Olive oil, fresh garlic & lemon, 5-minutes, and just a few other simple ingredients all mixed together to make the most delicious, mouthwatering lemon garlic vinaigrette that coats any salad to make it taste amazing! This homemade salad dressing can be prepped ahead of time and stored in your fridge to add delicious flavor to pretty much any salad, so you actually WANT to eat your veggies!

Mason jar labeled Lemon and Garlic Vinaigrette with a fork in it with lemon vinaigrette in it.

Sherri’s 5-star review⭐️: “Easy to make and delicious! The family LOVES this salad dressing! I always add a little more garlic as we are garlic lovers!!! THANK YOU for giving us this delicious salad dressing!!! Best one I have found!!”

Friends, I know what you’re thinking- Why would I make homemade salad dressing when I can buy it from the store?!?!

Well, let me tell you, take one taste of this zippy homemade lemon and garlic vinaigrette and you won’t need any convincing from me! AND it only takes 5 minutes to make, so there really isn’t any excuse not to try it!

Now, this isn’t your average healthy easy vinaigrette recipe. We use FRESH garlic and lemon which add sooo much flavor with very little effort, which you know I love as a Registered Dietitian!

And dare I say that the longer you let this fresh lemon dressing sit in the fridge, the better it gets?!

Green and radicchio salad in a bowl with tongs inside.

What Can’t You Drizzle This Healthy Vinaigrette On?

While this healthy vinaigrette is delicious on pretty much any yummy salad recipe, I especially love it on my Easy Beetroot Chickpea Salad (with Canned Chickpeas!), since the garlicky lemon flavor balances out the earthiness of the beets!

With that said, it also completely levels up my 30-minute Healthy Vegan Sausage & Sweet Potato Sheet Pan Meal when it’s drizzled on top!

Overhead shot of lemon vinaigrette.

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Quick & Tasty Ingredient Notes

Chances are, you probably already have all of the ingredients on hand!

With that being said, I’ve tested this garlic lemon dressing and used it myself many times that I do have some notes and recommendations for making sure you get the absolute best flavor:

  • Using good quality extra virgin olive oil DOES make a difference, since it’s such a big component of this simple salad dressing recipe! I like using a decent quality one in this recipe so it really shines, but regular ol’ olive oil will also do the trick!
  • I’ve tested this recipe using both fresh and bottled lemon juice, and fresh lemon juice tastes wayyyyy better… Just saying!
  • And again, I’ve tested it with both fresh and bottled garlic and the fresh stuff wins by a landslide!

While a lot of homemade salad dressing recipes require using a blender or food processor, all you need to make this one is a bowl (or jar!) and a whisk!

Ready, Set, Whisk!

I know I said this lemon dressing for salads is a 5-minute recipe, but if I’m being honest, it’s more like 2 minutes!

Mason jar with olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper in it.
Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a jar or small bowl.
Mason jar labeled lemon garlic vinaigrette with vinaigrette in it.
Step 2: Whisk well to combine!
Mason jar with lemon and garlic as a label with vinaigrette inside.
5 from 3 reviews

Quick 5-Minute Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Author: Lauren McNeill, RD
Olive oil, fresh garlic & lemon, 5-minutes, and just a few other simple ingredients all mixed together to make the most delicious, mouthwatering salad dressing that makes any salad taste amazing! This homemade salad dressing can be prepped ahead of time and stored in your fridge to add delicious flavor to pretty much any salad, so you actually WANT to eat your veggies!
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Ingredients
 

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 large clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup, or other sweetener
  • 1 tsp dijon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

Equipment

  • 1 Bowl or mason jar
  • Whisk

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl or mason jar combine the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine, or if you're using a mason jar, screw on the lid and shake well to combine until the olive oil and lemon juice are completely emulsified. Drizzle on your favourite salad and enjoy!

Notes

Storing leftovers: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week!
Calories: 115kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Sodium: 195mg, Potassium: 7mg, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 4mg
Did you make this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and review, it helps so much! And if you snap a photo, tag me @tastingtothrive_rd so I can see your delicious creation!