Zesty Lemon Herb Vinaigrette Dressing

Lemon Herb Vinaigrette is truly the ultimate salad dressing, but it can be used on much more than just salads. This is a vinaigrette you’ll find so many uses for from side dishes to salads, and even marinades.

Why You’ll Love This Lemon Herb Vinaigrette

This year I decided I really wanted to master the art of making delicious salad dressings. If you think about it, the real star of the show is the salad dressing and it can take any dish from ok to absolutely amazing.

Lemon Herb Vinaigrette is the top salad dressing in my arsenal and the most diverse. It’s also great to have on the table for any guests who like a little extra flavor and zest to their meals. For example, when I serve this French Potato Salad, I always leave this vinaigrette next to it so everyone can add a little extra.

This lemon herb dressing is also low-calorie if you’re watching your calories. Two tablespoons is only 105 calories, about 50 calories less than most store-bought dressings.

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Uses

• to flavor side dishes like pasta & potato salads
• as a marinade for meats
• over fresh fish
• as a refreshing dressing for summer salads
• poured over roasted vegetables
• as a dipping sauce

Ingredients

This Lemon Herb Vinaigrette dressing is surprisingly very simple to make. I’m going to focus on extra notes on some of the key ingredients.

Lemons

This is a wonderful way to put your lemons to good use. We have 3 dwarf lemon trees, so you’ll find a variety of lemon recipes in my recipe section.

One trick I always do on recipes that call for lemon, is zest the lemon first before squeezing it. This really enhances the lemon flavor and also makes for a great garnish.

Dijon Mustard

Here’s a little secret, most salad dressings use Dijon mustard which acts as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help to blend the oils and water so they combine instead of separate. The Dijon mustard also adds a wonderful flavor to many dressings that is so subtle you usually don’t even notice. I always keep Dijon Mustard in my fridge as a staple ingredient so I can whip up a dressing on any occasion.

Herbs

In this recipe, I use chives and Italian parsley. Using fresh herbs is key. You can also change the flavor slightly by experimenting and adding different herbs. For example, if you’re making an antipasta salad, you can add fresh oregano or fresh dill for a potato salad.

Vinegar

White wine vinegar is a classic vinegar to keep on hand for your dressings. You could also substitute champagne vinegar in this recipe.

Oil

When making dressing, you’ll want to invest in the very best olive oil you can afford. A few things to look for are cold pressed, first harvest, a COOC seal, and being in a dark glass bottle. Trader Joes often has limited edition olive oils that are both low cost and high in quality. When in doubt, Corto is a great award winning olive oil you can purchase online.

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Instructions

First, chop your herbs and mince the garlic. Then in a bowl or large measuring cup add the oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, white wine vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk together and then slowly add in the water while continuing to whisk your vinaigrette.

Storage

You can store this Lemon Herb Vinaigrette in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and one week at the most. If the dressing solidifies, take it out for 30 minutes before use or put it in a bath of warm water for a few minutes.

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