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Homemade dressings just hit different, and this whole lemon vinaigrette is one you’ll want on repeat. It’s zesty, fresh, and comes together in minutes—just toss a whole lemon in the blender with honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, and olive oil, and you’re good to go. The result? A bright, tangy dressing that’s perfect on salads, drizzled over roasted veggies, or even spooned onto grilled chicken. It’s simple, versatile, and way better than anything from a bottle. Once you try it, you might never go back to store-bought.
Whole lemon vinaigrette is a delicious dressing made with garlic, mustard, honey, and a whole lemon. It’s a versatile, tangy, fresh, and delicious vinaigrette.
You might also like to whip up some homemade pesto sauce, garlic marinara sauce, jalapeno hot honey, or spicy mayo.
Why You’ll Love It
So simple to whip up: If you’ve got 5 minutes, a blender or food processor, and the few ingredients called for, you can make this tasty vinaigrette with ease!
Delicious flavor profile: Zesty lemon juice, aromatic garlic, piquant mustard, sweet honey, and a little salt and pepper, along with olive oil, make up this tasty dressing recipe and you’ll find the flavors are perfectly balanced.
Plenty of versatility: You can add this to a simple green salad, roasted veggies, grilled chicken, sandwich fillings, and probably find many more uses too!
Gluten-free and dairy-free: This recipe is free from gluten and dairy. It’s also vegetarian.
Whole Lemon Dressing Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Lemon: The fresh lemon is the star of the dish, so bottled isn’t recommended for this recipe. Using fresh lemon juice makes all the difference.
Fresh garlic: Adds more flavor.
Dijon mustard: Mustard helps to emulsify the vinaigrette, so don’t skip it.
Honey: Any type of honey is good in this lemon vinaigrette.
Salt and pepper: I used sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is the most delicious type for vinaigrette recipes.
How to Make the Best Lemon Vinaigrette
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the lemon: Slice the ends off your lemon, cut it into quarters, and discard the seeds.
Blend the lemon and garlic: Add the lemon quarters and small garlic clove to a food processor or blender, and blend until mostly smooth.
Add more ingredients: Add the mustard, honey, salt and pepper to the lemon and garlic mixture and pulse until combined. Drizzle in the olive oil, a little at a time, until your vinaigrette is emulsified.
Season and serve: Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
Vegan: Substitute maple syrup for the honey to make this lemon vinaigrette vegan.
Adjust the sweetness: Depending on how tart your lemon is, you might want to add a little more honey to balance the acidity. You can also reduce the amount of honey if you prefer less sweetness.
Serving Suggestions
Salads: Enjoy this dressing over any kind of salad recipe from baby arugula salads to cooked, mixed vegetables or something that has poultry or fish as the protein. It would be good with a radicchio endive chicken salad or this shaved fennel asparagus salad.
Vegetables: Drizzle over smoked asparagus, Brussels sprouts slaw or roasted carrots just before serving.
Grain bowls: Toss with cooked farro, quinoa or couscous for extra brightness.
Marinades: Use as a marinade for chicken, shrimp or tofu before grilling or roasting.
Sandwich spread: Mix with a bit of mayonnaise or Greek yogurt for a tangy sandwich or wrap spread.
Avocado toast: Drizzle over avocado toast with flaky sea salt and chili flakes.
Legumes: Stir into cooked lentils, chickpeas or lima beans for a simple but flavorful side.
How to Store Lemon Vinaigrette
Store: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The vinaigrette often thickens when chilled—let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes and shake well before using.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Top Tips
Blend thoroughly: The lemon and garlic should be very smooth before adding the other ingredients. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed for an even consistency.
Use the right equipment: A small food processor or blender works best. If using a large food processor, consider doubling the recipe so the ingredients blend efficiently.
Choose the best quality ingredients: I recommend using the best quality ingredients for the most delicious result.
Whole Lemon Vinaigrette FAQs
Without emulsification, your vinaigrette would separate. Pour un-emulsified vinaigrette over a salad and the oil will sit on the leaves while the vinegar will pool underneath. To prevent this, the vinaigrette is emulsified with Dijon mustard which helps the oil and the vinegar cling to the leaves with the power of surfactants. It prevents the oil separating from the water-based ingredients (as we all know, the two don’t mix!) Other emulsifiers include roasted garlic, tomato puree and egg yolks.
Sure, you could try orange, lime, grapefruit, or even a combination of different types. You might need to adjust the honey ratio if you’re doing this.
The Best Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe
Whole Lemon Vinaigrette
Equipment
- Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 lemon, medium, scrubbed and quartered with seeds removed
- 1 Clove garlic, small, peeled
- 1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ Teaspoon honey
- ½ Teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ Teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- ¼ Cup olive oil, extra-virgin
Instructions
- Slice off the ends of the lemon and then quarter it. Remove and discard any seeds.
- In a small food processor or blender, combine the lemon quarters and garlic.
- Blend until mostly smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper. Pulse to combine.
- With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, one tablespoon at a time, until the vinaigrette is emulsified.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Notes
Use the right equipment: A small food processor or blender works best. If using a large food processor, consider doubling the recipe so the ingredients blend efficiently.
Choose the best quality ingredients: I recommend using the best quality ingredients for the most delicious result. This recipe makes ½ Cup of vinaigrette.
Nutrition
Whole lemon vinaigrette is a bright and zesty salad dressing that takes mere minutes to whip up! The lemon vinaigrette dressing is made with lemon zest and juice, honey, garlic, oil, and Dijon mustard. The flavor is fresh and delicious and you’ll find this vinaigrette pairs will many different dishes. It might become one of your favorite salad dressings!
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
