Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

Simple, healthy, and ready in 5 minutes, this Lemon Vinaigrette will soon become one of your favorite go-to salad dressings!  Olive oil is blended together with fresh lemon juice, zest, honey, mustard, and a touch of fresh herbs to make this light and refreshing recipe.  It’s the perfect homemade dressing to drizzle on your favorite spinach, kale, or quinoa salads during the Spring and Summer months!

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

Those that say “simplicity is key” must have been referring to this Lemon Vinaigrette dressing.

When you look at the list of very common and not-so-unique ingredients you may be tempted to think “Hmm.  This doesn’t seem so impressive.”

But ahhhh… how easily the simplest pairing of ingredients can fool you.

Because each of them plays a special role in making this vinaigrette recipe exactly what it is.

Olive oil gives it an incredibly luxurious mouthfeel…

The lemon juice delivers that acidic component all salad dressings need…

While the honey comes in to add just enough natural sweetness.

You could stop right there but then the final ingredients are what take it over-the-top.

Just a touch of Dijon mustard is added in to enable the ingredients to truly emulsify…

Finely grated lemon zest is sprinkled in for an added punch of lemon flavor.

While that finely chopped fresh thyme?  Don’t you DARE leave it out.  Because those fresh herbs are what make your homemade salad dressings something your dinner guests will be ranting and raving about.

Ingredients

Now that you know all of the ingredients you’ll need for this lemon vinaigrette recipe, let’s take a look at some substitutions you can make:

Oil.  A good quality olive oil is recommended and is always preferred when making homemade salad dressings.  Avocado oil may also be used.  It is a milder oil so you will not get that same pungency that olive oil will deliver.

Lemon.  Both lemon juice and lemon zest are added into the dressing.  Fresh lemon juice is preferred.  Avoid using the bottled kind since a large majority of the flavor comes from the lemon juice.  If you want to get creative you can always switch it up and add orange or lime juice and zest.

Honey.  Regular honey is the sweetener that balances out the acidity from the citrus.  If you’re vegan, you can also try substituting with agave nectar or pure maple syrup.  You can also use stevia liquid extract if you’re on a low-carb or keto diet.

Mustard.  Dijon mustard is recommended, but yellow mustard may also be used.  Try not to use spicy mustard since it will overpower the other ingredients.

Garlic.  Fresh garlic cloves are crushed and then blended into the mix.  You may also use garlic powder if that’s what you have available.

Herbs.  Finely chopped fresh thyme is the herb of choice when pairing with lemon and honey.  However, you can also try using fresh rosemary, dill, or oregano for a slightly different flavor.

Lemon Juice & Zest

Before you jump straight into whipping up the vinaigrette, there’s one key thing you’ll want to make sure to do:

Zest the lemon BEFORE juicing.

It’s much easier to zest a lemon using a microplane or a citrus zester if it is still whole and intact.

Once you have all of the lemon zest off of the lemon, THEN you can cut it in half and use a citrus juicer.

So word to the wise – don’t make it harder than it has to be!!  Always, always zest BEFORE juicing.

How to Make

Much like when making any other homemade salad dressings, you’ll want to blend all of your ingredients until smooth and well combined.  Here are my recommendations from best to worst options:

• Blender – My favorite way is in our NutriBullet.  It’s small, easy to clean, and emulsifies the dressings nicely.  You can also use a Vitamix.
• Food processor – A mini-prep food processor works great when blending fresh herbs or larger ingredients.
• Jar with a Lid – While simply shaking your ingredients together in a jar will not completely emulsify your salad dressing, it does get the job done and eliminates something additional to clean.
• Bowl with a Whisk – This would be the last resort.  It takes additional time and the mixture will separate unless whisked constantly for a few minutes.

Pro Tip: Finely chop the fresh herbs before blending or whisking into the salad dressing.  Even a blender or a food processor don’t always do the best job at chopping the herbs into small pieces.

Meal Prep and Storage

To Prep-Ahead:  Prepare salad dressing up to 2 days in advance and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To Store:  This lemon vinaigrette can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.  The dressing will slowly lose its’ brightness and flavor the longer it is stored.

To Freeze:  It is not advisable to freeze homemade vinaigrette dressings since the ingredients will separate permanently and no longer emulsify together once thawed.

FAQs

How long does homemade vinaigrette last?

Most oil-based vinaigrette salad dressings will last for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.  It mostly depends on what the shelf life is of the individual ingredients.  Fresh herbs, garlic, and citrus juice will shorten the lifespan while more shelf-stable ingredients such as vinegars and oil can last far longer.

Does lemon vinaigrette need to be refrigerated?

Yes.  Due to the sensitive nature of the lemon juice, garlic, and fresh herbs all lemon vinaigrettes need to be refrigerated when stored.  Refrigeration will also postpone the spoilage of those ingredients and give you a longer time to enjoy your homemade dressing.

Is a vinaigrette healthy?

A vinaigrette dressing is a healthier option than egg-based or cream-based dressings in that it is typically only made up of olive oil, vinegar, and a small amount of sweetener.

What is the healthiest vinaigrette dressing?

A homemade vinaigrette dressing is the healthiest option since they’re made with real food ingredients.  Balsamic vinaigrette, lemon vinaigrette, and an Italian vinaigrette are some of the healthier options.

Dietary Modifications

The recipe you’ll find below is already vegetarian, gluten-free, Paleo, nut-free, and dairy-free as written.  Here are some adjustments you can make to help it fit your other dietary requirements:

Low-Carb and Keto:  Substitute liquid stevia for the honey or leave it out completely.

Whole30: Leave out the honey.

Vegan: Use agave nectar or pure maple syrup in place of the honey.

Pro Tips and Tricks

• Use fresh lemon juice.  The bottled kind does not have nearly as much lemon flavor and can be more acidic tasting compared to fresh.
• Zest before juicing.  It’s always easiest if you zest your citrus before cutting them in half and juicing.
• Sprinkle in a little lemon zest.  The zest of citrus has so much more flavor than the juice and will really up-level the lemon flavor in the dressing.
• Don’t forget the herbs.  Whether thyme or any other type of fresh herb, this ingredient really takes the lemon vinaigrette over-the-top!
• Emulsify by blending.  Quickly blending the ingredients in a Nutribullet or other blender will help the ingredients to completely emulsify and combine together.  (Something a bowl and a whisk simply cannot do!)
• Double the batch.  Want to eat a salad all week?  Simply double the batch and have it ready to enjoy all week long!

5 from 4 votes

Print Comment

• Pin It

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

Simple, healthy, and ready in 5 minutes, this Lemon Vinaigrette will soon become one of your favorite go-to salad dressings! Olive oil is blended together with fresh lemon juice, zest, honey, mustard, and a touch of fresh herbs to make this light and refreshing recipe.

Course dressing

Cuisine American

Keyword dressing, easy, healthy, salad

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 180 kcal

London Brazil

Ingredients

• ½ cup olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• ¼ cup lemon juice fresh
• 2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard or yellow
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 2 tsp. thyme finely chopped
• ¼ tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Add ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend for 20-30 seconds, or until smooth.
2. Alternatively, you can whisk together ingredients in a bowl or shake until incorporated in a mason jar.
3. Store lemon vinaigrette dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week between servings. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• You can use a mini-prep food processor, NutriBullet blender, or a Vitamix with similar results.
• Each serving is roughly 2 tablespoons of salad dressing.
• Use stevia liquid extract in place of the honey or leave it out completely if on a low-carb or keto diet.

Pro Tips and Tricks

• Use fresh lemon juice.  The bottled kind does not have as much lemon flavor and can be more acidic tasting compared to fresh.
• Zest before juicing.  It's always easiest if you zest citrus before cutting it in half and juicing.
• Sprinkle in a little lemon zest.  The zest of citrus has so much more flavor than the juice and will up-level the lemon flavor.
• Don't forget the herbs.  Whether thyme or any other type of fresh herb, this ingredient really takes the lemon vinaigrette over-the-top!
• Emulsify by blending.  Quickly blending the ingredients in a Nutribullet or other blender will help the ingredients to completely emulsify and combine together.  (Something a bowl and a whisk simply cannot do!)
• Double the batch.  Want to eat a salad all week?  Simply double the batch and have it ready to enjoy all week long!

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

Amount Per Serving

Calories 180 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Sodium 90mg4%

Potassium 28mg1%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 80IU2%

Vitamin C 8mg10%

Calcium 10mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.