Homemade salad dressing is a small but impactful way to elevate your meals — and the nutrients on your plate. Not only is it fresher and more flavorful than store-bought dressing, but it also gives you control over the quality of your ingredients. This light, crisp lemon dressing takes just two minutes to prepare and pairs beautifully with a variety of salads. Plus, you'll save money; it's a win all around.
This lemon dressing recipe is light and crisp and so simple to make. It's is made with only fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil or other quality oil of your choice. This dressing is perfect when you want a subtle touch to complement the main ingredients of a salad, such as fruit, cheese, or spicy arugula.
Extra virgin olive oil or other quality oil
Fresh lemon juice
Olive oil and Lemon Juice. In a salad bowl, add olive oil, then fresh lemon juice. You don't need to use exact measurements for the olive oil to lemon ratio; follow a simple guideline of about 1 tablespoon of olive oil with ½ to ⅓ tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Once you make it a few times, you'll know how to adjust the ratio to suit your taste.
Whisk to Combine: Whisk vigorously for about a minute to emulsify the dressing, then taste and add more lemon juice if needed.
Season: Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper, then whisk again to incorporate.
Toss and Serve: Toss with the salad of your choice and serve.
Arugula or other lettuce with shavings of fresh Parmesan cheese
Pear, Arugula & Bleu d’Auvergne Salad
Pear Salad
Orange or grapefruit and avocado
Celery, fennel, and Parmesan
These are just a few ideas — the options are endless.
Storage Tip: Juice a few lemons in advance and store the juice in a jar to make this dressing even quicker. You can also make a batch of the dressing and store it in a jar for a week or more.
