This zesty, dairy-free Lemon Dijon Dressing is a creamy vinaigrette that's punchy with garlic and herbs. It's pourable for all your favorite salads and thick enough to use as a dip for raw veggies.
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🏆 Top tip
Stir dried herbs and cracked black pepper into the dressing after it's blended smooth. They'll add pretty flecks of color, and the lemon Dijon dressing will have better flavor.
⭐ Why it works
- Easy - zingy and flavorful. Blends up in minutes.
- Stays emulsified - won't separate after it's blended.
- Versatile - use it on a variety of salads or as a dip.
- Sugar-free - and no artificial ingredients make it healthier than store-bought.
- Vegan - smooth and rich without eggs, mayonnaise, or dairy.
📋 Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil - Premium, freshly pressed, 100% pure olive oil for the best flavor.
- Lemon juice - fresh-squeezed and strained. Fruity, mild Meyer lemons are nice.
- Garlic - adds the kick as well as aids the emulsifying properties of Dijon mustard.
- Dijon mustard - I like to use Grey Poupon French Dijon for its classic, dependable taste. Be sure to choose the smooth variety.
- Dried herbs - sweet basil, earthy oregano, and cracked pepper are perfect for this robust vinaigrette and save time compared to fresh herbs.
- Water - a small amount gives just the right balance of flavor and body.
- Salt - is optional and can be adjusted to taste.
🔪 Steps
- Peel garlic and grate fine.
- Combine ingredients holding dried herbs and pepper aside.
- Emulsify dressing by mixing with a hand-held immersion blender or whirling in a standard kitchen blender.
- Stir in dried herbs and cracked pepper after the dressing is smooth and creamy.
🥄 How to make creamy lemon Dijon dressing
Dijon mustard is truly a miraculous ingredient that can transform sauces that combine oil-based and water-based ingredients. Its natural lecithin content allows it to act as a thickening agent, similar to egg yolks used in mayonnaise. However, it's vegan-friendly and adds exceptional flavor.
Typically, olive oil and lemon juice don't mix well. But with an emulisfyer like Dijon mustard, you can achieve a thick and delicious dressing like the one in this recipe. And the best part? It's super simple to make!
Just follow the recipe proportions and use an electric blender to blend everything together. Using a hand-held immersion blender, in particular, makes clean-up a breeze.
I think kitchen science can be so much fun. It certainly is practical!
🥬 What type of salads?
Now that you know just how wonderful the consistency of this robust dressing is, you might wonder what kind of salad to put it on. Here are some of our favorites:
- Basic mixed greens - Elevate the easiest green salad. Toss a pile of fresh spring mix or baby lettuce with the dressing. A little goes a long way and all you need is a crusty roll to enjoy your glistening fresh greens.
- Composed salads - I love to make a vegan variation of a Nicoise salad like the one shown in photos here. Swap out hearts of palm, chayote artichoke hearts or other vegetables if you desire. Roasted beets are especially delicious with the dressing and you can even add plant-based protein with lentils.
- Coleslaw - Oh mama! The other day I made a coleslaw with shredded cabbage, sliced radicchio and sunflower sprouts. The dressing tasted amazing in this mix and the body of the dressing was ideal for coleslaw.
- Pasta salad - Make pasta salad in a jiffy. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of lemon Dijon dressing over 2 cups of cooked and cooled bowtie or spiral pasta. Then finish rocking this easy pasta salad with small grape tomatoes, sliced olives, red onion and chopped fresh basil or parsley.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- Quality olive oil makes a difference in this recipe. Spend a little extra for the best.
- Strain lemon juice after squeezing and before measuring.
- Grate garlic to a fine texture or smash peeled raw cloves and mince them fine.
- Make extra creamy lemon Dijon mustard dressing that doesn't separate by using a blender. The hand-held immersion type is easy to clean and fuss free.
- Whisking ingredients by hand results in a tasty dressing, but it will separate and isn't creamy.
- Warm all your ingredients to room temperature and gradually whisk olive oil into the other ingredients if you need to use a hand whisk to mix lemon Dijon dressing.
- Dressing thickens further after it is chilled overnight.
💭 FAQ
It will vary according to the brand. The ingredients in Dijon mustard typically include mustard seed, white wine, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Generally, these ingredients are considered vegan. However, sometimes animal products are used for filtering during the manufacturing process of sugar or white wine. Thus, if any of the ingredients in the mustard are filtered using animal products, it cannot be considered vegan.
I called 1-888-476-8766 and spoke to a product ambassador who asked for the bar code on my jar of mustard. His search confirmed that all the ingredients and their filtering processes are free from animal products, making the mustard vegan.
To be extra sure, check the label for vegan certification. Three brands of Dijon mustard that have vegan printed on the label are Sir Kensington's, Primal Kitchen, and 365 Whole Foods Market.
Stoneground mustard can replace Dijon mustard since both are made with brown mustard seeds, and the flavor is similar. Plan on more texture in your recipe. Spicy brown mustard is also a good replacement and may be more or less textured, tangy, or spicy depending on the brand. Avoid yellow and honey mustard which have different flavors than Dijon, or wholegrain mustard which has the coarsest texture.
🥗 More salad recipes
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Lemon Dijon Dressing
Ingredients
Creamy Dijon Dressing
- 1 ½ tsp. raw garlic grated
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 TB Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 2 TB water
- 2 tsp. sea salt to taste
- 1 ½ tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Peel 3-4 cloves of garlic and grate finely to make 1 ½ tsp. raw garlic.
Immersion blender
- Place the grated garlic, 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil , 2 TB Dijon mustard, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 TB water, and 2 tsp. sea salt (to taste) in a deep 2-cup container. Insert a hand-held immersion blender and mix until the dressing is emulsified. It won't take too long, and the dressing will be very smooth, light yellow, and slightly thickened.
- Stir in 1 ½ tsp. dried oregano, 2 tsp. dried basil and 1 tsp. cracked black pepper.
Standard blender
- Place the grated garlic, 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil , 2 TB Dijon mustard, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 TB water, and 2 tsp. sea salt (to taste) in the jar of a standard blender. Blend on high speed until dressing is emulsified. It won't take too long, and the dressing will be very smooth, light yellow, and slightly thickened.
- Stir in 1 ½ tsp. dried oregano, 2 tsp. dried basil and 1 tsp. cracked black pepper.
Hand whisk
- Your dressing won't be as creamy and will separate if you use a hand whisk, but it will still taste amazing. Warm all your ingredients to room temperature and gradually whisk olive oil into the other ingredients.
Store
- Pour dressing into a bottle and refrigerate for up to a month.
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