Lemon Vinaigrette - Love and Lemons (2024)

This lemon vinaigrette recipe is SO easy to make! With its zingy, bright lemon flavor, it'll blow any store bought dressing out of the water.

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Lemon Vinaigrette - Love and Lemons (1)

Lemon Vinaigrette - Love and Lemons (2)

How is it possible that in 8+ years of writing Love and Lemons, I haven’t shared a basic lemon vinaigrette recipe until now?! Often, I post salad recipes with a dressing included – a kale salad with carrot ginger dressing, a watermelon salad tossed with lime juice. But a few weeks ago, as I was whisking together this lemon vinaigrette, I realized that tying a dressing to a specific salad recipe can sometimes sell it short.

This lemon vinaigrette is one of my favorite salad dressings. It’s zippy, fresh, and bright, it comes together in minutes, and it keeps well in the fridge. With its vibrant lemon flavor, it’s a dressing that you’ll use for so much more than salad. Sure, it peps up greens, but it also makes roasted veggies more exciting, adds life to grain bowls, and more. So whisk it up, pop it in the fridge, and start drizzling it over everything. Easy, versatile, and delicious, this lemon vinaigrette recipe is one you’ll make again and again.

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Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe Ingredients

This lemon vinaigrette dressing recipe is super simple to make. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Fresh lemon juice – To make it zippy and bright!
  • Extra-virgin olive oil – It gives the dressing body and richness.
  • Garlic – It adds a nice kick.
  • Dijon mustard – For tangy depth of flavor.
  • Honey or maple syrup – I list it as optional, but its sweetness perfectly balances the sharp garlic, lemon, and Dijon mustard.
  • Fresh or dried thyme – Again, it’s optional, but if you ask me, herbs make everything better. With its fresh, aromatic flavor, it adds something special to this lemon vinaigrette.
  • And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!

When you’re ready to make the dressing, add the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper to a small bowl, and whisk to combine. Then, add the olive oil. As you’ll see in the recipe below, I make my lemon vinaigrette with varying amounts of oil. If I’m tossing it with raw greens and vegetables, I want it to have a mellower flavor. Then, I use 3 parts acid to 4 parts oil. If I’m dressing heartier ingredients like roasted vegetables or potatoes, I want it to taste sharper, so I use a 1:1 ratio. I recommend starting with a 1:1 ratio and adding more oil as needed.

As you pour in the oil, whisk continuously until the dressing is emulsified. Stir in the thyme, and season to taste with more oil, salt, and/or pepper. Enjoy!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

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How to Use Lemon Vinaigrette

This lemon vinaigrette will keep in an airtight container or jar for up to 1 week in the fridge. Of course, it’s a great way to dress up a simple green salad, but there are so many other delicious ways to use it. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Toss it with a cooked grain like farro, couscous, or quinoa and fresh herbs to make a hearty side dish.
  • Use it as a marinade for cooked white beans, chickpeas, or French green lentils.
  • Drizzle it over roasted veggies like potatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, fennel, or cauliflower.
  • Or use it in place of the dressing in any of these salad recipes:
    • Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
    • Burrata with Heirloom Tomatoes
    • Bright Spring Salad
    • Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
    • Citrus Salad with Fennel and Avocado
    • Roasted Beet Salad
    • Italian Chopped Salad

How do you like to use lemon salad dressing? Let me know in the comments!

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More Favorite Dressings and Sauces

If you love this lemon vinaigrette recipe, try one of these homemade salad dressing recipes next:

  • Cilantro Lime Dressing
  • Greek Salad Dressing
  • Homemade Caesar Dressing
  • Ginger Miso Dressing
  • Easy Peanut Sauce
  • Tahini Sauce (4 ways!)
  • Chimichurri Sauce
  • Basil Pesto (+ Variations)

Lemon Vinaigrette

rate this recipe:

5 from 410 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Serves 6 to 8

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This easy lemon vinaigrette recipe is a great one to have in your back pocket. It's delicious and versatile - perfect for tossing with salads, roasted vegetables, and more!

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, and honey, if using.

  • Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking and continue to whisk until the dressing is emulsified. Alternatively, combine everything in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to combine.

  • If your dressing is too tangy, add more olive oil, to taste.

  • Add the thyme, if desired, and season to taste. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. The olive oil will solidify a bit in the fridge. To soften, let the dressing sit at room temp for a few minutes and stir before using.

Notes

Makes 1/2 cup.

Lemon Vinaigrette - Love and Lemons (2024)

FAQs

How do you make copy cat first watch lemon dressing? ›

Start with zest from one lemon, so it's about a tablespoon, half a cup of extra virgin olive oil. Now I'm gonna juice some lemons. I'm aiming for about 1/4 to half a cup of lemon juice, pinch of salt, tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of honey, and a tablespoon of Poppy seeds. Give it a good mix.

Does lemon vinaigrette need to be refrigerated? ›

While oils and vinegars don't need to be refrigerated on their own, once you add in ingredients like fresh-squeezed citrus juice, mustard and garlic to make a homemade vinaigrette, it's a good idea to pop any leftovers in the refrigerator.

What is the formula for vinaigrette dressing? ›

The French have decided that the perfect ratio for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. For my personal taste, that's a little too oily — but it's totally up to you. My simple system is: In a small screw-top jar, place vinegar and a pinch of salt; cover and shake (this helps to dissolve the salt).

What are the ingredients in first watch lemon vinaigrette? ›

it's literally 4 ingredients. it's an olive oil base with lemon juice, salt and pepper. and if you want, you can add some honey for sweetness.

What do I do if my cat licked a lemon? ›

Should you worry? The severity of lemon toxicity depends on the amount ingested, and a cat would have to consume an excessive amount to have any severe reactions. Fortunately, in the scenario above, a single lick will not harm your feline friend.

What is vinaigrette dressing made of? ›

Vinaigrette (/ˌvɪnɪˈɡrɛt/ VIN-ih-GRET, French: [vinɛɡʁɛt]) is made by mixing an oil with a mild acid such as vinegar or lemon juice (citric acid). The mixture can be enhanced with salt, herbs and/or spices. It is used most commonly as a salad dressing, but can also be used as a marinade.

What is the ratio of oil to vinegar when making a vinaigrette? ›

Here is a perfect example of a culinary ratio, one that's fairly standard: The 3-to-1 vinaigrette, or 3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar.

What is in Skinny Girl vinaigrette? ›

Water, Maltodextrin, Cider Vinegar, Sorbitol, Salt, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Modified Corn Starch, Dried Garlic, Dried Red Bell Pepper, Dried Onion, Spices, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate and Calcium Disodium EDTA (To Preserve Freshness), Sucralose. Product formulation and packaging may change.

What's the difference between balsamic vinegar and vinaigrette? ›

Balsamic vinegar is pure vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is dark brown in color and has a very robust, slightly sweet flavor. Balsamic vinaigrette is a mixture made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt and/or other spices. It is typically used as a salad dressing but has other uses in the kitchen as well.

What are the two fundamental ingredients used to make a vinaigrette? ›

ACID: Traditionally, vinaigrettes are made with vinegar, often one derived from wine. But any kind of acidic ingredient can fill in, including citrus juice, tomato puree or soy sauce. OIL: The oil in a vinaigrette can be neutral, such as grapeseed, or nutty, such as walnut.

Which of the following ingredients is used in making basic vinaigrette? ›

2 Ingredients: The basics

To make a bare-bones vinaigrette, all you need is vinegar (sherry, Champagne, balsamic, cider, red, white, or rice wine vinegar all work) and oil (go with a neutral vegetable oil like grapeseed for a mild base, or your best extra-virgin olive oil for grassier undertones).

What are the ingredients in specially selected vinaigrette? ›

INGREDIENTS: EXPELLER-PRESSED CANOLA OIL, CIDER VINEGAR, EVAPORATED CANE SUGAR, WATER, GARLIC CLOVES, SEA SALT, BLACK PEPPER, BASIL, OREGANO, GARLIC POWDER, SODIUM ALGINATE.

What is the standard recipe for a basic vinaigrette quizlet? ›

oil and vinegar dressing; a basic vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to one part vinegar, 3 to 1. mixed ingredients that permanently mix.

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