Toasted Pecan Vinaigrette

Toasted Pecan Vinaigrette is just what you need for your fall salad! This creamy, nutty, and tangy vinaigrette pairs well with so many autumn flavors and is sure to please a crowd.

Happy Fall Ya’ll!!!!!!! Today makes the official first day of fall, and the introduction to my favorite three months of the year. I actually grew up a California girl and was deprived of the beautiful change in seasons. Now that I’ve been on the East Coast for awhile, I couldn’t imagine being without my beloved season changing weather that I look forward to so much! Not here to talk about the weather……..Obviously. So let’s get right to it. So many delectable possibilities in this one jar of fall goodness.

Recently I was at my favorite restaurant, A Chef’s Kitchen in Williamsburg, VA. Chef John Gonzales did it again with this seasonal dressing for fall. He served with peaches, goat cheese, butter lettuce, and more pecans. It was the perfect salad course!! I couldn’t wait to go home and try it with some fall vegetables.  This dressing would be a fabulous addition to your holiday table, or just for a weeknight salad dish.

I have a not-so-secret obsession with salad dressings. They pretty much are the gateway to healthy eating. I mean, you can eat all the vegetables you want as long as it’s topped with something so delicious. Right? This super yummy dressing combines maple syrup, toasted pecans, white wine vinegar, shallots, and olive oil.

How to make Toasted Pecan Vinaigrette:

Let’s gather up our simple ingredients:

• raw pecans
• real maple syrup
• shallot
• white wine vinegar
• sea salt
• avocado oil or olive oil

We start by adding the pecans to a sheet pan and roasting in the oven. This gives our dressing the robust and toasty flavor!

Once cooled, give the pecans a rough chop and add to a food processor or blender. Add the vinegar, shallot, syrup, and sea salt. Slowly stream in the oil while blending. Continue to blend until nice and smooth!

And now you’re ready to serve!

The dressing is nice and thick; perfectly versatile for a salad, on top of veggies for a side dish, or even as a sauce for a main course. The toasted pecans really bring out the maple syrup to give this dressing a delicious balance of nutty, earthy, and sweet. It bursts with fall flavor!!

Serving Toasted Pecan Vinaigrette:

Here are a few salads where this Toasted Pecan Vinaigrette would be perfect:

• Apple Slaw
• Shaved Brussels sprouts and Pear Salad
• Fall Buddha Bowl

Enjoy!

Hungry for More? Subscribe to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Toasted Pecan Vinaigrette

Recipe is adapted from A Chef's Kitchen in Williamsburg, VA

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 1 .5 cups

Author Amy Rains

5 from 7 votes

Print

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp real maple syrup
• 2 tbsp chopped shallot
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Vegetable broth or water for thinning around 1/2 cup
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecan halves on a cookie sheet.
2. Bake the pecans, stirring occasionally, until toasted and fragrant. Around 10 minutes. Cool completely. Coarsely chop the pecans.
3. In a high powered blender or food processor, add pecans, vinegar, syrup, and shallots. While blending, slowly add in olive oil. Blend until completely smooth. Add broth or water as needed to thin.
4. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
5. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.