Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

This Honey Lemon Vinaigrette dressing is perfect for all your favourite salads, and it’s simple to make with only a few ingredients. The BEST lemon vinaigrette recipe that’s restaurant-quality and ready in minutes!

 

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

We love a good salad, especially during the spring and summer months. This Honey Lemon Vinaigrette salad dressing recipe is one of our favourites because it’s SO fresh-tasting! It’s really the perfect addition to most salads, and it’s a refreshing alternative to heavy, creamy dressings. It’s easy to make in minutes – just combine all your ingredients, shake or blend, and that’s it! Healthy dressings like this are a go-to in The Busy Baker kitchen, and once you give this one a try, you’ll see why!!

Here are just a few reasons why we love this Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing recipe!

1. It’s EASY to MAKE: This recipe is so easy to make with a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your home kitchen. It can be ready in just 10 minutes!
2. It’s HEALTHY: You can control the amount of fat and sugar when you make your own salad dressing!
3. It can be made in ONE Jar: A salad dressing shaker or mason jar allows you to make this dressing in a flash. Toss everything in and shake it up!

Try these tips to making a top notch Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing from scratch!

Skip the bottled lemon juice and use fresh lemon juice for a fresh citrus and zesty flavoured dressing.!

Seasoning is important! The salt and pepper amplify the flavours of the honey lemon vinaigrette, so don’t skimp on these. Taste as you go, and add more if you like.

Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for balanced flavour – this keeps the dressing from tasting bitter.

Don’t forget the mustard – it helps blend the oil and lemon juice together so it’s nice and creamy.

Shake the dressing vigorously to properly blend the flavours and the ingredients. If it’s easier, use a whisk and a deep small bowl to mix the vinaigrette.

If you are having trouble with this lemon vinaigrette recipe, check out our troubleshooting tips and follow the solutions we recommend below:

Don’t forget to add the mustard, as it helps hold the vinaigrette together. Shake or whisk really well until the dressing is creamy. If it separates, just shake it again very well.

The dressing can taste bland if you don’t use fresh ingredients and if you forget to add the salt or the mustard. Make sure to follow the recipe to ensure it tastes fresh.

The honey lemon dressing might be too sweet if the balance is off between the honey and the lemon juice. Taste it to see if it suits your tastes and preferences, and add more lemon to offset the sweetness, if you wish.

The dressing can harden in the fridge slightly if it’s left there for a few days. To fix this, simply let it sit out on the counter for 20-30 minutes before shaking again well and serving. You can also place it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to warm it up slightly (just to about room temperature) before shaking and serving.

To make this lemon vinaigrette dressing, you will need to have these kitchen items on hand (paid links):

• Liquid Measuring Cup
• measuring cups and spoons
• mason jar or salad dressing shaker
• Microplane Zester
• citrus juicer

Mason jars are a great kitchen tool to have on hand for recipes like this Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing. They form an airtight seal, so you don’t have to worry about spills, they’re dishwasher safe and easy to clean, and they’re great for more than just salad dressings – we use them for smoothies, homemade jams, soups, and tons of other food storage. Get my favourite go-to Mason jars HERE (paid link).  

Aside from mason jars, one of our absolute FAVOURITE kitchen tools is this OXO Good Grips Salad Dressing Shaker (paid link). We make homemade salad dressing all the time as we like being able to control the amount of fat and sugar we are pouring over our salads. This salad dressing shaker is PERFECT for making homemade salad dressings in a flash!! It allows you to measure ingredients right into the shaker (with the handy measurements on the side), it forms an airtight seal to keep the salad dressing fresh (and it’s good for shaking too!), and it pours beautifully thanks to the spout. It fits nicely in the fridge, and it’s seriously one of our most favourite kitchen items ever!

These are the ingredients you need to make this healthy lemon vinaigrette dressing (paid links):

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• zest and juice of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup liquid honey or other vegan honey substitute
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme (substitute with dried thyme, if desired)

Try these variations for a subtle flavour twist on this simple honey lemon vinaigrette recipe!

1. Add some spice – Add a splash of hot sauce or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the recipe for a spicier take on the classic vinaigrette.
2. Add some Greek yogurt – Add in greek yogurt or mayo for a creamy honey lemon dressing. It pairs well with grain bowls or kale salads.
3. Add orange and lemon – Amplify the citrus flavour! Combine the zest of an orange and its juice with the lemon juice for a layered citrus burst to compliment mixed green salads.

We hope you love this Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite salad to enjoy in the spring and summer? We’d love to know!  

• Berry Walnut Spinach Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
• Healthy Greek Yogurt Caesar Salad
• Brussels Sprouts Salad with Creamy Bacon Dressing
• Quick and Easy Greek Pasta Salad
• Rainbow Vegetable Pasta Salad
• Grapefruit and Arugula Salad
• Best Ever Creamy Italian Salad Dressing

Watch the video below to see exactly how we make this simple recipe. You can find more delicious recipe videos on our YouTube channel.