Simple Lemon Balsamic Dressing (Vinaigrette)

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.

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

• 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

• 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.

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.

Useful hints and tips

1. Always check salad dressing for seasoning and adjust with a little more salt and black pepper if required.
2. 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.
3. Containing no dairy this salad dressing is suitable for dairy free.
4. If serving to vegan diners swap the honey for maple or agave syrup.
5. Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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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