I love a dressing I can make in less than 5 minutes and is better than anything you can buy in the store. This Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette is simple, delicious, and packs a ton of flavor in a little mason jar!
Try tossing some of our favorite salads in this delicious lemon garlic vinaigrette, like Italian Green Bean Salad or Italian Pasta Salad!
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Why This Recipe
- Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette can be made in under 5 minutes, and it is the perfect dressing for a Garbanzo Bean Kale Salad!
- It's perfect for dressing salads and sandwiches or marinating chicken, like Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs!
- It can be refrigerated and used again for up to a week!
- It's better than any dressing you can buy at the store.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil- When making a dressing, olive oil is the most important ingredient. Using a high-quality olive oil is key to the flavor. Look for a single-olive produced olive oil, because it's less likely to be bitter.
- Garlic- Fresh garlic only. Don't substitute jarred garlic. Mince the garlic right before adding it to the dressing. The longer it sits after being cut, the stronger the flavor will become. Know that the longer the dressing sits in the fridge, the stronger the garlic flavor will be.
- Dijon- Dijon acts as an emulsifier for the dressing to make it slightly creamier and round out some of the acidity from the white wine vinegar and lemon.
*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.
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How to Make Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
Step 1: Chop parsley and mince garlic. For vinaigrettes and dressings, you want garlic to be minced into almost a paste.
Step 2: Pour the olive oil into a mason jar.
Step 3: Combine olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, garlic, Dijon, salt, and pepper.
Step 4: Whisk well or shake in a jar to combine. Stir the dressing into a salad to combine or store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Lemon Garlic Dressing is a great dressing for a simple salad, or dress your favorite Italian salads with it like Italian Seafood Salad (Insalata di Mare) or Summer Farro Salad with Cannellini Beans!
Pro-Tips
- Salt to taste. Start with the salt amount in the ingredients, but add more to taste if necessary.
- The dressing will separate after sitting in the refrigerator, even with the Dijon as an emulsifier. Remove the dressing from the refrigerator thirty minutes in advance and shake well.
- If you're meal prepping, dial back the minced garlic by half. The longer the dressing sits in the fridge, the stronger the garlic flavor will get.
FAQs about Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
Yes, it's great for dressing salads, marinating meat, or vegetables.
Mustard acts as an emulsifier and helps the oil and vinegar stay combined. It makes it a lot easier to make the dressing, but it can be left out, and the taste won't be affected.
Yes, but it's always better fresh. The longer the minced garlic sits in the dressing, the stronger it will get.
My Favorite Italian Salads
Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
Equipment
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Instructions
- In a mason jar or small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, garlic, dijon, salt, and pepper. Whisk well or shake in a jar to combine.
- Stir the dressing into a salad to combine or store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Notes
- Salt to taste. Start with the salt amount in the ingredients, but add more to taste if necessary.
- The dressing will separate after sitting in the refrigerator, even with the Dijon as an emulsifier. Remove the dressing from the refrigerator thirty minutes in advance and shake well.
- If you're meal prepping, dial back the minced garlic by half. The longer the dressing sits in the fridge, the stronger the garlic flavor will get.
Vincent DelGiudice says
A delicious and easy dressing we love to use for dressing, marinating, or sandwiches! Let us know what you think below!