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Simple homemade lemon olive oil salad dressing that elevates any salad — ready in 5 minutes.
Some dressings are so easy and so good that they quietly become part of your weekly rhythm. This lemon olive oil dressing recipe is exactly that. It’s a bright, fresh, and versatile vinaigrette, the type that instantly makes any salad taste more “put together” without any extra effort. We love it for busy weeknights, holidays, or dinner parties where you want something homemade but incredibly simple.
This lemon olive oil dressing recipe also extremely adaptable. You can keep it classic, add herbs, make it creamier, or lean citrusy depending on what you’re serving. Once you make this lemon olive oil salad dressing once, you’ll start thinking of a dozen ways to use it.
Lemon Olive Oil Salad Dressing
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings (¾ cup dressing) 1x
- Category: Dressing
Description
A simple homemade lemon olive oil dressing recipe that elevates any salad — ready in 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1–2 lemons)
- 1 tsp lemon zest (optional but brightens the flavor)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey (or 1–2 tsp sugar)
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
- 3/4–1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1–2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs like parsley, basil, and dill (optional)
Instructions
- In a small glass bowl or jar, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, Dijon, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing thickens and emulsifies. Alternatively, you can use a salad dressing shaker.
- Taste and adjust the flavor:
- More lemon = brighter
- More honey = more balanced
- More salt/pepper = deeper flavor
- Stir in herbs (optional)
Notes
- Adjust to Taste: Lemons vary in tartness. If the dressing feels sharp, add a touch more honey. If it needs more brightness, add extra lemon juice or zest.
- Garlic Tip: Let minced garlic sit in the lemon juice for a few minutes to mellow its bite.
- Storage: Keeps 4–5 days in the fridge. Take it out about 30 minutes before you want to dress your salad to warm and shake well before using.
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