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Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing – A tangy, herby salad dressing perfect for just about anything. It’s great on leafy greens, drizzled on roasted vegetables, stirred into grains, and tossed with pasta.
This zesty vinaigrette brings life to whatever you throw it’s way.
Fresh lemon juice is stepping in for vinegar, so I guess technically, it’s not a vinaigrette, but it’s basically the same thing.
It’s so easy to make homemade dressing, there is no reason to grab a bottle of store-bought. Extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. All things you likely already have in your house.
Whisk up a batch today!
Tips for Making Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
Be sure to zest one of the lemons before squeezing it for the juice. A microplane grater is my favorite tool for the job.
You can also use the microplane to grate the garlic into the dressing if you prefer not to have small bits of garlic in there.
I like a very lemony dressing, using equal amounts of oil and lemon juice. If you prefer a milder lemon flavor, add a bit more oil, or cut back to just 1 lemon.
Pure maple syrup is an optional ingredient. I almost never use it as I like the bright tartness of the dressing without, but you may want a teaspoon to balance the tangy lemon.
This dressing should keep in the fridge in an air-tight container for about 3-5 days, though I doubt it will last that long. You can also make a double batch.
I first developed this recipe for my Lemon Artichoke Pasta Salad. If you are making this dressing to go over noodles, like in that pasta salad, I suggest making it as written with both lemons. You want a strong flavored dressing to stand up to the bland noodles.
If you are making it just for salad, as I stated in my tips above, you can cut back on the lemon if you prefer a milder flavor.
Don’t forget to try these other delicious dairy free salad dressings:
- Citrus Tahini Dressing (Oil-Free)
- Creamy Cumin Ranch Dressing (Oil-Free)
- Sesame Soy Asian Dressing
Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
I hope you love this Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing as much as we do. If you try it, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback and star rating.
You can also find me on social media. Be sure to tag #veggieinspired and @veggie_inspired so I’m sure to see it.
Enjoy!
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more, as desired)
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (optional) (or to taste)
Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until fully combined. Alternately, you can place the ingredients in a jar with a fitted lid and shake vigorously until combined.
Add additional olive oil, as desired.
If you prefer a more mild lemon flavor, start with the juice of 1 lemon and work up from there. Alternately, you can increase the amount of oil used.
Nutrition facts calculated without the optional pure maple syrup.
Di-Di | The Foxy Flexitarian says
Great recipe. Thank you, Jenn. The maple syrup makes a big difference.
Jenn Sebestyen says
Wonderful! So glad you love it, DiDi!