Say goodbye to store-bought salad dressing! Sun-dried tomato dressing combines simple ingredients to create a bold and flavorful salad dressing. Use it to flavor salad and pasta salad recipes, or pair it with roasted vegetables, chicken, and seafood.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes for a bold flavor or dried sun-dried tomatoes. Soak dried tomatoes (if using) in water for at least 30 minutes to rehydrate them. Then, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil for a smoother dressing.
- Garlic: Include four fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Mayonnaise: Offset the acidity with full-fat mayonnaise, like Duke’s or Hellman’s, or use plain Greek yogurt as a lighter-calorie option.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Tangy, fermented red wine vinegar is a perfect addition to the dressing.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard adds creaminess and prevents the dressing from breaking.
- Spices: Include simple spices like dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
- Olive Oil: Depending on what type of sun-dried tomatoes you use, include a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil. You can also include some of the oil from the can of sun-dried tomatoes for a smoother dressing.
- Water: Adjust the amount of water as needed until you get a pourable consistency.
Additions and Substitutions
- Add honey or agave nectar for a sweeter dressing or a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for a little bit of spice.
- Use sherry vinegar, apple cider vinegar, aged white wine vinegar, or fresh lemon juice from one lemon instead of red wine vinegar.
- Replace the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt, and try tahini or coconut yogurt for a dairy-free option.
- Enhance the dressing’s flavor with dried Italian seasoning or incorporate fresh basil leaves or mint leaves.
Tools You’ll Need
Use an immersion blender, food processor, or high-speed blender to make the sun-dried tomato dressing recipe. I highly recommend using an immersion blender when making salad dressing and sauces that require emulsification.
Use the blender cup provided with the immersion blender, a wide-mouth jar, or one of these meal prep containers to ensure the blender works correctly and to avoid a mess.
How to Make Sun Dried Tomato Dressing
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and spices with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender.
Step 2: Pour the olive oil into the cup or blender in a slow, steady stream while blending the ingredients. Then, add water (as needed) until you get a pourable consistency.
Preparation Tip
Pour the dressing through a fine mesh strainer into an airtight container for storage.
Expert Tips
- Depending on what you use to combine the ingredients for the dressing, you may end up with small chunks of sun-dried tomatoes. That sounds delicious, but you can finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes before using them or strain the dressing through a fine mesh strainer for a smooth finish.
- Add water until the dressing has a pourable consistency.
- I recommend blending the ingredients, tasting, and adjusting the salt and pepper until you find the perfect flavor.
Tips for Emulsification
What is Emulsification?
Emulsification is a fancy cooking term that describes combining ingredients that do not naturally mix, such as oil and vinegar, and making them stay together using an emulsifier.
What is an Emulsifier?
An emulsifier acts like a bridge between two opposing ingredients, holding them together in a smooth, stable mixture. The best emulsifiers contain water and oil-friendly properties to help the ingredients combine. The most common emulsifiers include egg yolks, mustard, mayonnaise, soybeans, honey, and xanthan gum.
How to Create a Stable Emulsification
If you want to learn how to make homemade vinaigrette, dressing, hollandaise sauce, aioli, or mayonnaise, then learning how to create a stable emulsification is key.
- Choose an Emulsifier: Select an emulsifying ingredient based on what you are making.
- Combine the Ingredients: Mix the water-based ingredients, such as vinegar or lemon juice with an emulsifier.
- Slowly Add Oil: Add a few drops, then pour the oil gradually in a slow, steady stream while whisking or blending the ingredients. The gradual addition helps to achieve a stable emulsion (so the two liquids combine instead of separate).
- Adjust the Consistency: If the mixture gets too thick, add more water-based liquid to thin it out while continuing to mix.
If you enjoy tangy tomato dressing, pair it with these salad recipes!
Ideas for How to Use Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing
It’s a go-to condiment for summer meal prep. The sun-dried tomatoes in the dressing tastes delicious with pasta salad, roasted vegetables, frittatas, and meat dishes like stuffed peppers, baked chicken, and fish.
Toss arugula spinach salad or arugula quinoa salad with the zesty dressing. Spread it onto bread, wraps, and pizza, or use it to replace traditional pasta sauce for pasta dishes like lasagna.
Spoon sun dried tomato dressing over hummus, butter boards, or serve it in a decorative bowl on a charcuterie board with air fryer pita chips.
It’s also an easy way to flavor grain bowls or serve it as a dipping sauce for quinoa balls, meatballs, air fryer smashed Brussel sprouts, or vegetable crudite.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover sauce in an airtight container or glass jar for one week.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to use dry sun dried tomatoes?
Jarred sun-dried tomatoes are ready to eat right away. However, you should soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before blending them with the other ingredients. I also recommend including 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil for a smoother consistency.
Can I make my own sun dried tomatoes?
1. Wash a handful of fresh tomatoes thoroughly. Cut them in half lengthwise and quarter larger tomatoes. You can remove the seeds to speed up the drying process.
2. Sprinkle the tomatoes generously with your favorite salt.
3. Arrange the tomatoes, cut-side-up, on a baking sheet or towel with space between the tomatoes.
4. Move them to a sunny spot with good airflow and cover them with a breathable towel or cheesecloth. Leave the tomatoes for 5-10 days until the tomatoes are leathery and no longer juicy.
5. Store the sundried tomatoes in an airtight container or jar. To increase the shelf life, pack the dry tomatoes in a jar with olive oil and aromatics like garlic and herbs for extra flavor.
More Homemade Sauces:
Sun Dried Tomato Dressing
- Airtight Container
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ksoher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (if using dried sun-dried tomatoes)
- ½ cup water
- Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and spices with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender.
- Pour the olive oil into the cup or blender in a slow, steady stream while blending the ingredients. Then, add water (as needed) until you get a pourable consistency.Tip: Pour the dressing through a fine mesh strainer into an airtight container for storage.
- Depending on what you use to combine the ingredients for the dressing, you may end up with small chunks of sun-dried tomatoes. That sounds delicious, but you can finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes before using them or strain the dressing through a fine mesh strainer for a smooth finish.
- Add water until the dressing has a pourable consistency.
- I recommend blending the ingredients, tasting, and adjusting the salt and pepper until you find the perfect flavor.