This homemade lemon vinaigrette is my go-to salad dressing! It’s fresh and makes any salad or food more vibrant when you toss it with this sweet, citrusy, and subtly tangy dressing. I love to prepare a batch in advance to keep on hand for salads and appetizers.
Recipe Highlights
Unlike many store-bought options, this easy lemon vinaigrette uses just a handful of simple, real-food ingredients. You won’t find any preservatives, highly processed oils, or refined sugars here! Plus, you can easily adjust the flavor, making it sweeter or more savory, to suit your preferences. With bold, lemony flavor, this recipe is great on salads, but I also love to serve it in a small bowl as a dip with crusty bread or veggies. Even the kids ask for seconds!
Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this lemon vinaigrette dressing recipe today:
- Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest – zest just the outer yellow peel of the lemon and avoid the white pith, which can cause the dressing to become too sour. You can omit the lemon zest, but it really does add amazing lemon flavor
- Oil – use high-quality oil for healthy fats and flavor. I like to use extra virgin olive oil, but avocado oil also works
- Sweetener – add just a touch of maple syrup or honey to taste. For vegan, use maple syrup.
- Dijon mustard – may sub spicy brown mustard or yellow mustard
- Salt and pepper
Zest First
You can use the same lemons for the lemon zest and the lemon juice, just be sure to zest the lemons before you cut them in half to juice them. I find that I can get all the zest I need for this recipe from 1-2 small lemons or 1 medium-large lemon.
Ways to use
This lemon vinaigrette recipe is great to use as a homemade salad dressing, dip, or marinade. I love to pair it with options like our:
Give it a shake
I like to use a mason jar with a lid to make the dressing. Shaking it instead of whisking really helps to emulsify the ingredients, creating a smooth consistency.
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Simple Lemon Vinaigrette
This fresh lemon vinaigrette comes together quickly and tastes so good over salads and roasted veggies. We also love it for drizzling over grain bowls and dipping warm bread.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (~1 medium lemon)
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (juice of 3-4 lemons)
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl or a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the dressing ingredients. Whisk or shake vigorously.
- Dressing may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Let it sit at room temperature about 15 minutes before shaking or stirring it again to redistribute the ingredients.
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Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons
- Calories: 82
- Fat: 9 g
- (Sat Fat: 1 g)
- Sodium: 215 mg
- Carbohydrate: 1 g
- (Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 0 g)
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Dietary
Frequently Asked Questions
Stored in an airtight container, this dressing will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 1 week. Just give it a good shake before using it to redistribute the ingredients. The oil will solidify when you store it in the refrigerator, but it will come to a liquid again at room temperature.
I love to add minced garlic cloves or minced shallots for a punchy, slightly sweet taste. You can also incorporate extra seasonings like dried oregano, Greek seasoning, or Italian seasoning. Or, include fresh herbs, feta, or Parmesan cheese.
More Dressing Recipes to Try
The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.
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I loved this dressing…particularly over roasted veggies.
Thank you from Canada!
You are so welcome Karen! We appreciate the 5-star review!
What can I substitute for the mustard?
You could leave it out or add tahini or additional lemon.