Zesty and Bright: The Ultimate Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe

Lemon vinaigrette is such a kitchen staple for me. It has become like a secret weapon for packing a lot of flavor into my meals, especially the traditional, “meat and two”, a meal with a protein, vegetable, and starch.

I think that the use of acid is often overlooked in home kitchens. Often times, when I feel like something is missing from a dish, ESPECIALLY a sauce or soup, a touch of acid really wakes up the flavors.

Why do I always have this vinaigrette on hand?

There are SO many uses that this works spectacularly for:

Salad dressing- Self explanatory, I know… But hear me out. I love that as a dressing, this vinaigrette goes a LONG way. Being so full of brightness, you really don’t need much to pack a whole lot of flavor into each bite.
Atop roasted vegetables- As much as I love vegetables, I must admit that they have potential to be a bit boring sometimes. Lemon vinaigrette goes perfectly over vegetables prepared in all different ways: steamed, roasted, grilled, boiled.
Ultimate drizzle on seafood- We all know that lemon and seafood go hand in hand. Due to the delicacy of seafood, I recommend adding lemon vinaigrette when it is finished cooking. Marinating seafood in lemon juice can mimic the effects of cooking it, making it firm and opaque, a technique commonly used in preparing ceviche.
Poultry marinade and sauce- Lemon juice not only imparts flavor on proteins, but also tenderizes. The vinaigrette can be used as a quick marinade on poultry. Lemon juice is very efficient at tenderizing, so please keep in mind, I do not recommend marinating meat in this vinaigrette as a marinade for more than an hour before cooking. Meat will take on a mushy texture if tenderized for too long. If you wish to prepare protein with vinaigrette, I suggest seasoning meat with spices and storing in refrigerator. An hour before cooking, add enough marinade to lightly coat protein. Cook protein as normal, finish with extra vinaigrette drizzle.

Tips for the best product:

-Using fresh lemon juice will give a brighter flavor than store bought lemon juice and is my preference for this.

-I use a strainer atop my dressing jar to avoid fishing out slippery lemon seeds from this vinaigrette. If you end up spilling it on the table during the process, you are not alone! 🙂