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    Home » year round

    Lemon Salad Dressing (oil-free)

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

    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.

    Let's Make Oil-free Lemon Salad Dressing

    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 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!

    A long white platter filled with greens, chickpeas, and edible flowers.
    An overhead view of a white pitcher of lemon dressing surrounded by salad greens.
    A little pitcher of oil-free lemond dressing next to a salad.

    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.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: vegan
    Key Attributes: dressing, lemon, oil-free, salad, vegan
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Soak time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Fiber: 1.75g
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    Equipment

    • blender

    Ingredients

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

    Instructions

    • Soak the dates in the filtered water for at least two hours. I put the dates and water in a jar with a lid and stick it in the fridge until I'm 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.

    Notes

    Beautiful Ingredient offers nutritional information for recipes on this site as a courtesy. The calculations are automatically provided by an outside service, which at times may not have a reference for every exact ingredient precisely as intended. Therefore, while accuracy is attempted, calculations should be considered rough estimates.  Time is also an estimate and can vary depending on a variety of variables, like cooking style.  More hands in the kitchen usually means less time!
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see! On Instagram, mention @beautifulingredient and tag #beautifulingredient!

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    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!



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