Fresh and flavorful, this zippy salad dressing has the perfect combination of sweet and tang. It will liven up any salad greens, but is especially good on spinach, butter leaf lettuce or arugula.
Salads are a great way to eat up a variety of veggies, but there is 1 thing that makes all the flavors meld together- a really good salad dressing. Making your own salad dressing at home might sound a little intimidating but they are actually very simple. No fancy ingredients or complicated cooking techniques are required. You probably already have all the ingredients for this Easy Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing.
Every single week as part of my weekend meal prep (usually on Sunday), I make a quick vinaigrette salad dressing. It is ready to go for the week and can be drizzled on top of a salad or cooked vegetables or even a grain like quinoa or brown rice. Sometimes veggies need a little boost of flavor and a vinaigrette is definitely one way to do that!
While my all-time favorite dressing is my Sweet & Tangy Balsamic Vinaigrette, I absolutely love this Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing because it is light and fresh and perky. Truly, it will add huge flavor to your favorite salad greens.
This recipe was originally created to top my Quinoa Edamame Salad, which is a flavorful and filling vegetarian lunch or a perfect dish to bring to a gathering. But the dressing can be made and used with a variety of veggies and greens.
A few tips for making a perfect vinaigrette dressing:
- Whenever possible, use fresh orange and lime for the vinaigrette but if you don’t have them available, you can use bottled.
- A good quality oil is necessary for flavor. It also helps you absorb fat-soluble vitamins in the veggies (like Vitamins A & K).
- While you can leave out the sweetener, it truly helps balance out the acid so it doesn’t taste too harsh.
Easy Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ large orange juice and zest
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice fresh or bottled
- 1 tbsp country dijon mustard like Grey Poupon brand
- ½ tbsp honey or maple syrup
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mason jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake up until it is well combined. Serve over your favorite greens.
- Store vinaigrette dressing in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Can use lemon juice in place of lime juice- either works great!
- Agave or maple syrup can be used in place of honey.
- Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, just make sure to use a large enough mason jar.
Whether you are celebrating at home with a ‘fancy’ meal, having guests over for dinner or simply looking to liven up some boring greens on the family dinner table, try shaking up this Easy Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing this week.
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