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Home » dressings

Lemon Salad Dressing (oil-free)

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Warning: This oil-free lemon salad dressing may create a strong desire to eat all the veggies in your home. Let it become your go-to! Refined sugar-free, vegan, and gluten-free as well as oil-free.

A colorful salad with a small pitcher of lemon dressing next to it.

This is the salad dressing we've been waiting for.  The kind that's super simple, is delicious without oil, and goes wonderfully with just about any veggie, grain, or bean.  Yes, it's possible!  It's the kind of dressing to store in the fridge on a regular basis so it's there for your next lunch...or snack...or dinner.  And since there's no oil, it doesn't solidify in the fridge.  Bright and basic, its flavors are satisfying for everyday use or a dressed-up special occasion.  It's become my go-to dressing and has gotten me even more excited than usual about salad season!

Just 6 ingredients:

Medjool dates
Filtered water
Garlic
Lemon
Dijon Mustard
Salt

Greens being tossed in a stainless bowl with stainless tongs.

Instructions

We're simply going to blend all the ingredients together and we're done!

Lemon shines through in this dressing, thanks mostly to the zest. The dijon is subtle, while the dates work to give the dressing balance. This is a light yet flavorful dressing, adding lemony goodness to each bite of veggie, grain, or bean it touches.  Greens glisten, no oil necessary.  Lemony, light, and lovely.

Yes, the dates do require pre-soaking. Don't let the soak time discourage you.  It takes only a moment to stick a few dates in a jar with water and place it in the fridge for later. I often do this at breakfast time, so that when I'm ready to use it at my next meal it's good to go and I have salad dressing in 5 minutes.

Once you make this salad dressing, you just might find that your family eats more veggies than ever! Mangia!

An overhead view of a white pitcher of lemon dressing surrounded by salad greens.

This recipe is wonderful on any salad. I especially like it added to this Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad.

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The Recipe

Lemon oil-free salad dressing in a small pitcher surrounded by greens.

Oil-free Lemon Salad Dressing

This oil-free lemon salad dressing may create a strong desire to eat all the veggies in your home. Let it become your go-to! Refined sugar-free, vegan, and gluten-free.
__________________________
Plant Diversity: Striving for 30 different plants per week for optimal gut health
The number of plants in this recipe: 3 plants
5 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
Course: Salad
Cuisine: vegan
Key Attributes: dressing, lemon, oil-free, salad, vegan
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
0 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Fiber: 1.75g
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Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

  • 3 medjool dates pitted and presoaked for 1 hour
  • 1 cup filtered water for soaking the dates
  • 1 garlic clove about 1 teaspoon
  • 4 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Note: Dates should be soaked in filtered water for at least 1 hour before starting this recipe. You can simply put the dates and water in a jar with a lid and stick it in the fridge until ready to make the dressing.
  • Pour the dates and soaking water into your blender and add the remaining ingredients. Blend on high speed until smooth.
  • Enjoy dressing salads, sandwich greens, beans, grains. Try dipping or marinading veggies, too! Store the dressing in a sealed jar or bottle in the fridge for several days.

Rough Nutrition Estimate provided by WPRM (based on generic ingredients and limited specification options)

Nutrition Facts
Oil-free Lemon Salad Dressing
Amount per Serving
Calories
59.56
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
0.33
g
1
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.03
g
0
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0.08
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
0.2
g
Sodium
 
231.35
mg
10
%
Potassium
 
157.42
mg
4
%
Carbohydrates
 
15.42
g
5
%
Fiber
 
1.75
g
7
%
Sugar
 
12.52
g
14
%
Protein
 
0.77
g
2
%
Vitamin A
 
33.86
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
 
8
mg
10
%
Calcium
 
22.38
mg
2
%
Iron
 
0.32
mg
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?I'd love to see! On Instagram, mention @beautifulingredient and tag #beautifulingredient!

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4.56 from 18 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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Kari smelling anise hyssop while standing behind her market basket and fresh produce.

Welcome to a world of beautiful food!

I'm Kari, and this is where I celebrate beautiful ingredients and focus on ways to make eating more plants easier. Recipes are centered around whole foods and are vegan, cooked without the need for oil, mostly refined sugar-free and gluten-free. And so delicious!


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