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    Home » Recipes » 10 Minute Recipes

    Lemon Vinaigrette

    By Dannii · Published 29th March 2014 · Updated 13th September 2021 · 22 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links and generates income via ads · This site uses cookies · Post contains 851 words. · About 5 minutes to read this article.

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A small bowl of lemon vinaigrette with a text title overlay.

    A dressing can really make or break a salad and this Easy Lemon Vinaigrette will bring any salad to life with its light and fresh flavours. It's zingy, vibrant and zesty, and really everything that you could want from a dressing. Store bought dressing just doesn't compare to this.

    A bowl of yellow dressing surrounded by lemon slices.

    If you are looking for a light and fresh salad dressing that will liven up any dish, then this Lemon Vinaigrette is it. A careful blend of olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey and garlic, you are going to want to put it on everything. Perfect with a hot or cold salad, or even just to dip bread in to. It is super versatile, and most importantly tastes amazing.

    Jump to:
    • Why should you try it?
    • What you will need
    • Step by step
    • Health benefits of lemons
    • What to serve it with
    • FAQs
    • Extra tips
    • More dressing recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why should you try it?

    • A light and fresh summer salad dressing.
    • Delicious on hot or cold salads.
    • Just 5 ingredients.
    • Only takes a couple of minutes to make.
    • Can be made in advance.

    What you will need

    • Olive oil - This is what thickens the dressing up and gives it that rich flavour. Use the best quality that you can afford, as honestly you will be able to taste the difference.
    • Lemon - The star of this dressing - we used just the juice. Make sure it is a nice juicy lemon, otherwise you might have to use more.
    • Garlic - This adds a nice kick to the dressing. If you aren't a fan of garlic, then you could leave it out.
    • Mustard - This adds another layer or flavour to the dressing and adds some colour too. We used Dijon, but you could use wholegrain instead.
    • Honey - You don't have to add this if you don't like sweet dressings, but we find that it balances out the tartness of the lemon.
    • Salt and pepper - Finish the dressing off by seasoning it to perfection. It really just brings all the flavours together.

    Step by step

    One: Simply add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well.

    Two shot collage of salad dressing before and after mixing.

    Health benefits of lemons

    Not only do lemons have an amazing flavour and add lots of freshness to sweet and savoury dishes, but they have lots of nutritional benefits too.

    Lemons are a great source of vitamin C. One 58g lemon can provide over 30mg of vitamin C. Vitamin C plays a key role in the formation of collagen, the support system of the skin and it also helps with iron absorption, as well as giving a boost to your immune system.

    What to serve it with

    As well as being a salad dressing, this lemon vinaigrette is the perfect way to make vegetables more exciting. We love it drizzled on greens, or even poured over roasted vegetables. If you are going to use it on a salad, here are some of our favourites that would be perfect with it:

    • Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
    • Couscous Salad
    • Broccoli Salad
    • Chicken Pasta Salad
    • Roasted Cauliflower Salad
    • Spicy Steak Salad
    • Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
    • Warm Lamb Salad
    • Roasted Vegetable Salad
    A small whisk in a bowl of salad dressing.

    FAQs

    How to store lemon vinaigrette

    This dressing will store in an air tight container for up to a week in the fridge. Make sure you shake it well before pouring.

    Extra tips

    • If we are serving this on a green salad, then we will make it heavy on the lemon. However, if it is a dressing for a salad that has quite strong flavours already, then we balance it out with a higher olive oil to lemon ration.
    • Always use fresh lemons to make this dressing, rather than squeezed lemon juice in a bottle. Fresh lemons will always give you a stronger flavour.
    • If raw garlic is too much of a strong flavour for you, you could add some finely chopped shallot instead.

    More dressing recipes

    • Honey Mustard Dressing
    • Mixed Herb Pesto
    • Healthy Ranch Dressing
    • Tomato Vinaigrette
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    If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    DON’T FORGET TO RATE THE RECIPE ↓

    Recipe

    Lemon vinaigrette in a bowl with a small wooden spoon.

    Lemon Vinaigrette

    An easy and delicious lemon vinaigrette, perfect for warm and cold salads, roasted vegetables, fish, meat or just to dip bread into.
    The words low carb in a white circle.
    Low Carb
    An illustration of a v-shaped plant in a pot.
    Vegan
    5 from 2 votes
    Pin Print
    Course: Salad, Sauce/Spread
    Cuisine: French
    Prep Time: 2 minutes
    Total Time: 2 minutes
    Allergen:
    An illustration of a mustard bottle.
    Mustard
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 165kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 lemon (juice and zest only)
    • 5 tablespoon Olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 garlic cloves crushed
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper

    Instructions

    • Put everything in a bowl.
    • Mix well.

    Notes

    • If we are serving this on a green salad, then we will make it heavy on the lemon. However, if it is a dressing for a salad that has quite strong flavours already, then we balance it out with a higher olive oil to lemon ration.
    • Always use fresh lemons to make this dressing, rather than squeezed lemon juice in a bottle. Fresh lemons will always give you a stronger flavour.
    • If raw garlic is too much of a strong flavour for you, you could add some finely chopped shallot instead.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1portion | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @hungryhealthyhappy on Instagram and tag #hungryhealthyhappy!
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary

      April 01, 2014 at 7:34 am

      Oh I love salads and they are most definitely NOT boring! The more ingredients in them the better!

      Reply
    2. Tina @ The Spicy Pear

      March 31, 2014 at 2:32 pm

      5 stars
      I like the zingly lemony flavours in this vinaigrette. Great way to liven up salads.

      Reply
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