3-Minute Lemon Olive Oil Dressing

You only need 3 minutes to make this super simple, tangy, and versatile Lemon Olive Oil Dressing. Made with extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and a touch of honey, this vinaigrette is a tasty and nourishing addition to your salad.

Repeat after me: salads do not have to be boring! As a Registered Dietitian, a common complaint I hear about salads (and vegetables in general) is that they’re bland and boring.

There are a myriad of ways we can jazz up a salad, and one of the easiest ways to add flavour and excitement is a delicious dressing recipe! Like my Maple Balsamic Dressing recipe, vibrant Avocado Green Goddess Dressing, or my Healthy & Wholesome Caesar Dressing.

Not only is this Lemon and Olive Oil Dressing recipe delicious, it’s quick to make with a short list of nourishing ingredients that you probably have kicking around in your pantry.

Ingredients for Lemon Olive Oil Dressing:

To make this lemon salad dressing recipe, you’ll need:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Fresh lemon juice
• Honey
• Salt and pepper

That’s it!

Is this a Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing?

Yes! A vinaigrette is made by mixing an oil (like our extra virgin olive oil) with a mild acid like a vinegar or lemon juice. Here, we’re using both lemon juice and red wine vinegar to create a lovely (and easy!) Lemon Vinaigrette.

Many people use vinaigrettes primarily as a salad dressing, like we’re doing here. However, vinaigrettes also make great marinades for your proteins, too!

Nutrition Benefits of Lemon Olive Oil Dressing:

• Extra-virgin olive oil: The extra virgin olive oil is the nutritional star of this recipe. Sure, it’s calorie-dense and high in fats, but it’s all healthy, unsaturated fats. Not only do these healthy fats keep you full and make your salad more satisfying to eat, the monounsaturated fats in olive oil are also beneficial for heart health. Lastly, extra virgin olive oil (or EVOO) is a good source of antioxidants, which can help prevent cell damage and may help fend off certain chronic diseases.
• Lemon juice: Did you know that vitamin C helps the body absorb dietary iron? All the more reason to add lemon to your dressing when eating a salad containing iron-rich leafy greens like spinach or kale!

• Increased vegetable consumption: While there are nutrition benefits that we can reap from our Lemon Olive Oil Dressing alone, I think the most important benefit is that a tasty dressing makes is that it makes eating your veggies more enjoyable. And if it’s more enjoyable, you’re probably going to do it more often!

How to Make Lemon and Olive Oil Dressing:

It’s very quick and easy to make this Lemon Olive Oil Dressing. All you need is a bottle or mason jar to mix the dressing in, and the ingredients listed above.

To the bottle, add your olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. Seal the bottle tight and give it a good shake to mix everything together until well-combined.

Then, just pour it over your salad and enjoy!

I love enjoying this Lemon and Olive Oil Dressing on my Kale Quinoa & Chickpea Salad and this beautiful Citrus Arugula Salad.

Storage Tips & Substitutions:

If you have dressing leftovers, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container (again, like a mason jar or bottle) for up to 2 weeks. Make sure to give the salad dressing a good stir or shake before using again as it may separate while sitting in the fridge.

Connect with Hannah Magee, RD!

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. If you try it, let me know what you think by leaving a rating and a review in the comments below. Oh, and be sure to take a photo and tag me at @hannahmagee_rd so I can re-share on my stories!

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