• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Beautiful Ingredient
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT
  • PORTFOLIO
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT
  • PORTFOLIO
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • ABOUT
    • PORTFOLIO
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • An overhead view of a bowl of broccoli and tomato pasta with beans.
      Broccoli and Cherry Tomato Pasta
    • Bruschetta on a handmade plate topped with air fryer cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.
      Air Fryer Cherry Tomatoes
    • Quinoa Salad with Edamame
    • Roasted Sesame Dressing
    • A small bowl of raw vegan gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough with chocolate chips scattered around it.
      Vegan Gluten-free Cookie Dough
    • Iced tea being poured into a glass with a floral ice cube in it.
      How to Make Herbal Iced Tea
    • Edible flower ice cubes scattered on a marble surface.
      Edible Flower Ice Cubes
    • A plateful of golden sourdough croutons.
      Vegan Croutons (oil-free)
    • A jar of nut-free vegan salad dressing in front of a board containing caesar salad.
      Nut-free Vegan Caesar Dressing
    • Vegan mango summer rolls in a coconut bowl with one leaning on the outside.
      Vegan Mango Summer Rolls
    • Balsamic Pasta Salad
    • Tofu steaks on top of oat groats, served next to sauteed mushrooms.
      Tofu Steaks (vegan)
    Home » dressings

    Lemon Salad Dressing (oil-free)

    Jump to Recipe

    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.

    More salad recipes

    • A plate of vibrant sesame tofu salad with ribbons of carrots, laying on a marble surface.
      Sesame Tofu Salad (vegan)
    • A bowl of salad with chunks of watermelon, avocado, cucumber, and tofu feta.
      Vegan Watermelon Salad (oil-free)
    • An overhead view of colorful Vegan Harvest Salad with Pecan Dressing.
      Hearty Vegan Radicchio Salad
    • A bowl of spinach salad with tempeh bacon, red onion, and artisan vegan cheese
      Vegan Spinach Salad

    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 12 votes
    Print Pin
    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
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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.
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see! On Instagram, mention @beautifulingredient and tag #beautifulingredient!

    More dressings

    • Maple dijon salad dressing in a small jar with a cork lid next to a green salad.
      Maple Dijon Dressing
    • Two plates filled with vegan mango taco salad with sriracha dressing, tortilla chips, sliced avocado
      Mango Taco Salad
    • A white bowl of non-dairy blue cheese dressing on a picnic table.
      Blue Cheese Dressing (vegan)
    • Niçoise-Inspired Salad with Spiralized Cucumber Noodles | Vegan

    Primary Sidebar

    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, oil-free, refined sugar-free, and mostly gluten-free. And so delicious!

    types of recipes we're hungry for

    • gluten-free
    • snacks
    • 30 minutes or less
    • 5 ingredients or less

    as seen in

    Thrive Magazine 35 featuring the work of Beautiful Ingredient

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    beautiful ingredient

    About
    Contact

    Subscribe

    eating more plants

    Recipe Index


    food photography services

    Work with Me • Portfolio
    Photography/Recipe Request Form

    Privacy Policy • Terms of Use • Copyright/Content Usage

    Copyright © 2023 Beautiful Ingredient

    Two images of lemon salad dressing next to and in a salad.