Easy Pomegranate Dressing

One of my very favourite vinaigrette dressings, this pomegranate salad dressing recipe uses store cupboard standby pomegranate molasses for a fruity, tangy salad dressing that is guaranteed to give your salad a fresh lift.

Pomegranate salad dressing

Tart, tangy pomegranate molasses makes a fabulous fruity addition to an easy vinaigrette type dressing that you can whip up in no time.

See also

• Pomegranate dressing pairs perfectly with halloumi salad.
• Pomegranate molasses dipping sauce makes a great addition to a Mediterranean spread.
• Sweet with a touch of heat, honey mustard dressing livens up all your salads.
• This easy tahini dressing recipe comes with plenty of variations to prove that tahini goes with almost anything.

Delicious on fresh leaves and herbs, it has enough bite to balance richer elements like cheese, and makes the perfect partner to grilled halloumi or drizzle over grapes before you roast them.

I really love this easy dressing and find it a great way to add interest to the simplest of salads.

It also has the benefit of being a great way to use up any pomegranate molasses that may be lurking at the back of the cupboard. You know you buy a bottle for that one recipe and then forget all about it…

My bottle was several years after the best before, but there really was no loss of quality. Which is not to say that I recommend abandoning your ingredients for quite so long!

It is a lovely ingredient so why not use it?

What is pomegranate molasses?

An essential flavour in the Eastern Mediterranean store cupboard and across Western Asia, pomegranate molasses is a thick, syrupy reduction of pomegranate juice.

The English name can be confusing. As with date molasses, the sticky reduction looks rather like sugar cane molasses, but don’t be fooled. Pomegranate molasses is not a sweetener and is rather tart, if not sour in flavour.

Different brands will have different consistencies and different degrees of tartness, so be ready to adjust recipes with a balancing touch of salt or sweetening agents. In this pomegranate salad dressing recipe, it’s the honey that you may need to adjust to taste.

Why make pomegranate vinaigrette dressing

• an easy, tangy, fruity dressing to add to your repertoire

• relies on a great standby ingredient that doesn’t go off

• a perfect complement to Middle Eastern dishes

Pomegranate molasses salad dressing – ingredients

• Pomegranate molasses – I find this is much cheaper from Middle Eastern grocery stores/corner shops than from the World Food aisle of the supermarket.

• Olive oil – good, unrefined, extra virgin olive oil. You don’t need anything fancy as the flavour will be overwhelmed by the other ingredients.

• Honey – runny honey thickens, emulsifies and sweetens the dressing. To make your pomegranate dressing vegan, add a tablespoon of sugar in its place, along with a good dollop of smooth dijon mustard. This will emulsify the dressing without adding a noticeable flavour.

• Vinegar – use apple cider vinegar, or a red or white wine vinegar (but not balsamic)

• Salt and pepper (not shown)

How to make pomegranate dressing – step by step

Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this pomegranate vinaigrette salad dressing recipe perfectly every time.

Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

Step One – Put all the ingredients into a bottle or jar with a lid that will screw on tightly. Then seal.

Helen’s Fuss Free Tip

I usually make my dressings in a glass dressing bottle that can also be used to serve. Use a funnel to do this. Start with dry ingredients, then work from the thickest pastes and syrups to the thinnest liquids. This means the thinner liquids like juice or vinegar help to carry any stubborn remains of the more syrupy or sticky ingredients into the bottle.

Step Two – Shake well so that the dressing emulsifies.

Taste and adjust if necessary. Remember that there is quite a bit of variation in different brands of pomegranate molasses, so you may need to add some more honey, vinegar or salt to balance the flavours.

Store in the fridge, but take your pomegranate molasses dressing out to come up to room temperature and shake well before serving.

Serving suggestion

This pomegranate molasses salad dressing works in any salad that suits a vinaigrette dressing (read more in my guide to homemade salad dressings).

It is particularly well suited to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern salads and obviously is a great match for any salad made with pomegranate fruit. I also find that is perfect with salty elements such as halloumi cheese.

This pomegranate salad dressing is delicious when allowed to soak into the grains of a grain and roasted vegetable salad.

Variations

• If your dish needs a thicker dressing that stays emulsified for longer, you can add a teaspoon of smooth dijon mustard.

Storage

Fridge – Keep your pomegranate dressing in the fridge but take it out half an hour before serving to come up to room temperature. Keeps well for up to a week.

Hints and tips

• I use a funnel to add all the ingredients to a glass bottle when making dressings. Add the thicker ingredients first, so that any syrupy ingredients that cling to the funnel will be washed in by thinner liquids.

• Pomegranate molasses will almost certainly be cheaper in a Turkish or Middle Eastern grocery store rather than a “deli” brand from the supermarket.

FAQs

More salad dressing recipes

• Balsamic dressing – a delicious vinaigrette with plenty of flavour

• Lemon dressing – fruity, fragrant and perfect for Mediterranean dishes

• Salad cream – a traditional British favourite

• Find more easy homemade salad dressing recipes.