Enjoy cranberries over the holiday season and all throughout the year! Save your cranberry sauce leftovers from the table and turn them into another dish, like this cranberry salad dressing. It can be served over a salad, spread on bread or used as a dip for your favorite proteins.
After a big holiday meal, what happens to your leftovers? Do you enjoy them again the next day (or two, three…) or prefer not to have the plate on repeat.
Good news! When properly stored, homemade cranberry sauce can last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. So whenever you’re ready you can repurpose it.
Use this recipe to transform leftover cranberry sauce into a dressing that can be used as both a salad dressing or a dipping sauce with your choice of protein.
Cranberry dressing recipe tips
This dressing is best served cold. You can chill it in the fridge before serving or make sure the cranberry sauce has cooled/been refrigerated before making this recipe.
Serve it over fresh vegetables in a salad or on the side as a dipping sauce. It’s also delicious on top of cooked salmon.
Ingredients
- cranberry sauce – used the leftovers from this healthy cranberry sauce recipe. It’s okay if there are chunks of other fruits in it too (this one also has apples) since the dressing will be blended.
- olive oil
- rice wine vinegar
- garlic cloves
- salt & pepper
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How to make cranberry salad dressing
- Place peeled garlic cloves into the bowl of a small food processor. Pulse until it’s minced.
- Pour in the leftover cranberry sauce. Blitz until smooth.
- Add in the remaining ingredients, process until well combined.
And your cranberry salad dressing is complete. It should be a thick & dippable consistency. You can enjoy it right away or refrigerate to chill before serving.
Depending on the cranberry sauce leftovers you started with and the way you plan to use this dressing, you may want to thin it out. Slowly stir in water, a few teaspoons at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
Cranberry arugula salad
Prepare a dish to serve with the dressing. I used this Cranberry Dressing for salad with arugula, cucumber, red onion, pomegranate & hemp seeds.
Other delicious ingredients you could add to this salad include: sliced almonds & feta cheese
More leftover cranberry sauce recipes
FAQS & TIPS
You’ll have to start from scratch making your own cranberry sauce first. Not a big deal but it will take a little more time to make considering the additional cooking & chilling time (~30 to 60 minutes).
Cut this Cranberry Sauce with Apples recipe in half to make the perfect amount of cranberry sauce for this dressing recipe.
Yes, use wither frozen or fresh cranberries to make the cranberry sauce. Add them straight to the pot, no need to thaw them first.
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Cranberry Salad Dressing
Turn leftover cranberry sauce into a delicious dip or dressing for salad.
Ingredients
Salad Dressing:
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ cup cranberry sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse pepper
Salad:
- 4 cups (120 grams) arugula
- 2 cups (240 grams) sliced Persian cucumber
- ⅔ (96 grams) red onion, sliced
- ½ cup (75 grams) pomegranate seeds
- 3 tablespoons (30 grams) hemp seeds
- ¼ cup (28 grams) sliced almonds (optional)
Instructions
Salad Dressing
- Place peeled garlic cloves into the bowl of a small food processor. Pulse to mince.
- Pour in leftover cranberry sauce. Blitz until smooth.
- Add in the remaining ingredients, process until well combined.
- If desired, mix in a couple teaspoon of water to make the consistency more pourable.
Salad
- Layer the salad ingredients in a serving bowl.
- Drizzle some of salad dressing over top.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 cup salad (including nuts) with 2½ tablespoons dressingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 278Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 145mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 4gSugar: 12gProtein: 6g
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