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Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette — copycat salad dressing

Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette is an easy copycat version of a bottled salad dressing, one you buy from the store. Smoky roasted-pepper flavor and just the right amount of honey sweetness shine in both, but this one’s better—because it’s homemade, with love.

Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette in jarr with bowl of red peppers and spoon

The best thing about making your own vinaigrette is you know exactly what’s in it. It blows my mind to see sugar in almost every bottled dressing on the shelf–Arrrgh‼ Homemade salad dressings rock, especially over tossed lettuce and veggie salads.

You know how kale salads are best when the pieces of kale get massaged first? Instead of salt or lemon juice, massage your kale with a quarter cup of this dressing and ¼ teaspoon of salt. The next time you roast winter squash—toss the cubes with honey and roasted red pepper vinaigrette before the squash goes in the oven. Yum!

Click here to PIN Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette!

Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette in jar direct photo with bowl of red peppers

Which is better for this recipe, roasted red peppers in a jar, or home-roasted?

I usually use roasted red peppers from a jar. It’s so easy. Given the time, roast and peel your own sweet red peppers for this vinaigrette.

How do your roast red peppers?

Grill or broil them until they are charred all over. Like in this recipe for roasted poblano peppers. After they’re nice and charred, put them in a covered bowl to sweat just until cool enough to handle. The charred skin should easily peels off. It’s OK if some of the char doesn’t come off—all the better for sweet and smoky roasted red pepper vinaigrette.

To make the dressing, just put everything except the herbs in the blender and whir until smooth. After blending, stir in minced parsley, basil, and/or chives. The little green flecks look cool floating around in the bright orange.

Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette in salad dressing bottle with bowl of kale and squash salad

The truth is, Robbie takes charge of salads around here. His m-o is to doctor up Newman’s own. He divides the bottle into two bottles and adds V-8 juice, extra virgin olive oil, extra garlic, and dried Italian season to both. Theres’s even a copycat of Robbie’s hack dressing on this blog—Very Herb + Veggie Vinaigrette, which btw is damn delicious.

I’m ever and always grateful Robbie puts together salad for us every night. Every once in a while he even lets me take over the vinaigrette making. This homemade roasted red pepper vinaigrette is one that comes up in the rotation. Isn’t the red-orange color brilliant?

You might also like my copycat version of another of Annie’s dressings, this Sesame Shiitake Vinaigrette. Maple Pecan Vinaigrette is another of my favorite salad dressings.

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PS If you make this recipe and love it, please consider leaving a blog post comment. Your comments help other readers learn more about the recipe. If you’d also give the recipe a ✮✮✮✮✮ rating, I’d be delighted!

Nutrition information is meant to be an estimate only. The numbers will vary based on how much you actually use. These number are based on 2 tablespoons of dressing per serving.

16 comments

  • Kami

    This is delicious. I used 8 oz of red pepper because I’m a little obsessed with them. The vinegar taste may have also been too much for me otherwise. My sister and I go through a bottle of the Annie’s roasted red pepper dressing way too fast. We were so excited to make this tonight. Great recipe. Thank you so much! Reply · 16 May, 2016

    • Kami–I am so happy you like my “copycat” red pepper vinaigrette! Enjoy. I absolutely adore those canned roasted red peppers too. Reply · 17 May, 2016

  • Patricia

    I am going for the jar of red
    peppers too. Will give it a try
    tonight. xoxo, PC Reply · 27 October, 2016

  • I remember you like Annie’s dressings too. Let me know what you think about my copycat! Reply · 27 October, 2016

  • Maura

    Thanks Letty. I’m on it. Always making creative dressings from whatever I have on hand but this sounds wonderful. I will substitute coconut aminos for the apple cider vinegar and let you know how it is. Can Robbie coach Ed on making salads every night?? Lol Reply · 27 October, 2016

    • LOL. Last night he made one with yellow carrots and yellow tomatoes, the last of them around here. This vinaigrette is delicious on tomatoes. Reply · 28 October, 2016

  • Patricia

    Loved the red pepper and vinaigette dressing. Maybe better than Annies. Reply · 28 October, 2016

    • Thank you Patricia! I’m so happy you love it! Reply · 30 October, 2016

  • Shweta

    Thanks Letty. This vinaigrette was really tasty. My family enjoyed it very much. Can’t wait to try the other ones. Reply · 23 May, 2018

  • Claudia Ranella

    I would like to use this dressing on a pasta salad. Do you think that would be okay? Reply · 6 July, 2018

    • This red pepper vinaigrette would be delicious on pasta salad. I think it would stick to the pasta better if you stirred in a tablespoon or so of mayonnaise or tahini (sesame butter.) Reply · 6 July, 2018

  • Stacy Markwell

    Thank you Letty – this is delicious! We made exactly as you detailed and honestly, blistering red peppers is great fun! Reply · 1 May, 2020

    • Thank you!! I am so happy you enjoy this dressing. We love it too, though I confess I almost always use roasted red peppers from a jar! Reply · 1 May, 2020

  • Teri

    How long can this be stored in the refrigerator after making?

    BTW, my friend used Annie’sRRP dressing as a marinate for grilled chicken thighs…they were so yummy! So glad i found this copy cat! I don’t do unhealthy oil (found in Annie’s). Thank you!!!! Reply · 13 October, 2021

    • I store it it the fridge about 2 weeks before using it up and it is still bright and tasty. I almost always use roasted red peppers from the jar and they contain citric acid, which supplements the vinegar in the dressing. If you roast your own peppers, I would store in the fridge no more than 5 days. Reply · 17 October, 2021

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