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 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ⅓ cup honey (use a bit more if you like it sweeter)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil (use a bit more if you like a more mellow flavor)
- 3 tablespoons minced shallot
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- ½ tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, and Dijon mustard. 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.
- Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking, and continue to whisk until the dressing is emulsified. Add shallots, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and whisk to combine. (Instead of whisking, you can just add everything to a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine – this often does this trick if you are having trouble getting the dressing to emulsify.)
- Taste test and adjust according to your own preferences. I like my vinaigrette with a pronounced lemon flavor!
The wife and I enjoyed this a lot. I didn’t have a shallot so used some chives that were in the herb garden in place of. I also ended up doubling the amount of olive oil because we like olive oil – personal preference. This a great flavor profile and the fresh herbs really make this a stand out salad dressing. The description, “full of sunshine” is actually spot-on. Thanks!
How long will the extra dressing keep?
I use it for up to two weeks. :)
Super good on a fancy salad with tuna fish. Thanks!
Wonderful! I’m so glad you liked it! This vinaigrette has so much versatility. I made it to dress my Grilled Vegetable Salad one night, and then used the remainder for a fresh green salad with grilled salmon the next. So yummy!!!
I never buy salad dressing. It is so simple and quick to make yourself. Not to mention healthier!
Great pics & recipe,
Thanks!
Thank you, Candi!
I would put this on everything! I love things that are lemony like this.
Thanks, Julia. It really is incredibly versatile. And so yummy!
Sounds like the perfect accompaniment to everything summery!
Thanks, Sylvie! :)
These are my FAVORITE kinds of dressing! Light, refreshing and perfect for summer! You’re right, a dressing like this is so versatile!
Absolutely. Perfect with almost everything. Thanks, Erin!
This looks bright and flavorful. Perfect for summer!
Thanks, Nicole!
I have been wanting a lemon dressing, can’t wait to try it! How long can I keep this in the fridge do you think?
Hi Megan – I usually try to use mine up within a week.
I agree, this dressing is full of sunshine, so perfect and refreshing for this hot weather. Totally loving it!
This does sound like a fabulous vinaigrette.
Perfect over ALL my summer salads! Certain to become a staple in my kitchen :)
I am making this tonight!
Growing up, the vinaigrette was the first thing I learned out to make. It became my responsibility to make the salad dressing every night and it’s still one of my favorite things to prepare. Your vinaigrette looks perfect.
I love knowing that making the dressing was your job! Thanks, Brian.
Three cheers for fresh herbs! This looks like summer in a jar.
I would drizzle this over everything! Summer goodness in a bottle.