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This Lemon Herb Vinaigrette is my go-to salad dressing. You will always find a jar in my fridge as it goes with a zillion different salads.
I feel like a rat, not sharing this Lemon Herb Vinaigrette recipe with you till now. Well, in my defense (not wanting to feel like a complete rodent) I actually did share it, back in the early days of The Café. You'll see a fairly similar looking dressing on this post (as you can see, we didn't know much about food photography back then). But I've tweaked it and tested it since then and it's even better now. In fact, it's such a huge favorite here at The Café that as soon as the jar runs low, I whip up another batch. It's almost too good for words.
The best place, by far, if you could somehow muster up enough of your mousey strength to pry open the door, is the refrigerator. That’s where you’ll find the really good stuff. There’s usually a variety of delicious cheeses, lots of great fruits and veggies, leftover grilled chicken and/or steak, salami, hummus, olives, jams, jellies, whipping cream, juices, and on and on it goes…
Oh, and if you’re one of those mice who happen to have discriminating culinary taste, you’d probably zero in on a jar of golden-hued, herb-flecked, lemony salad dressing that’s almost always on the upper shelf of my fridge. I call it my Lemon Herb Vinaigrette and, over the years, it’s become a staple here at The Café.
It’s so versatile; there are a zillion ways to use the stuff. It’s fabulous drizzled on a Greek or Niçoise salad, and it makes a wonderful dressing for potato or pasta salad. Lemon Herb Vinaigrette goes well with tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados, carrots, zucchini, asparagus, arugula, spinach, peppers, onions, field greens, Feta, Parmesan, goat cheese, and all combinations of the above. You’d probably also love to nibble on the salad I made for dinner last night. As usual, I just used the ingredients I happened to have on hand, depending on the season and time of year.
This time it was arugula, Parmesan, a variety of lovely-hued tomatoes, avocados, baby red potatoes, a scattering of fresh herbs, and a handful of toasted pine nuts. With a drizzle of the delicious, lemony dressing, it made a fabulous dinner. One last thing; if you’re anything like me, you probably like to take a great recipe home with you after visiting friends. I’m leaving a copy of the Lemon Herb Vinaigrette below. I have a feeling that you, along with everyone else in your furry little family, will enjoy it as much as we do. Bon Appetit!
This Lemon Herb Vinaigrette is my go-to salad dressing. You will always find a jar in my fridge as it goes with a zillion different salads.
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
- 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried mint optional*
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh herbs** optional*
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes optional*
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
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Combine all ingredients in a glass jar. Shake well.
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Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before using to meld the ingredients.
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Store in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator.
Shaheen says
Hi Chris why the mix of canola and olive oil?
Can you use just olive?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Shaheen, you can definitely use all olive oil. The canola (or any other mild flavored oil like sunflower or avocado) just makes the dressing a little lighter tasting. I often use just olive oil and it's great that way too.
Marnie says
Made this tonight to top my version of a Cobb salad. Also marinated the chicken in it. I eyeballed the vinegar and lemon because I like my dressing tarte so was not too concerned about going over. Hmmmm! It was really yummy, light and beautiful citrus hint. Perfect ratio of herbs, didn’t have mint but want to try it again with some mint added! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Marnie! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for sharing your results!
Pam says
I did alter your recipe a bit. We all have different taste buds. I added another tablespoon of red wine vinegar and another teaspoon of sugar, and only used one teaspoon of oregano. Left out the sun dried tomatoes even though I had some. Thought it was fabulous! Going to use it for a three bean salad for supper. Thanks for your recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Yum, that sounds wonderful for a three bean salad!
Ryan says
I found your site while looking for homemade tortilla recipes and this vinegrette intrigued me. It was so delicious and very nicely balanced. I followed the recipe exactly and the hints of sundried tomato and fresh oregano were very pleasing. Thanks for sharing!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Ryan. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment and review of the recipe.
Abbey says
How much does this recipe yield?
Chris Scheuer says
It makes about a cup of dressing.
Amber says
I have been marinating chicken in this and grilling it and it is delicious! I marinade anywhere from 30 min- 8 hours and after I flip the chicken on the grill I baste it once with the remaining and it has been great everytime! I usually make a big batch and then throughout the week add it to a salad. I don't even bother reheating. It Taste great cold too.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for your comment Amber! I'm tasting your lemon herb marinated chicken in my mind right now - I'm getting hungry!
Chris says
This recipe was terrible. The ratio of oil to lemon juice in the recipe makes the dressing way too oily and tasteless. I was really disappointed.
Chris Scheuer says
So sorry you didn't like this Chris. It's been a favorite of ours for a long time and I often get asked for the recipe. I do understand that everyone has different taste. The classic oil/vinegar ratio is 1:3 and this recipe follows that (using lemon juice and vinegar for the acid).
Katie says
Did you shake it long enough to emulsify it?
Karen C says
Everytime I see someone standing in front of all those salad dressings at the grocery store, I want to say, "you could have made a delicious fresh one by now!" I don't get it.
This looks great Chris and right up my alley.
mollie says
was thinking of using this vinaigrette to marinate boneless chicken and artichoke quarters then cooking them as a one-pan summery dish. What do you think?
Chris Scheuer says
I think it would work great, it's such a versatile dressing.
Amber Johnson says
Where's the recipe
Chris Scheuer says
Click on the link at the bottom of the recipe.