Simple and “Healthy” Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Ah, blue cheese. A broad category of cheese that ranges from buttery and spreadable to crumbly and dry, approachable to assertive, grassy, earthy, and funky, to spicy or sweet. Blue cheese is perfect for showcasing on a cheese platter. Some varieties are fit for dessert with a drizzle of balsamic reduction or honey and candied nuts. Blue cheese complements fruit, especially pears, figs, and cherries. It also complements beef, which is pretty much the opposite of fruit. For an ingredient so versatile it’s somewhat of a shame that only one dressing comes to your mind when you think of blue cheese dressing – that gloppy, creamy, tangy mixture found right next to the bottles of Ranch at the grocery store.

Don’t get me wrong, I love that gloppy, creamy, tangy blue cheese dressing. And there’s something noble about a dressing that takes a somewhat risky ingredient, a cheese that attracts the most adventurous and “sophisticated” eaters when purchased on its own at a cheese counter, and makes it accessible to every dude in a Sports Bar noshing on crispy chicken wings and celery sticks. But in this salad dressing landscape dominated by one version of blue cheese dressing, there are possibilities for this amazing ingredient that have been forgotten.

This Blue Cheese Vinaigrette is one of those possibilities. Blue cheese salad dressing has been unjustly given its reputation as the “most unhealthy” dressing. It doesn’t have to be this way. This blue cheese vinaigrette is light and dainty. If you are one of the millions of people eating salad for health reasons, this healthy blue cheese salad dressing won’t completely counteract all of your sacrifices and hard work. Years ago, while working at a French Restaurant in Missoula, I made and served a similar dressing with a salad of mixed greens, avocado, pear, and candied walnuts. It was lovely.

The Best Blue Cheeses for Dressing

Some blue cheeses are soft and spreadable and some crumble well. For this recipe, I recommend a blue cheese that crumbles well. In the restaurant kitchen, I have used Roquefort and Point Reyes Blue for this dressing. Both of those varieties will add a little creaminess to the dressing while still holding some shape to the crumbles. I recommend these blue cheeses for this dressing:

• Stilton
• Danish Blue
• Forme D’Ambert
• Roquefort
• Point Reyes Blue
• Maytag
• Gorgonzola / Gorgonzola Piccante

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

• Author: Kara Taylor- Home Cooks Guide
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 2 1/2 cups 1x
• Category: Condiment
• Method: mix
• Cuisine: french
• Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1/4 medium onion, minced/chopped

1/2 garlic clove, spicy green sprout removed from middle

1 cup white wine vinegar

3/4 cup canola oil

1 1/2 – 2 cups crumbled blue cheese

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (or plain paprika)

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram (or sub oregano)

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

In a blender, combine all ingredients except the oil and blue cheese.  Blend until very smooth.

Turn blender to medium-low speed.  Very slowly add the oil in a slow steady stream until fully incorporated.

Add the blue cheese crumbles and pulse a couple of times until the blue cheese bits are the size of peas or smaller.  The dressing will get slightly creamy as some of the blue cheese is dissolved into the vinaigrette.

Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid and store in the fridge until ready to use.  The dressing will keep for weeks refrigerated.

---

Equipment

| Vitamix Explorian Blender, Professional-Grade |

Buy Now →

---

---

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 Tablespoon