Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
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Published Jul 02, 2018, Updated Jun 23, 2022
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A light, fresh and an easy lemon vinaigrette that works on just about any salad and uses pantry staple ingredients!
Another #EBFbasics recipe coming at ya! I kicked off this new series on Eating Bird Food with quick pickled onions and now I want to share a vinaigrette that works in so many recipes!
I was introduced to the world of homemade dressings thanks to my aunt… at least from what I remember. We typically had store-bought dressings at home and not healthy store-bought salad dressings – my favorite was Catalina, which is essentially liquid sugar disguised as a tomato-based dressing. The first time I had a homemade vinaigrette was at my aunt’s house and I’ve been obsessed with homemade dressings since (check out some of my personal favs here). One huge reason I love salads so much is homemade dressings. #gamechangers
If you’re typically just an oil and vinegar gal when it comes to salads, promise me you’ll give this basic lemon vinaigrette a try! It will take your salads to the next level even though it is so dang simple. And it goes well on just about any salad. If you don’t have a go-to vinaigrette recipe, this can be yours. This could also be used as a base vinaigrette recipe – build on this to make your signature vinaigrette. I have used it in bowls and even as a dipping sauce for chopped veggies.
Why You’ll Love This Vinaigrette
- It uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry!
- Take your salads to the next level.
- You can customize it to your liking easily!
What You Need
- apple cider vinegar – one of the bases of this dressing. I’m a big fan of apple cider vinegar, but you can use whatever vinegar you have on hand like white wine vinegar.
- lemon juice – I prefer to squeeze fresh lemons but if you have lemon juice in the fridge use it up!
- water – adds a bit of liquid.
- dijon mustard – for some tang.
- maple syrup – honey or liquid stevia would also work. If you are watching your sugar intake you can omit, but I prefer a little sweetness to cut the aciditiy.
- dried oregano – you can also use fresh, you’ll just need a little more. Feel free to mix this up with your favorite herbs – dried or fresh!
- garlic – one clove minced, feel free to use more if you like an extra kick of garlic flavor.
- sea salt and black pepper – extra seasoning.
- olive oil – the other base of this dressing!
How to Make This Dressing
Are you ready for how simple this recipe is?
Aside from the olive oil, add all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk. Then slowly add the olive oil as you continue to whisk until emulsified.
And voila! Easy homemade dressing that is simple but delicious and will elevate any salad.
You can also blend everything together in your blender or shake the dressing together in a jar.
Variations & Tips
- I love adding a hint of sweetness to my salad dressing just to round out the flavors and make salads more satisfying to me. I fyou don’t like adding sweetners or are watching your sugar intake, you can always omit the sweetener, use less or use a natural zero-sugar based sweetener like stevia instead.
- I chose to add oregano to this base recipe because I’m a big oregano fan, but feel free to spruce this dressing up with any herb of your choice!
- This recipe can be whisked, blended in a blender or even shaking up in a mason jar. Pick whichever method is easiest for you.
Ways to Use This Vinaigrette
This dressing is simple but delicious and can be used on a variety of salads.
I like to make a “kitchen sink” salad and empty out all the veggies in the fridge, top with quick pickled onions and this vinaigrette for an easy and satisfying meal. Here are some more salads to try it on!
- Garlicky Kale Salad
- Superfood Salmon Salad
- Strawberry Salad
- Vegan Cobb Salad
- Sweet Kale Salad
- Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad
Storing Tips
It’s best to store your homemade dressing in a glass container in the fridge. It should last for up to a week.
One thing to note, dressings made with olive oil tend to harden and separate – this is totally normal! Take the dressing out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you use it and then give it a quick shake to recombine the ingredients.
More Salad Dressings To Try
- Easy Hummus Dressing
- Citrus Tahini Dressing
- Basil Vinaigrette
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing
- Peanut Dressing
- Cilantro Lime Dressing
Check out all my salad recipes and salad dressing recipes here on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Basic Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup, or stevia, to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, or 1 Tablespoon fresh
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients except the olive oil in a small bowl.
- Slowly pour olive oil into the bowl and whisk together until emulsified.
- You can also blend everything together in your blender or shake the dressing together in a jar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Salad dressing was Amazing!! I plan to start using it more often.. also look forward to buying a cookbook soon
Thank you for the delicious and healthy recipe
YAY! This is great to hear, Traci. I am so glad you are enjoying this dressing recipe and it turned out great for you. Thank you for taking the time to share your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
This was so good! Used it for my Greek salad. I will definitely make this again!
Yay! So glad you loved this recipe, Hope. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I appreciate it!
This is my #1 go to salad dressing of all time. It is so simple and easy to make. And it tastes absolutely delicious!
Yum! I am so glad you are loving this dressing, Fran. Thank you for sharing your review, I appreciate it!
Love this dressing! Shared the recipe with friends at a health fair last weekend. I’ve found that it does solidify, so I take the lid off the glass bottle it’s in and nuke on the sauce setting for 15 seconds then shake and use. Will make again!
YAY! I am so glad this dressing turned out great for you and it was a hit, Nancy! Thanks for sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
I made this lemon vinaigrette today, and used it on a spinach salad tonight with dinner! It was great, and I’ll be making it again and again. So fresh and flavorful!
I used a custom made garlic and herb vinegar, used maple syrup for the sweetener, and used half the salt, given our dietary needs. Even then, I’ll definitely be making this dressing again! Probably will use as a marinade with chicken or fish too.
YUM! This sounds amazing, Nancy! I am so glad you love this dressing recipe and it came out great for you. Thanks so much for sharing your review & star rating, I appreciate it!
Can this be made without the oil? Use water instead!
I am not sure I would recommend that, Becky. The oil is a key ingredient in this dressing.
Great dressing. Left out the salt as my husband has to cut back on salt. Tasted just find without salt. Made this a couple time already, worked great on salad with leftover salmon. Thanks.