Whole Lemon Vinaigrette

This simple and tasty Whole Lemon Vinaigrette has exploded in popularity in recent times with it’s sharp flavors and beautiful texture. We’re throwing our cards on the table and sharing our version of this popular Salad dressing. Our version is based off the popular Food and Wine recipe, but with a few tweaks along the way that we feel make a huge difference to the overall flavor and texture of the dish. So, let’s jump right in!

The hallmark characteristics of this recipe is its use of a whole Lemon

Typically, when making a Vinaigrette, or any kind of sauce for that matter, Lemon Juice is used. Maybe for some extra kick in tartness the Lemon Zest is also added. However, the thought of adding a whole Lemon straight into the blender as the primary ingredient in a Vinaigrette seems ludicrous!

Surprisingly the flavors are well balanced in this dish, as the classic pairing of Olive Oil with Lemon Juice along with some Dijon Mustard really rounds on the Whole Lemon Vinaigrette. Of course, the quality of the Lemon is what’s going to really make this dish stand out

Lemons are readily available all year around, so access to this wonderful fruit won’t be an issue. Finding one that is super-ripe and juicy is the real key. Now, unfortunately I’ve got no real tips on how to ensure you’re getting the best Lemon before you cut into it. They all look the same from the outside!

Fancy Lemons like Meyer Lemons would also be a good choice if you can get your hand on. Otherwise, regular Lemons are going to work just fine for this dish

The main difference between our recipe and Food & Wine’s is we remove the bitterness of the Lemon

This is ‘potentially’ an optional step, as it really depends on the Lemon you end up using. What gives Lemons their unpleasant bitterness is the white ‘pith’ that sits between the flesh and the zest / skin of the Lemon. We want to remove as much of that pith as possible before the Lemons are added to the blender

You may end up with Lemons that have very little white pith in them. Others may have quite a significant amount of it. There’s really no way to tell how ‘pithy’ your Lemon is going to be, but if you cut them open and do see the white pith you will need to remove it to make our Whole Lemon Vinaigrette

Removing the White Pith from the Lemons

Unfortunately, this is the most labor-intensive step in the process but makes a world of difference to the overall pleasantness of the Vinaigrette. To do so, you will need to peel all the skin off the Lemon. You can use a sharp knife or a kitchen peeler (eg: your everyday Potato Peeler)

Once you’ve separated the Lemon skin from the flesh, use your sharp knife to remove the white pitch that surrounds both the skin and the flesh and discard it. What you’ll be left with is beautifully yellow colored skin and yellow / translucent flesh

Chances are there’ll be some Lemon Juice on the chopping board from this process. Make sure you keep all this Juice and add it to the blender with the flesh and the skin of the Lemon

Use a blender to make the Vinaigrette

The only way to make this recipe is with a blender or a food processor. Because we’re needing the Lemon Zest to break down you will need the power of mechanical blades to do so. We initially tried using our Food Processor, but there wasn’t enough ingredients in the thing to properly blitz. A simple transition over to the Blender was in order and the results were immediate!

So, in addition to the whole Lemon, we add Parsley, Garlic, Rice Wine Vinegar, Salt, Pepper, and Dijon Mustard to the blender. There will likely not be enough liquid in there for it to catch immediately, so that’s when we begin to slowly pour the Olive Oil into the blender while its running

You may need to scrape the sides down a few times (please stop the blender and use a wooden spoon or spatula when you do this!) for all the ingredients to get fully incorporated into the Vinaigrette. After you’ve added enough Olive Oil (about ½ a cup) the dressing will begin to emulsify and turn into a brilliant green color. Taste it for seasoning and then it’s done!

What to serve with your Whole Lemon Vinaigrette

This is a very versatile Vinaigrette, so it’ll work with almost any kind of leafy Salad you can think of. When we enjoyed this meal we paired it with the most amazing tasting Pan Fried Chicken Salad with Haloumi. I can’t begin to tell you how amazing the flavors were! We gave the Chicken an aggressive seasoning with a bit of spice to it, and it came out great!

The Haloumi was lightly fried separately until golden-brown and then we simply added it to the Salad, which consisted of the usual suspects of leafy Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Red Onions. Along with the Chicken, the Whole Lemon Vinaigrette brought the whole dish together perfectly

Whole Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Lemon
• 1 Garlic Clove, peeled
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper
• ¼ cup of Parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
• ½ cup Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
  
  

Equipment needed: Blender

Instructions

1. Remove the Peel / Zest from the Lemon using a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler. Once removed, carefully cut away and discard any of the white pith from both the zest and the flesh of the Lemon
2. Place the Lemon Zest and Flesh into a blender along with the Parsley, Garlic, Rice Wine Vinegar, Dijon Mustard, Salt, and Pepper. Blitz on low while slowly pouring the Olive Oil into the top of the Blender
3. Once there is enough Olive Oil in the blender it will begin to catch, and the Vinaigrette will start to emulsify. You may need to turn off the Blender and scrape the sides down to ensure all ingredients are combined
4. Increase the speed to medium and blitz until smooth (about 1 minute). Taste for seasoning and then pour into a bowl or jar ready for serving
   
   

Recipe Notes

• Some Lemons may have very little /no white pith on them. If so, they are fine to cut up and add straight into the Blender
• Be sure to retain as much Lemon Juice from the chopping board and add it to the blender along with the remaining ingredients
  
  

This wonderful Whole Lemon Vinaigrette pairs great with so many different types of Salads. Try it with your favorite Leafy Green Salad and we guarantee you’re going to love the depth of flavors it brings to the dish

For more tasty and easy to prepare dressings and toppings for Salads, check out these simple recipes:

• Garlic Scape Salad Dressing
• Candied Walnuts for Salad
• Wonder Bread Croutons
• Japanese Pickled Radishes
  
  

Happy Cooking!