My Simple Lemon Balsamic Dressing is a flavourful vinaigrette dressing combining fresh lemon juice with balsamic vinegar, honey and Dijon mustard. This lemon balsamic honey dressing is perfectly balanced and adds a punch of flavor and seasoning to any salad its added to.
![Lemon balsamic dressing being poured over a salad of sliced peaches, burrata cheese, blueberries, candied pecans and pesto.](https://lostinfood.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Lemon-balsamic-dressing-lead-image.jpg)
I love making my own homemade salad dressings using simple ingredients most of your will have in your stores at home. This is the best lemon balsamic dressing, packed full of flavour, and can be whipped together in just 5 minutes, ready to dress any salad.
Once made, leftover lemon balsamic vinaigrette will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week. Just give the jar a shake to mix up the ingredients again before adding to salad.
Making your own healthy balsamic vinaigrette the best option. You can adjust the flavours and seasoning in the dressing to suit your own palette, you know exactly what is going into it. There’s no excess salt or unnecessary additives or preservatives in my homemade salad dressings.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- The perfect balance of flavours with the sweet balsamic vinegar and sour lemon.
- Make ahead and store the dressing in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
- Ready in 5 minutes just place everything in a jar with a lid and shake.
Recipe ingredients & substitutions
![Lemon balsamic dressing ingredients set into individual bowls.](https://lostinfood.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Lemon-balsamic-dressing-recipe-ingredients.jpg)
- Mustard – I add Dijon mustard to the dressing.
- Honey – a little runny honey adds sweetness and balances out the sour flavors of lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.
- Lemon – I add the juice of half a fresh lemon to the salad dressing. Freshly squeezed lemon juice will always give the best flavor, but bottled fresh lemon juice can work in a pinch.
- Vinegar – I use balsamic vinegar in the dressing. Look for the best quality traditionally made vinegar which will be a little thicker in consistency.
- Oil – extra virgin olive oil is added to the dressing as it has a great nutty flavor. Use regular olive oil if you don’t have EVOO.
- Seasoning – there’s so much flavour in this salad dressing that I keep seasoning simple with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
How to make Lemon Balsamic Dressing
![Fresh lemon juice being poured over a jar of honey and mustard.](https://lostinfood.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Lemon-balsamic-dressing-process-1-768x1024.jpg)
![Olive oil being added to a jar filled with honey, mustard, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.](https://lostinfood.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Lemon-balsamic-dressing-process-2-768x1024.jpg)
- Place all the ingredients into a jar.
- Place the lid on the jar and give it a good shake to combine all the ingredients together.
- You can also place all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until emulsified.
- Place the jar in the refrigerator until you are ready to dress the salad.
- Ensure you give the salad dressing a good shake before using to incorporate all the ingredients together again.
![A jar of lemon balsamic salad dressing with 2 juiced lemon halves set alongside.](https://lostinfood.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Lemon-balsamic-dressing-process-3.jpg)
Recipe variations
- I’ve used Dijon mustard but you could also use wholegrain mustard. Don’t use English or yellow mustard as it has too strong a flavor which will overpower the other ingredients in the dressing.
- Swap the lemon juice for sweet orange.
- Add a touch of spice with 1/2 teaspoon of chilli flakes.
- The honey can be swapped for maple or agave syrup, or use some caster sugar.
- Add 1/2 a clove of finely crushed garlic to the dressing.
Serving suggestions
This simple salad dressing can be added to a variety of salads. I’ve served it here with my Peach & Burrata Salad, but it would work equally well over my Roast Pumpkin Salad or a Warm Potato Salad.
I also like to drizzle this dressing over roasted vegetables, try it with my Honey Roasted Vegetables, Honey Glazed Roast Carrots, or Roasted Tomatoes.
![A bowl of peach and burrata salad with blueberries, candied pecans and basil pesto with a jar of lemon balsamic dressing and pot of pesto set alongside.](https://lostinfood.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Peach-buratta-salad-5.jpg)
Useful hints and tips
- Always check salad dressing for seasoning and adjust with a little more salt and black pepper if required.
- I recommend using a jam jar when making salad dressing as it makes it really easy to mix the dressing, place the lid on and give it a good shake. The lidded jar also keeps the salad fresh when being stored in the fridge.
- Containing no dairy this salad dressing is suitable for dairy free.
- If serving to vegan diners swap the honey for maple or agave syrup.
- Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.
FAQs
Once made, this salad dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Ensure you shake the jar well before each use.
A traditionally made balsamic vinegar is made by boiling grape juice only and no other ingredients or additives, before aging the vinegar in wood casks. This makes it gluten free. However if not using a traditionally made balsamic vinegar I always advise checking the label as mass produced vinegar may contain malt vinegar which is not gluten free.
Not only does the mustard flavor the dressing, it also acts as an emulsifying agent which helps the oil and acids to combine.
Pin the recipe
![Pinnable image and recipe title of lemon balsamic dressing being poured over a salad of sliced peaches, burrata cheese, blueberries, candied pecans and pesto.](https://lostinfood.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Lemon-balsamic-dressing-pin.jpg)
Additional recipe suggestions
Dressing and sauces pack a real punch of flavor to any dish they are added to. Here are some of my favorite recipes:
- Honey Mustard Dressing
- Classic French Dressing
- Simple Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Homemade Mayonnaise
- Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Easy Green Chutney
![Lemon balsamic dressing being poured over a salad of sliced peaches, burrata cheese, blueberries, candied pecans and pesto.](https://lostinfood.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Lemon-balsamic-dressing-lead-image-500x500.jpg)
Lemon Balsamic Dressing (Vinaigrette)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into a jar.
- Place the lid on the jar and give it a good shake to combine all the ingredients together.
- You can also place all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to emulsify.
- Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to dress a salad.
- Ensure you give the salad dressing a good shake before using to incorporate all the ingredients together again.
Notes
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •
Janice
Friday 9th of August 2024
I've made lots of vinaigrette dressings before but I find they are sometimes a bit too sharp. You seem to have got the balance just right and this will be my go to recipe from now on.
Lesley
Monday 19th of August 2024
Thank you Janice, I'm glad you enjoyed the dressing, it does have a great balance.
Chloe
Thursday 8th of August 2024
I've neverr really though to combine balsamic and lemon before - no idea why but this worked really well!
Lesley
Monday 19th of August 2024
Thank you Chloe it really is a great flavor combination.