Herby Lemon Vinaigrette
Herby Lemon Vinaigrette – This homemade lemon vinaigrette recipe is loaded with bright flavor and mealtime versatility. It promises to be one of your favorite fresh dressings of the summer!
I look for every which way to use fresh herbs this time of year, to soak up the beautiful flavors of summer from our herb garden.
You can find me or our girls out there, plucking of their bounty, to add delicious dimension to our meals and beverages. This is truly one of my favorite things about summer.
This Herby Lemon Vinaigrette is a dressing full of sunshine. I like to keep a jar on hand throughout the summer season, and find myself reaching for it for breakfast, lunch, and supper!
Herby Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe
Bright and tangy, and so pretty speckled with minced fresh herbs, this lemon vinaigrette is the epitome of mealtime versatility.
I originally created this recipe to simply dress a small side salad, one of my favorite accompaniments to a breakfast of eggs.
All that little salad needs is a light sprinkling of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. And if you happen to have a block of Parmesan cheese on hand, a few quick shavings over the top take this salad up yet another notch.
I now keep this fresh herby lemon vinaigrette on hand for so many more reasons than originally intended.
It’s wonderful drizzled over fresh tomatoes or any grilled or roasted vegetables. Think zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, and asparagus. Our girls like to splash a bit over a fresh grilled chicken breast. Fold a hefty drizzle into a bowl of quinoa, and then add some chopped fresh cucumbers and tomatoes for an easy, flavorful salad. And it’s quite lovely on fish and shrimp.
There are so many ways to use it!
I like to use Meyer lemons for this vinaigrette, but they are harder to find during the summer season. So just use regular lemons when you can’t find the Meyers, and add in a bit more honey to offset the extra tang and acidity.
I promise you, this is going to be one of your favorite fresh dressings of the summer!
Like this vinaigrette recipe? Save it to Pinterest!
A few more dressing recipes you might like:
- Coleslaw Dressing
- Taco Salad Dressing
- Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Honey and Chipotle Vinaigrette
- Fresh Ginger Dressing
- Creamy Herby Summer Dressing
- Simple Mustard and Herb Vinaigrette from Aggie’s Kitchen
- Three Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes from Simple Bites
- Sriracha Balsamic Vinaigrette from Bake Your Day
This post was originally published in 2015. Photos and some of the text were updated in 2017 and 2019.
Herby Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 c. freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice or regular lemon juice
- ⅓ to ½ c. honey use a bit more when using regular lemons
- 2 T. Dijon mustard
- ⅔ c. extra virgin olive oil
- 3 T. minced shallots
- 1 T. minced fresh thyme
- ½ T. minced fresh rosemary
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, and Dijon mustard. Then add the olive and oil and whisk again. Add shallots, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. I often like to place vinaigrettes in a jar with a tight fitting lid, and then shake to combine.
Delicious! My husband is thrilled that I found a homemade substitute for his bottled dressing. Is it really only 3 grams of sugar? With 1/3 – 1/2 cup honey, it may be a little higher than that. Thanks!
SO GLAD you like this recipe!!
Perfect thanks so much! Really loved it, am going to try it on chicken thighs baked I think….
I realise this will sound stupid but just checking – Is t tablespoons or teaspoons  here please?
Hi Jennifer! T = tablespoon, tsp = teaspoon
This vinegratte is so delicious! I have used it in several different dishes. Everyone who tries is wants to know how to make it. Thank you for sharing it with the world!
So happy you like it!!
Delicious! Tasted great on Arugula Salad with shaved parmesan cheese. So happy to find this recipe as I’ve been looking for a lemon vinaigrette similar to The Egg & I restaurant that closed in our town. Made 1/2 of the recipe and it filled one of my empty Bonne Maman jelly glass jar to the rim…just perfect! Thank you and so yummy!
This was terrific! I didn’t have maple syrup so I substituted honey and used a little less. Also added a tsp fresh dill just because it was on hand. Excellent on a grilled shrimp and scallop salad with roasted cherry tomato’s.Â
I substituted Golden Lemon Thyme instead of regular thyme when I made it second time
Found it better tasting for my tastebuds…
This dressing so good. I’m curious if anyone has ever used garlic instead of shallots. By the second day, it smells very strongly of shallot. I wonder if garlic would be more mild.
Oh help my soul!!! Â Awesome!!!! Â Makes every taste bud come alive!