Lemon dressing is a quick and easy way to take your salads to the next level with a burst of fresh citrusy flavor! We love it on leafy green salads and pasta salad too!
Long live lemon dressing!
Though I love a good old-fashioned vinaigrette, this zesty lemon dressing get’s a tart kick from fresh lemon juice and I am HOOKED! I made a big jar for kale and pasta salads this week and had to jump on here and share the recipe ASAP.
The ingredient list is short, simple, and oh so tasty.
avocado oil
Known for its mild, almost buttery flavor, avocado oil is the perfect base for this dressing. It has a lot of the same health benefits of olive oil without the overpowering taste, making it oh so ideal to let the lemon flavor shine through.
lemon juice
If you want an utterly lip-smacking and tasty dressing, you’re 100% going to need fresh lemons here. No packaged stuff need apply! The natural sweetness of the fresh lemons and flavorful kick from freshly grated lemon zest combine to make salad dressing magic up in here.
garlic
Much like the juice, you’ve got to go fresh or go home. I opted for 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic and wouldn’t have it any other way! If you’d like to start with a little less and simply add more to taste, that works great too!
dijon mustard
Dijon not only helps emulsify the dressing once shaken, it also adds another layer of flavor!
salt, pepper, and dried oregano leaves
This trio seasons the dressing to perfection! If you don’t have a pepper grinder to freshly grind the pepper, don’t fret! Regular pepper will work here as well.
Ready to get your dressing on? Let’s do this!
Lemon Dressing
Though this is a small batch dressing recipe, you can absolutely double or triple the dressing as needed!
I started with the measurements below and love it so much I decided to double it from here on out.
Lemon Dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp lemon zest plus extra to taste
- 2 TBSP plain dijon mustard (I snagged a store-brand)
- 2 cloves fresh minced garlic
- ¼ tsp dried oregano leaves
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Depending on the size of the lemons you have handy, you’ll either need 1 jumbo lemon or 2 regular lemons to yield 1/4 cup of lemon juice for this dressing. Before juicing your lemons, zest 1 lemon into a small bowl and set aside.
- Juice your lemons and add to a small/medium mason jar. Start by adding 1/4 tsp of zest and half your minced garlic, as you can add extra after taste-testing.
- Next add remaining dressing ingredients and close lid tightly. Shake to emulsify the dressing.
- Give it a taste and, if desired, feel free to add remaining clove of garlic (I always go with the full amount) and any additional lemon zest or seasoning you may like. Since the dressing is on the tart side (whoo! lemons!) you may sweeten the dressing with sugar/honey/agave/etc… if preferred.
- Leftover dressing can be stored in the fridge for several days, making it a great make-ahead option for the week!
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try any of this quick + easy lemon dressing recipe, let me know! Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation! I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
hungry for more?
- Blueberry Spinach Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
- Easy Homemade Greek Dressing
- Lemon Asparagus Pasta Salad
Questions & Reviews
So incredibly fresh tasting. A great way to “show up” traditional store dressings. A new favorite.
As a child, (I am now in my 80’s) I remember this recipe that my mother would serve on fresh pineapple tidbits and diced avocado salad. I had forgotten about it. I will revisit it soon. The pineapple makes the sugar unnecessary.
This is the perfect summer vinaigrette! It’s so light, fresh and lemony! I’ve made it multiple times and everyone asks for the recipe.
Thank you Laura! So glad the dressing is a hit!
Jenn, in the instructions, is Step 2 the same as Step 4? OR are 2 different mason jars used?
Hey Carolyn! You’ll use just one jar and I think I may have been in need of coffee when I wrote that up, hello redundancy! Thanks for catching it – all fixed!
A delicious and versatile dressing!
I’m a fan of squeezing lemon juice over my salad so this dressing was right up my alley. I loved the tartness combined with the garlic and oregano. The flavor really popped on the salad too. Can’t wait to try it on some pasta for a light side dish.
I’ve needed a new dressing besides my balsamic based one, and love lemon so, thank you, love the avocado oil base
This lemon dressing is so refreshing. I want to put it on everything!