The best lemony vinaigrette.

I won’t tell you that storebought salad dressing is just such a bad idea. Instead, I will tell you that homemade salad dressing is super easy, inexpensive and far more delicious than you could imagine.


This lemon vinaigrette recipe is my new favorite salad dressing: I usually have the ingredients on hand, it’s quick to assemble, it keeps in the refrigerator for a week or two, and it’s just so versatile. I’ve been using this lemon dressing with a simple salad of fresh lettuce. I’ve drizzled it over steamed summer green beans. I’ve tossed it with cooked rice, grilled shrimp and cherry tomatoes for the best hot-weather dinner ever. (I’ll post that recipe soon, promise!) It would make amazing potato salad. It’s the ideal dressing for the French Picnic Salad in a Jar.

If you’re a bottled dressing person (no hard feelings!), give this a try. If you’re a salad dressing maker, put this recipe in your regular rotation.

perfect lemon vinaigrette dressing recipe

makes about 1 1/4 cups
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1 large garlic clove, smashed
1/2 cup olive oil

In a lidded glass jar or mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, lemon zest, salt and pepper, until the salt dissolves. Add the smashed garlic clove and whisk well. Very slowly drizzle a thin stream of olive oil into the bowl, whisking constantly to emulsify. Let the dressing sit for an hour at room temperature, then remove the garlic clove.