Mediterranean Lemon Salad and Vegetable Dressing and Marinade, with its bright lemony, olive oil and fresh herb flavor, is fast and easy to make.
Lemons In My Mediterranean Salad Dressing
Growing up with a Syrian mom who cooked everything from scratch, I never knew store bought salad dressing was a ‘thing’.
Lemons are a dominate addition to most Syrian cooking.
The zingy, bright flavor of a lemon in nearly all dishes, whether sweet or savory, makes food flavors pop.
Because of this phenomenon, we used lemons on everything and in everything!
Lemon Vegetable Vinaigrette Dressing
A lemon vinaigrette, otherwise known as a salad dressing, is a beautiful emulsion of acid and oil. This emulsification is what the basis for most salad dressing, sauces or marinades.
With the addition of a garlic clove and some chopped herbs, the possibilities are endless for its uses.
Mediterranean Salad Dressing
Salad dressing is not just for salads!
What do you put in your favorite salad? Exactly, a little bit of everything depending on your mood and what’s in the fridge.
Sometimes it’s just veggies. Other times it’s the culmination of meats and cheeses, leftovers and often a few boiled eggs.
A favorite salad of mine will often incorporate fresh fruit, and so this lemony salad dressing is the perfect addition to apples, pears or even dried fruits salads.
Lemon Salad Dressing For Mediterranean Vegetables and Marinades
Who doesn’t marinade their meat and seafood, or brush a flavor concoction across them when grilling?
Nearly anything that goes on my grill, like my Grilled Shrimp or Roasted Summer Veggies, get brushed with Mediterranean salad dressing while cooking.
Exactly. We all do. This lemon salad dressing is the perfect flavor enhancer for all meats and seafood.
I also use it in the mixture for my burgers, no matter lamb, beef or turkey.
A little splash of olive oil and a zing of lemon, herbs, garlic and salt makes all meat and seafood dishes delicious!
Lemon Dressing For Veggies
Since I was a kid, we always used this lemon dressing on our green beans, spinach or other grilled veggies such as zucchini and squash.
When I make spanakopita, I always drizzle a little of my lemon dressing in the spinach, egg and feta mixture.
Definitely a dressing drizzled over my Heirloom Lemon Cucumber Salad, or Tzatziki!
Herbs In My Mediterranean Lemon Salad Dressing
I love to grow herbs.
Doesn’t matter if it’s a huge outdoor garden or a few windowsill pots.
Every herb I’ve chopped and added to this lemon salad dressing has become my favorite.
Fortunately when winter comes, I have a small greenhouse on my property that allows me to grow the herbs that love the cooler whether.
These herbs will go into my lemon dressing all winter and in so many dishes to brighten the flavors of winter.
How To Make Mason Jar Lemon Salad Dressing
Mason jars are one of my favorite items in my kitchen. I use them not only to store things in, mix things in or to drink things from!
Once the fresh lemon juice is squeezed and measured, it goes into the mason jar along with olive oil, a clove of garlic, salt and chopped fresh herbs.
Shake, shake, shake with the lid on and the entire mixture emulsifies and becomes a beautiful creamy salad dressing.
More Salad Dressings and Vinaigrettes To Love
Whether we are in the height of summertime and devouring as many fresh salads as possible or deep in winter and want fresh flavors on our veggies, we need dressings!
Never having bought a bottle of dressing in my life, I could surely go into the business of selling them, because I have many.
- Fresh Strawberry Vinaigrette – with sweet strawberries, sour balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a bit of red chili flakes for a great dressing.
- Mediterranean Tahini Salad Dressing – with sesame seed paste, known as Tahini, lemons, garlic and good olive oil makes the best dressing and sauce.
- Pomegranate Sumac Vinaigrette – With Pom Molasses, a Mediterranean twist on sweet, sour, spicy tangy flavors that is great for salads or marinades.
Ingredients Needed
- Lemons
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Fresh herbs
Equipment Needed
- Citrus press
- Garlic press
- Mason jar with lid or airtight container
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Blender – optional
- Refrigerator
Mediterranean Lemon Salad Dressing and Marinade
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
- Citrus press
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup Olive oil extra virgin
- 1 Garlic clove crushed
- 1 tsp Fresh Herbs chopped
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender and whirl for 20 seconds, simply put the ingredients into a small mason jar and shake vigorously until the mixture emulsifies.
Notes
- Stores for up to 1 week in the fridge.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.