Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
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This simple, light Lemon Honey Vinaigrette provides a little sweetness (thanks to the honey) and tartness (thanks to the lemon juice and zest) to top any leafy green salad, especially our Strawberry Spinach Salad.
Ingredients
Let’s chat about this golden goodness in the form of dressing, shall we? It only requires THREE main ingredients!
- Lemons – You’ll use the fresh juice and the zest from the peel. It’s super helpful to have a microplane zester for this.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Look for a high-quality olive oil from California (or Italy) if possible. Many “olive oils” on the market actually also include cheaper vegetable oils in them.
- Honey
Leftover lemons? Use the zest for our Creamy Lemon Pasta Sauce!
How to Make Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
Did you know making homemade dressing could be this easy??
- Add all the ingredients to a mason jar or container with lid.
- Seal tightly and shake until combined.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your preference.
Find the full, printable recipe below.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator Storage: This dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. When ready to use it after storing, let it set on the counter for a few minutes and then give it a good shake.
Freezer Storage: You can also freeze this dressing in a mason jar (leave 1 inch of head room at the top), a freezer container with lid, or a freezer bag for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or in a cold water bath. Set on the counter for a few minutes and shake well until re-combined.
Ways to Use This Salad Dressing
Try using Lemon Honey Vinaigrette in these ways:
- On Strawberry Spinach Salad
- On Cobb Salad
- On Summer Strawberry Salad
- Warm up to use as a sauce over Crispy Chicken Cutlets
- As a marinade for chicken breasts
Recipe FAQs
When using a citrus juice as the acid in a vinaigrette, the ratio is typically 2 parts oil to 1 part juice. However, in this recipe, the honey throws this ratio off a little bit. Trust me, we nailed it on the balance of flavors. 🙂
I’m going to stick to my gut here and say no. Extra virgin olive oil has a very distinctive, rich flavor that’s hard to replace. I guess if all you have is another neutral oil like avocado oil, you can give it a try. But, it won’t taste the same. 🙂
You can do this, but it will change the flavor profile, texture, and color a bit.
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Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
This simple, elegant Lemon Honey Vinaigrette provides a little sweetness (thanks to the honey) and tartness (thanks to the lemon juice and zest) to top almost any leafy green salad, especially our Strawberry Spinach Salad.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about juice of 3 large lemons)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
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Instructions
Add all the ingredients to a mason jar with lid. Seal tightly and shake until combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference.
Notes/Tips
- Storage: This dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months. When ready to use it after storing, let it set on the counter for a few minutes and then give it a good shake.
- Because there are so few ingredients in this recipe, using fresh lemon juice and a good extra virgin olive oil are essential.
- It’s super helpful to have a microplane zester for zesting the lemon. I love this tool and use mine all the time for citrus zest and grating hard cheeses.
This is extremely tasty. I only had fresh limes so I used them instead of lemons. Nice on a simple vegetable salad.
Ooo, good to know the limes works too. Thanks for the review, Heather. 🙂