Equal parts lemony, sweet and savory, this homemade Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette is a delicious way to complement salads, veggies, and protein!
Table of Contents
About this Dressing
I recently did a poll on my Instagram Stories regarding homemade vs. store-bought dressing. To my surprise, it was split 50/50! I was honestly SHOCKED because I am totally team store-bought (sorry to offend.) Buying dressing from the store is incredibly convenient, and it's one less thing to worry about when it comes to cooking.
ANYWAY...I figured I would give the other half of my followers what they want. So, I whipped up this zingy homemade Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette. Equal parts lemony and savory, it's a delicious way to complement salads, veggies, and protein!
I highly recommend you try it with my Spinach Quinoa Salad for a delicious side dish. Or if you're looking for other tasty dressing recipes, try this Easy Hummus Dressing, Creamy Jalapeño Sauce, or this Sweet Onion and Citrus Dressing.
Recipe Ingredients
- Lemon Juice: I can not stress enough that you should use freshly squeezed lemon juice from REAL lemons as opposed to lemon juice from a bottle (which often isn't even true lemon juice!). The flavor is so so much better.
- Olive Oil: This will be the base of our dressing and give it a smooth, rich consistency.
- Honey Dijon Mustard: This is a must have if you're going to be making dressings at home. Adds a great creamy texture, helps thicken the dressing, and adds delicious flavor!
- Sage: An underrated herb in my opinion. It's more floral and light compared to something like cilantro with a brighter, greener taste.
- Garlic: Gives a pungent kick that compliments the lemon and mustard nicely. Use extra if you're really into garlic.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
Homemade dressings are so easy to customize to your needs and likings! You can adjust the ratio of lemon juice to olive oil depending on what you're serving this dressing with to really get the most out of the flavor. If I'm serving this dressing over a hearty green like kale, I’ll use more olive oil with a 2:1 ratio. However, with a softer, smoother green like spinach, I'd keep the 1:1 ratio. Do what you feel is best!
And if you want to switch up the flavors a bit, here are some variations I recommend.
- If you want a little bit of a sweeter dressing, add 1-2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup.
- Change up the citrus and instead of lemon, try orange or even pomegranate.
- Switch up the oil and use avocado or Zero Acre cultured oil.
- Use another mustard. Regular mustard, plain dijon, stone ground mustard, spicy brown mustard, etc.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1. In a small bowl or jar, add lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, mustard, and seasonings. Chop fresh sage leaves into small pieces and add in with other ingredients.
Step 2. Using an immersion blender, blend the dressing together until thoroughly mixed.
Step 3. Serve immediately with this amazingly delicious Spinach Quinoa Salad.
Recipe FAQs
Store in a jar the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I love double batching to have on hand for salads all week.
I recently purchased an immersion blender and it's an awesome kitchen tool. However, you don't need it for this recipe. A small blender would also work well, but you may want to double the recipe to ensure the ingredients hit the blade and actually blend. If you plan to use no blender, your dressing is going to be less smooth. You'll want to chop the sage very finely and thoroughly mince the garlic.
On salads is the obvious answer. This vinaigrette isn't too strong and pairs well with most any creation. It also is a FABULOUS marinade chicken or salmon. You can also toss your veggies with it for added flavor before roasting. Or use this dressing for dipping a hearty loaf of bread into.
More Recipes You'll Love
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & if you really like the recipe consider leaving a comment further down. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette
Equipment
- Immersion blender
- Whisk
- Small mixing bowl or jar
- Knife
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 4 sage leaves
- ⅛ cup olive oil
- ⅛ cup lemon juice
- ½ tbsp honey dijon mustard
- ½ tsp italian seasoning
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp garlic
- dash salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl or jar, add lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, mustard, and seasonings.
- Chop fresh sage leaves into small pieces and add in with other ingredients.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the dressing together until thoroughly mixed.
Nutrition
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find Homemade Lemon Vinaigrette calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Sydney Van Acker says
So simple but SO much better than store bought dressing. Love prepping this to have on hand throughout the week.
Courtney Paige says
Light, tasty, and delicious!