Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

Creamy lemon vinaigrette is our number-one, go-to salad dressing. A whir in the blender, plus a dose of umami-rich nutritional yeast, make it seriously smooth and luxurious. Don't miss it.

Why we love this recipe

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single family in possession of a good salad, must be in want of a dressing. You guys, this is THE ONE.

This smooth, tangy, creamy lemon vinaigrette is the dressing that's always in our fridge. It's bold enough to stand up to kale and shredded Brussels sprouts and all kinds of raw cruciferous goodies. It's also great drizzled over baby spinach or tossed with chopped romaine and tons of crunchy veggies. It makes putting a salad together super-easy, which means you'll be more likely to get your leafy greens.

I know I use the word magic kind of a lot for a muggle. But I try not to abuse it. It's not my fault that sparkles start to pop up in more and more places once you know how to look for them. This dressing definitely has magic in it.

There's alchemy in whizzing together five basic vegan ingredients plus salt and pepper and turning out something totally marvelous in five minutes. That's another truth universally acknowledged. It just is.

I first published this recipe here back in 2018. I've since updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.

What you'll need

Here's a glance at the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe.

• A reasonable extra-virgin olive oil from the supermarket is a good choice. The flavor will definitely come through, so choose something that you like. But there's no need to tote out your fancy unfiltered versions with the perfect level of astringency.
• You'll use lots of freshly squeezed lemon juice to make this bright, tangy dressing. Squeeze the lemons and then pour the juice through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any seeds and pulp.
• Nutritional yeast has a super-savory flavor that adds depth and crave-ability to this salad dressing, among many other great recipes.

Equipment

You can use any blender you like for this dressing, but I'm especially enamored with our Vitamix, which we've had for many years.

How to make it

Here's an overview of what you'll do to make a perfect batch of creamy lemon vinaigrette. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.

1. Pour the olive oil into the blender.
2. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice, peeled and chopped garlic, nutritional yeast, mustard, salt, and pepper.
3. Blend well until perfectly smooth and creamy.
4. Dressing is ready to use. That's it!

Expert tips and FAQs

More favorite salad dressings

• Balsamic shallot vinaigrette
• Creamy Caesar
• Citrus vinaigrette, two ways
• Thousand Island

Continue to Content

Yield: Makes about 1 cup

Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

Print

This creamy lemon vinaigrette with the umami goodness of nutritional yeast is our go-to salad dressing. A quick stint in the blender makes it smooth and luxurious. Truth be told, I usually make a double batch.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ cup (237 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup (237 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ cup (20 grams) nutritional yeast
• 3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients into a blender.
2. Process on high until smooth and creamy.

Notes

1. A reasonable extra-virgin olive oil from the supermarket is a good choice. The flavor will definitely come through, so choose something that you like. But there's no need to tote out your fancy unfiltered versions with the perfect level of astringency.
2. You'll use lots of freshly squeezed lemon juice to make this bright, tangy dressing. Squeeze the lemons and then pour the juice through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any seeds and pulp.
3. We like our salad dressings tangy, so this recipe uses equal parts olive oil and lemon juice. You can alter the ratio to suit your taste without losing creaminess.
4. You can pour the dressing into a little jar or other airtight container and store it in a nice cold fridge for up to two weeks. If the dressing is solid when you take it out of the fridge, let it come to room temperature if you like, or pop the open jar in the microwave for about 15 seconds.

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  Vitamix 5200 Blender

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1 tablespoon
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 67Total Fat: 7gCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0.2gProtein: 0.6g

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