This creamy 5 minute lemon vinaigrette is my go-to salad dressing that just happens to be super quick to make, oil free, gluten free, and dairy free. Forget store bought salad dressings! With only a few ingredients, whip up this zingy, dijon maple vinaigrette recipe in under 5 minutes and transform your salads from ordinary to extraordinary!
We haven't bought salad dressing in years. They are so easy to make with only a few ingredients. Just like this delicious, creamy coleslaw dressing, vegan honey mustard, and dairy-free spicy Tex-Mex dressing, they are quick, super customizable, and keep well in the fridge all week. I think you'll love them too!
Let's get started . . .
Ingredients for Lemon Dijon Dressing
You only need 7 basic ingredients to make this Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette recipe! It's bright and zesty just like you'd expect from a vinaigrette, but it's also dairy-free, gluten free, soy free, grain free and obviously vegan - unexpected!!
- dijon mustard - rich, creamy depth of flavor
- apple cider vinegar - for a sour bite
- lemon juice - fresh is best for zip and brightness
- garlic - freshly minced adds pungency and flavor
- salt - sea salt or Kosher to elevate and enhance flavors
- maple syrup - smoothes out sharpness
- cracked black pepper - for spicy peppery flavor
- fresh of dried oregano or thyme - any combination of herbs to add flavor
- hot pepper flakes - a hint of heat
- ¼ avocado - optional for richness and creaminess
Tips for Making Creamy Oil-free Vinaigrette
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl or place everything into a jar with a lid and shake until well combined.
Balancing Flavor - because this recipe is oil free and fat free, the acid might seem a bit sharp. Adding a hint of sweetness will soften the edge. Maple syrup is a great choice.
Garlic - use fresh (minced or microplaned) garlic for a pungent garlic flavor. If you don't have fresh, add a pinch or two of garlic powder for a little punch of flavor.
Creamy version (plant-based) - place everything into the blender and add ¼ of an avocado. Blend then taste and adjust seasonings and avocado to taste.
Creamy version (with Vegenaise) - Vegenaise transforms the vinaigrette to a richer creamier dressing. This version can be whisked in a bowl (no need to use blender). Place all the ingredients into a jar (add 1-2 tablespoons Vegenaise) and shake until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Uses for Lemon Vinaigrette
This salad dressing keeps well in the fridge all week, so whip up a double batch - it makes everything 1000% better. Here's a few ideas to get you started . . .
- as a dressing - it's super delicious on a weeknight garden salad, a Mediterranean mixed bean salad or my lunchtime favorite avocado tomato cucumber salad.
- as a drizzle - brighten up grilled or baked veggies served on a rice bowl.
- as a marinade - for tofu, tempeh or veggies before grilling or baking.
- to wake up leftovers - at the end of the week, empty your fridge of all bits and bobs. Put them on a big salad or rice in a pretty bowl, top with fresh tomatoes, avocados and something crunchy. Douse with this creamy lemon dijon dressing and dig in. Easy and spectacular!
More Vegan Sauces and Dressings to Try
As a sauce loving family, you'll find plenty of dairy-free, gluten-free sauces on my vegan sauces and dressing page. Here's a few of our favorites:
- Honey Mustard Dressing
- Sweet and Spicy Tahini Sauce
- Spicy Green Tahini Sauce
- Spicy Satay Peanut Sauce
- Tex-Mex Cashew Cream
- Vegan Tartar Sauce
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Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
Rate this recipe!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 small lemon, juice
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano or thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspooon red pepper flakes, more to taste
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
- ½ - 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons filtered water (to thin)
- ¼ avocado (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl or jar.
- If adding avocado (for richness and creaminess), place all ingredients in the blender and process until smooth.
- Store in the fridge in a jar or air-tight container for up to a week.
Laura
This is my favorite dressing of all the recipes I use, which have been a lot and they're all delicious, but this one is over the top scrumptious. I quadruple the recipe every single time. It lasts well over a week. Two weeks or longer & it's still perfect. I love not having to use my Vitamix to blend. Just simply mix in a bowl, pour into a glass jar and enjoy. My salads are incredible and if I ever have a little dressing at the bottom of the bowl, I drink it.
Tracy Halasz
Yay, happy you love the dressing so much you drink the leftovers! Thanks for the wonderful review.
Jenn
We’ve been making this dressing every night for our salad. So easy and perfect flavours!
Tracy Halasz
Thank you! So happy you are enjoy the salad dressing!
Therese
This really surprised - in a good way! I'm trying to watch macros and a FF dressing is a lifesaver sometimes. I'm going to try a riff on it with champagne vinegar I think and see how that works for me.
Tracy Halasz
Good to hear thank you. I think the champagne vinegar would be fantastic!
Grace Aloia
You didn’t post how much Vegan mayonnaise to use if we choose to go that route.
Tracy Halasz
Sorry about that, I typically use 1 - 2 tablespoons.
Molly Anderson
I love this salad dressing! I’m on a weight loss journey and having a really yummy salad dressing that doesn’t contain oil is a life saver. I make a big batch every week and keep it in the fridge. It’s fast, easy, and tastes great on everything from salads to tuna to roasted veggies. Thank you for a great dressing recipe!
Tracy Halasz
Thank you so much for the lovely review. This is one of my favorite easy salad dressings too. It's nice to have some tasty oil-free dressing options!
Sandy
Very tasty! But I needed a bit more oil, and didn’t have an avocado so I added 5 Tbsps of good quality olive oil- oh and also a teaspoon of dry white wine! If I’m having a glass of wine, I usually put a bit in my cooking, lol. Thank you for this recipe !
Michelle
Delicious. I just made it. I added 1 tbsp evoo and 1 tbsp water. Any reason why you omitted the oil? I also made the spicy tahini dip/dressing. That is out of this world!
Tracy Halasz
Thank you - so happy to hear that you loved the recipes. I sometimes add oil too, but we enjoy the flavor and creamy texture from the Dijon so don't typically add any. The sweet and spicy tahini sauce is our family favorite!!!