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    Home » Ninja Foodi Blender Recipes » Ninja Foodi Blender Sauce Recipes

    Creamy Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

    Published: February 4, 2021Updated: February 20, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking a link, I may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See Our Full Disclosure Policy for More Information

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    Cooking Methods
    • Ninja Foodi Cold and Hot Blender
    Recipe Time :7 mins
    Servings: 16

    Recipe Rating

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    Blue Cheese Vinaigrette in a bowl next to a salad

    I LOVE blue cheese dressing, my favorite kind is Marie's Blue Cheese Vinaigrette. So, I set out to make a homemade version and it's even BETTER!

    Blue Cheese Vinaigrette in a bowl next to a salad

    I would describe this salad dressing as a cross between a vinaigrette and a creamy blue cheese salad dressing. It's simply fantastic and so easy to make.

    This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking a link, I may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    I used the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender, but you can use any high speed blender. You can even make a few changes to the recipe and make a KETO Blue Cheese Dressing and I'll go over exactly how to do that in this article!

    Find What You Are Looking for Quickly Collapse Table of Contents
    1 Frequently Asked Questions
    2 Ingredients & Substitutions
    3 How to Make Keto Blue Cheese Dressing
    4 How to make Blue Cheese Vinaigrette without a Blender
    5 How to Make Blue Cheese Vinaigrette in the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender
    6 Creamy Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I Double or Triple this Recipe?


    You can definitely double the recipe in the Cold & Hot Blender and you can probably even triple it, just make sure you stay under the max fill line for cold liquids.

    How Long Does the Blue Cheese Vinaigrette last in the Refrigerator?


    I've kept it about 5 days without any issues. Just make sure it's in a sealed container and kept in the fridge. I wouldn't keep it longer than 7 days though. After that it tends to get a bit strong, in my opinion. Homemade salad dressings don't last as long as store-bought, because there aren't any preservatives in it. That is a good thing!

    What Kind of Blue Cheese is Best for this Recipe?


    You can use any kind of blue cheese in this recipe. I suggest using one that you enjoy, as they vary in taste. Some are much milder than others.

    How Much Dressing does this Recipe Make?


    Between 1½ -2 cups of salad dressing.

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    Here are the ingredients I used in this salad dressing, where to find them, and some substitutions you can make:

    Avocado Oil

    Avocado Oil is easy to find at almost every grocery store and is usually found where the other cooking oils are.

    I used avocado oil in this recipe because it is very neutral in flavor, however, you can use any oil you like. I did test the recipe with olive oil and that would be my last choice because it changed the flavor quite a bit. I found it to be a bit bitter with olive oil.

    Apple Cider Vinegar

    Apple Cider vinegar was a natural choice, since I am also using an apple in this recipe for volume and a touch of sweetness. Any vinegar should work just fine, except balsamic.

    If you didn't want to use apple cider vinegar, my first choice would be a white wine or champagne vinegar, followed by plain white vinegar. Red wine vinegar is fine, but may change the color of the blue cheese dressing a little.

    Granny Smith Apple

    I used a Granny Smith apple because it's what I had on hand and I thought the tart apple would pair nicely with the other flavors.

    You can use any type of apple you like, just taste the dressing before adding sugar because some varieties of apples are much sweeter than others.

    Blue Cheese

    Any kind of blue cheese will work just fine in this recipe. I suggest getting one that you enjoy eating, since they can vary in flavor quite a bit.

    Another choice is a gorgonzola cheese, which is a type of blue cheese made from cow's milk and tends to be a bit milder than some other blue cheese varieties.

    Roquefort is another type of blue cheese that is made from sheep's milk and can be quite tangy and strong in flavor.

    Picking out the right blue cheese is important because if you pick a variety that is too strong for your liking, you won't enjoy your Blue Cheese Vinaigrette!

    If you need more help in choosing the right blue cheese, here is an article that goes over a few of the more popular kinds of blue cheese and even rates them from mild to strong.

    Here is the link to the article ⬇︎⬇︎⬇︎

    Everything you wanted to know about Blue Cheese

    Sugar

    Even though the apple does bring in some sweetness, I found the dressing still needed a touch more. You can also use a sugar substitute of your choice.

    The sugar is also used to mix with the xanthan gum. If you added the xanthan gum directly to the blue cheese dressing it would clump up and not distribute itself throughout the dressing.

    If you want to omit the sugar or sugar substitute, then I would leave out 1 Tbsp of the oil and mix the xanthan gum with the oil and add it at the end to thicken the dressing.

    Xanthan Gum

    Xanthan gum is used as a thickening agent in this recipe for blue cheese vinaigrette. You can certainly skip it if you don't mind a thinner dressing or you can use a different thickening agent if you like.

    A little goes a long way! It also thickens more as it sits, so don't add more than the recipe calls for until after you have let the dressing sit for about an hour. If your dressing is a little too thick, simply add a little water and stir until it is the consistency you want.

    Xanthan Gum has become very popular and can often be found in regular grocery stores. I live way out in the country and found it at our local Walmart. It can also be found at most health food stores and, of course, you can purchase it online.

    Here is a link to Xanthan Gum on Amazon. Please check prices in various places to ensure you are not overpaying. Xanthan gum is pretty inexpensive.

    Xanthan Gum on Amazon

    The advantages to using xanthan gum as a thickening agent is you don't have to heat it for it to work. I use it in many of my ice cream recipes because it helps to prevent large ice crystals from forming and improves the mouthfeel of the ice cream.

    I really recommend getting some to have on hand, especially if you want to make different kinds of salad dressings because it is a great way to thicken up dressings without adding a ton of calories.

    Here are a few other substitutions, but many of them require heating to activate and those would not be the best choice for a salad dressing.

    9 Substitutions to Xanthan Gum

    How to Make Keto Blue Cheese Dressing

    You only need to change three ingredients to make this dressing keto-compliant.

    Omit the apple and use cucumber instead and use a sugar substitute instead of regular sugar.

    The cucumber will cause the dressing to be a bit thinner, so I add ½ tsp of xanthan gum instead of ¼.

    Super easy, but there are a few things that I found.

    The cucumber does impart a mild cucumber flavor and it also changes the color of the dressing some. I enjoyed the dressing, but did prefer the regular version.

    side by side of keto and regular versions of dressing

    You can also substitute the cucumber for another vegetable of choice. The reason for the apple or cucumber is to provide more volume for the dressing so we aren't using as much oil. This cuts down on those pesky calories quite a bit.

    I may have tried an avocado if I had one, but I didn't! Let me know how you make your keto version so I can update this post with tested suggestions!

    How to make Blue Cheese Vinaigrette without a Blender

    The main reason I used the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender for this recipe is to puree the apple. The extract function is AMAZING! If you have a high speed blender of any kind, I would definitely use that for this recipe.

    You can use a whisk to emulsify the oil/water/vinegar, but you will need to be able to puree the apple or use a substitution.

    Applesauce is an option, but might change the texture of the dressing some. Let me know if you try it!

    Another option is using some apple juice and water. You would need to increase the xanthan gum if you added thin liquid to replace the apple.

    You might be able to use a food processor by adding all the ingredients and processing it until it is a creamy mixture. Then add the sugar/xanthan gum and process again until thick.

    How to Make Blue Cheese Vinaigrette in the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender

    The Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender makes it super easy to make this dressing and, if you are in the market for a blender that cooks, this one is amazing!

    Core the apple and cut it into 4-8 wedges. I don't bother with peeling it. The blender takes care of the skin perfectly, but you can peel it if you prefer.

    coring and slicing the apple

    Add the water oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and apple wedges to the blender. Add about 3.5-4 ounces of the blue cheese. I like to have chunks of blue cheese in my dressing, so I put in about ⅔ of the blue cheese and reserve the rest to add at the end.

    If you don't want chunks, add all the blue cheese in now.

    adding ingredients to the blender

    Select the extract button and let the blender finish the cycle.

    blending the ingredients

    The dressing will be pretty thin at this point, but no worries. Xanthan gum to the rescue! Seriously, it's like magic!

    showing the consistency of the dressing without the xanthan gum
    Too thin!

    Mix the sugar with the xanthan gum in a small bowl. This is important because the xanthan gum will clump immediately if added without mixing it with the sugar first.

    If you wanted to avoid the sugar, you can mix the xanthan gum with a little extra oil before adding.

    mixing up xanthan gum and sugar

    Add the sugar/xanthan gum mixture to the blender and put the lid on. Pulse blend a few times to combine. The mixture will thicken as it sits and thickens even more in the fridge.

    If it's too thick when you go to serve it, add a little water (1 Tbsp at a time) until it is the consistency you like.

    Pour into a sealable container and add in the remaining blue cheese crumbled up. Stir.

    pouring into container and adding blue cheese crumbles

    You can serve it right away or put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

    Enjoy!

    pouring dressing on salad
    Blue Cheese Vinaigrette in a bowl next to a salad

    Creamy Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

    Recipe By: Louise
    Super Easy Salad Dressing made in the Ninja Foodi Cold and Hot Blender or any high speed blender!
    5 from 1 vote
    Add to My Favorites Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Blend Time 2 mins
    Total Time 7 mins
    Course Condiment
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16
    Calories 113 kcal

    Equipment

    • Ninja Foodi Cold and Hot Blender
    Turn this on when cooking to prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • ¼ cup water
    • 9 Tbsp avocado oil
    • 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • ½ tsp sea salt fine grind
    • ¼ tsp black pepper
    • 1 small Granny Smith apple
    • 5.5 ounces blue cheese divided in recipe
    • 1 Tbsp sugar
    • ¼ tsp xanthan gum

    Instructions
     

    • Core the apple and cut into 4-8 wedges.
    • Add the water, oil, vinegar, salt & pepper, apple, and ⅔ of the blue cheese to the blender. Put the lid on and select the EXTRACT button. If your blender doesn't have the Extract function, use a high speed blend.
    • Mix the sugar and the xanthan gum together in a small bowl and add to the blender. Pulse a few times to mix everything together. Let sit about 5 minutes to thicken.
    • Add the remaining blue cheese crumbles and stir to combine. Serve & Enjoy!
    • Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

    Video

    https://youtu.be/o7Ro-0bC_I8

    Notes

    Makes about 2 cups of salad dressing
     
    KETO SUBSTITUTIONS
    Use 1 cucumber instead of the apple
    Use sugar substitute of choice instead of sugar
    Increase xanthan gum to ½ teaspoon
     
     
    Nutritional values are provided as a courtesy and thesaltedpepper.com makes no guarantees of accuracy. We do our best to ensure they are accurate, but many factors influence nutritional values that are beyond our control. Different brands of items have different nutritional values, so it is always best to do your own independent nutritional analysis based on the items you are using in a recipe if you require a high level of accuracy. Thesaltedpepper.com will not be held accountable for any errors in the displayed nutritional information.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2TbspCalories: 113kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 210mgPotassium: 38mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 80IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword creamy blue cheese dressing, keto blue cheese dressing
    Course Condiment
    Cuisine American
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    ABOUT THE RECIPE AUTHOR, LOUISE LONG

    Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.

    Picture of Louise.

    She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.

    Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.

    Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and getting the most out of the Ninja Foodi.

    Ninja Foodi 101

    Simply Cooking with Louise

    Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.

    She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information

    I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE COOKING UP IN YOUR KITCHEN! TAG ME @THESALTEDPEPPER ON YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM WHEN YOU MAKE A DISH!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Reo

      February 05, 2021 at 4:05 am

      Hi what is xanthan gum where can you buy it plz I’ve never heard of it ? Also what blue cheese did you use thank you .

      Reply
      • Louise

        February 05, 2021 at 10:40 am

        I used a blue cheese from Aldi. There are links in the post about the xanthan gum, you can usually find it in health food stores and even our Walmart carries it. It's becoming a very popular thickening agent.

        Reply
    2. Karen

      February 04, 2021 at 9:57 pm

      Thank you for the recipe Louise. I will be making it to use in my buffalo chicken pizza.

      I have noticed a lot of food bloggers are now using the table of contents format. It does make the blog look “cleaner” and easier to navigate but hardly necessary in your blog. I read everything you write from top to bottom as you include so much useful information. If it doesn’t create a lot of extra work for you I would keep it so that a return visit would be easier. I love your videos as you confirm my belief that recipes are guidelines - if you don’t like something, leave it out.. Thanks again for all your work.

      Reply

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