This Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette is a luscious salad dressing that will make any salad pop with bright flavors. It looks and tastes gourmet, even though it has very few ingredients:). It has hints of both sweet and tart, mixed in with Dijon mustard and extra virgin olive oil.
Daily Salad Dressing
You’d be surprised to hear that my daily salad dressing is usually just olive oil and red wine vinegar. I grew up in the Mediterranean and we usually go very simple in salad dressing.
But there are always times when I want to make a fancier salad dressing to impress my guests or just for a celebration at home. And that’s when this Meyer lemon vinaigrette comes in:). It’s perfect especially on salads that have some fruits on them because it makes the flavors pop.
Ingredients for Vinaigrette
This lemon vinaigrette is very simple and has few ingredients. See below list of ingredients with explanations and some substitute suggestions.
- Meyer Lemons – I love Meyer lemons for their floral and sweet aroma. They’re like a mix between lemons and mandarins, still tart but a little sweet too. They make this dressing so special, but you can always use regular lemons too.
- Olive oil – pick a good quality olive oil, extra virgin.
- Dijon Mustard – the mustard makes the vinaigrette creamy and ties the flavors together.
- Honey – a little honey in this dressing balances out the tartness from the lemons. That’s what makes this vinaigrette perfect for fruit salads too. You can replace honey with maple syrup.
- White balsamic vinegar – this white balsamic vinegar with citrus hints, makes all the difference in this vinaigrette. It’s so worth it!!
- Oregano – I love adding a pinch of oregano to this dressing. If you’re not sure you’ll like it, add very little, whisk and try the taste. You can also use dry thyme instead.
- Salt / pepper – add to taste
Some of the ingredients are pictured below.
To whisk or to shake?
I make this vinaigrette two different ways.
- Whisk ingredients in a bowl.
- Add ingredients to a mason jar and shake.
I tend to whisk when I am making 4-6 servings. But I make a bigger batch, then I shake in a mason jar.
In the above picture, I made a personal serving plate with broccolini and strawberry salad. Then I poured the vinaigrette over both and it tasted amazing.
Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 Meyer lemons
- 4 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp White balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp oregano adjust more or less to your preference
- salt /pepper to taste
Instructions
- You can whisk in a bowl or shake the ingredients in a mason jar.
- Add lemon juice to a small bowl. Add olive oil, honey, dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar. Whisk slowly as you add ingredients.
- Add salt, pepper and oregano. Whisk until the dressing emulsifies and makes a creamy substance.
- If dressing separates before serving, whisk it few more times right before serving.
- Serve over your favorite salad:).
Notes
- There are times when I don’t add oregano and black pepper to the salad dressing like in this video. I wanted that salad dressing to look smooth. So you can definitely adjust everything to taste:).
- Double the recipe if everyone will serve individually on their plate, it’s better to have leftovers than the last person on the table not have enough dressing.
- Since there’s variability in lemon sizes, feel free to add a little less or a little more when whisking. Balance out with olive oil until you get the desired flavor and consistency.
Nutrition Label
Nutrition
My favorite vinegar to add to any lemon vinaigrette is White Balsamic Vinegar. If I don’t have it available I add a simple red wine vinegar which I always have in my pantry. On special occasions, I love to use a champagne vinegar for an extra gourmet taste.
Since vinaigrette is so simple to make, I tend to make it fresh before serving. However, there are times where I overestimated and made more than we needed. I usually store the leftovers in the refrigerator for 1-2 days in a glass container and close the lid. I take it out of refrigerator about 45 minutes before serving and whisk it few times to achieve same consistency.
Of course you can! Garlic will add more flavor to the vinaigrette. I love adding garlic especially if the salad has any warm grains or butternut squash.
If you would like to save this recipe for later, please save the below image to your boards in Pinterest. Feel free to tag me in social media with your pictures of the Meyer lemon vinaigrette and rate in comments below if you made the recipe:)). Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. It means a lot to me!!
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Additional Meyer Lemons recipes:
Just because you know I love Meyer lemons so much ( I even planted a tree in my backyard), here’s some more Meyer Lemons recipes from my blog:
- Meyer lemon drop
- Meyer lemon & Mango gelato
- Meyer lemon bundt cake
- Meyer lemon frozen margaritaMeyer Lemon Margarita
- Meyer lemon & blueberry muffins
More citrus recipes:
- Citrus Sangria
- Orange and quinoa salad
- Orange and leeks salad
- Orange and cabbage salad
- Orange bundt cake
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