Then add the walnut oil, sherry vinegar, honey and allspice and mix until well combined.
You’ll see the raspberries’ glorious colours dominate the dressing and how fantastic it will look against any salad.
Best Salad for This Dressing
Encrust the humble avocado with nutty black sesame seeds as you serve it up with cucumber, exposed pea pods and some greens. Accompanied by a delicious raspberry walnut dressing, this salad is easy to make over and over again.
More Salad Dressing Recipes
Salad dressings are incredibly easy to make in the comfort of your own home. This way, you can control the ingredients to suit your palate, and you can make the exact portion you need for that one meal. We have a vast collection of recipes and you may just like some of these:
Salad Recipes You May Like
Get inspired by the biggest collection of salad recipes in the one place. We have recipes to suit lifestyle preferences and different occasions. These salads are both delicious and stylish. Search for your favourite ingredient to find a salad you’ll love!
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Ingredient Pairing Ideas
If you’d like to create your own salad and have an ingredient you’d like to hero, we have some great pairing suggestions to help you work out what flavours go well together.
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Raspberry Walnut Dressing
Ingredients
- 8 raspberries
- 4 tbsp walnut oil
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp allspice
Click on the toggle below for conversion to US Cooking Units.
Instructions
- Place the raspberries in the mortar and gently grind until mashed up.
- Then add the walnut oil, sherry vinegar, honey and allspice and mix until well combined.
Equipment
Nutrition
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