Easy Honey Lemon Salad Dressing
This easy honey lemon salad dressing adds a sweet and tangy twist to any salad. Whip it up in minutes using just a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
This honey lemon dressing is the perfect addition to any green salad. It transforms a mundane salad to something irresistible making everyone reach for that second helping.
Made with just a few simple ingredients, this honey lemon vinaigrette is easy to whip up in a matter of minutes. The combination of lemon, honey, and extra virgin olive oil creates a well-balanced dressing that will make any salad shine.
This versatile salad dressing can also be used as a marinade for chicken or drizzled over roasted vegetables. It’s a must-have recipe for any salad lover!
Why I love this super simple dressing
- It’s ridiculously easy to make: With just a few simple ingredients and a couple of minutes, you can whip up a delicious homemade salad dressing. And it requires no chopping! I’ts even easier than a trip to the grocery store for an inferior store-bought dressing.
- It’s versatile: This dressing works well on a variety of salads, from simple green salads to more complex grain and protein-based salads. It can also be used as a marinade for chicken or drizzled over roasted vegetables.
- It’s delicious: The combination of lemon zest and juice, white wine vinegar, honey, and olive oil creates a tangy and slightly sweet dressing that balances perfectly with fresh greens.
The vinaigrette is also naturally gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians. You’ll need to swap the honey for maple syrup if you need it to be vegan too.
Ingredients and substitutes
Probably my favourite thing about this easy vinaigrette is just how few simple ingredients it requires!
- Lemon: I like to use both lemon juice and lemon zest for extra zing and super citrus flavour. If you don’t have fresh lemons, you can use bottled lemon juice and dried lemon zest in a pinch.
- Honey: It adds a touch of sweetness along with its distinctive honey flavour. But, you can also use agave syrup, maple syrup or brown rice syrup for a vegan alternative.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil has a bold, grassy flavour that balances the sweetness. But, you can also use avocado oil, sunflower oil or vegetable oil as a substitute.
- White wine vinegar: I love to layer the acidity in this dressing to balance the sweetness of the honey. But you can use more fresh lemon juice instead, or opt for apple cider vinegar.
- Garlic: I use one fresh garlic clove to infuse with dressing with a subtle garlic flavour. If you don’t have fresh garlic, whisk in half a teaspoon of dried garlic powder. Or, you can omit it if you don’t like garlic.
- Salt and black pepper: I use fine sea salt or kosher salt to season salad dressings. And freshly ground black pepper adds a subtle bite.
See the honey lemon salad dressing recipe card for the ingredient quantities.
This lemon honey dressing is super simple yet delicious. But it’s also perfect to play around with. Once you’ve made this dressing as is, why not try a few variations?
- Mustard: Add two teaspoons of Dijon mustard for more of a honey mustard vibe.
- Red pepper flakes: Spice up the dressing with a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Herbs: You can even add half a teaspoon of your favourite dried herbs, I love an Italian herb blend in this dressing.
- Citrus: Swap the fresh lemon juice for lime juice or blood orange juice if you want a different citrus and honey vinaigrette.
How to make honey lemon dressing
Homemade salad dressings are a great way to add flavour and freshness to your favourite salads. And this honey lemon vinaigrette dressing is the perfect place to start if you are new to the world of homemade dressings.
Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, honey and extra virgin olive oil until well combined. Alternatively, place the ingredients in a mason jar, close the lid and shake vigorously.
Step 2: Take the garlic clove and smash it against the counter with the palm of your hand. Add it to the vinaigrette.
Step 3: Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. I usually add half a teaspoon of sea salt. Whisk to combine the ingredients and adjust the salt and acid as needed. To get the perfect balance, taste the dressing with a leaf of lettuce.
Allowing the salad dressing to sit for at least 10 minutes lets the flavours develop.
Store any leftover honey lemon salad dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The longer the garlic sits in the dressing, the stronger the flavour will be, but the acidity of the honey lemon vinaigrette keeps it from becoming too overpowering.
This technique is inspired by Samin Nosrat’s simple lemon vinaigrette recipe in her book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.
Serving suggestions
This tangy lemon honey vinaigrette is a perfect dressing for any salad. It adds a touch of sweetness and a zing of lemon to your greens. This dressing is also versatile and can be used as a marinade for grilled chicken. You can even mix it into your favourite pasta salad!
- Serve it with a spinach salad or swap out the dressing in this kale salad.
- Sweeten up your favourite chopped salad. Try it with this simple Middle Eastern chopped salad.
- Or, drizzle it over roasted vegetables, like charred broccolini.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest , about a whole lemon’s worth
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , more to taste
- 1 garlic clove , peeled
- Salt and black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, honey and olive oil until well combined. Or, place the ingredients in a jar, close the lid and shake vigorously.
- Smash the garlic clove against the counter with the palm of your hand and add it to the vinaigrette.
- Season with salt – I use about ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt – and freshly ground black pepper.
- Whisk to combine, then taste with a leaf of lettuce and adjust the salt and acid as needed. Or add more olive oil if it's too acidic or sweet.
- Let the salad dressing sit for at least 10 minutes before using. And, remove the garlic clove before serving.
Notes
- Refrigerate leftover honey lemon salad dressing for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- The longer you let the garlic sit, the stronger the flavour gets. However, the acidity of the vinaigrette keeps the garlic from getting too pungent, so you can let it hang out in the dressing if you’re making this salad dressing well ahead of serving.
Leave a comment if you love this honey lemon dressing recipe as much as I do. I also love hearing how you customise this recipe to make it your own! ❤️