Artificial Food Coloring Free Sumac Vinaigrette
That deep burgundy color you see in this dressing comes entirely from sumac blooming in apple cider vinegar — no dyes, no shortcuts, just the natural magic of a tart Middle Eastern spice doing its thing. Bottled dressings are one of the sneakier sources of artificial coloring in an everyday diet, with ingredient lists that can read like a chemistry exam. Every drop of color here is earned honestly, between the ruby sumac, golden turmeric, and bright lemon juice working together in the bowl. The flavor is bold and layered — tangy, faintly earthy, with a whisper of ginger heat and the option of raw honey to round out the edges. Whisking the olive oil in slowly gives you a properly emulsified dressing that clings to greens instead of sliding right off. It comes together in under ten minutes and keeps beautifully in a jar, ready to shake and pour whenever you need it. Once you taste how vibrant a from-scratch vinaigrette can be, reaching for a store-bought bottle starts to feel like a strange choice.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 3 tbsp ground sumac
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small clove garlic, finely grated
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp raw honey (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the sumac and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and let stand for 5 minutes until the sumac softens and the liquid turns a deep burgundy.
- 2
Add the lemon juice, grated garlic, salt, turmeric, ginger, and honey (if using) to the bowl and whisk until the salt dissolves.
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