Fresh Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

You know what makes or breaks a salad? A really good salad dressing…and this fresh lemon dijon vinaigrette has a bright, zesty flavour that goes well with so many different salad combinations! It’s an easy dijon dressing that you’ll use again and again.

I never buy salad dressings. Making your own is SO easy and will save you A) a ton of cash and B) from having a graveyard of half used salad dressings. And the dietitian in me wants to tell you that making your own dressings means you can use extra virgin olive oil, my go-to oil, because commercial dressings never use the stuff.

Sauces and dressings are the stuff that brings so many plant-based recipes together, adding another layer of flavour. And I use this lemon dijon dressing A LOT. It gives my herby lentil salad its signature zip!

Like the saying goes, “What’s a vegan’s favourite food? It’s sauce!”

Funny, but also true. You’ll notice that there are a lot of dressing and sauce recipes in Good For Your Gut cookbook…because, sauce…and so I thought it was time I start bulking up the selection here on the website, including this juicy, tangy fresh lemon dijon vinaigrette.

How to make this next level fresh lemon dijon vinaigrette

We kinda use the words dressing and vinaigrette interchangeably, but a vinaigrette is made from an oil and an acid. Often that’s a vinegar…but I make a lot of vinaigrettes with lime juice and lemon juice because I love the fresh taste.

But/and/also, my oldest has this thing against vinegar. Can’t stand the smell of it…and therefore will not eat any dressing that smells like vinegar. Hence, I am now a fresh lemon vinaigrette kind of person.

You might have questions about the sugar here…so let’s go there. Believe the dietitian when I say, using 1-2 teaspoons of sugar in a dressing that’s going to help you LOVE eating piles of fresh vegetables is a non-issue. I use plain cane sugar, which helps neutralize the acidity of the mustard and lemon. Diabetic? Try monk fruit, a great alternative sweetener.

Tips, Tricks + Suggestions

• Do NOT sub yellow mustard for dijon here. Totally different flavour profile.
• No lemons on hand? Use a smaller amount of a milder vinegar here, like 3 tablespoons white wine or champagne vinegar. You could also use apple cider vinegar (perhaps 2 tablespoons to start) and adjust sugar as necessary to balance out the acidity.
• Try this maple dijon variation! Just swap the sugar for maple syrup for a luscious maple flavour.
• This dijon dressing keeps for a week! Just bring it to room temp, shake and enjoy.

More deliciously simple salad dressings!

• Nourishing Maple Tahini Dressing (5 min!)
• 5 Minute Creamy Balsamic Dressing (Vegan)
• Healthy Vegan Caesar Dressing Recipe
• Nutritional Yeast Dressing with Dijon and Maple
• Homemade Garlic Vinaigrette