Tart-sweet citrus salad dressing takes just five minutes to make in the blender! This citrus vinaigrette adds a vibrant flavor to any salad.
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Y'all, I am super obsessed with this sweet-tart citrus salad dressing! I first made it to dress a citrus quinoa salad, but now I want to pour it on every salad in the world!
Not only is the citrusy flavor absolutely incredible, but this vinaigrette is so, so easy to make. Just toss everything into your blender, puree, and pour.
It's also versatile! Mix up the citrus fruits you're using, add a little heat if you like, or stir in some fresh herbs of choice for fun flavor variations.
✓ Ingredients and Substitutions
- citrus juice - I am using a combination of lemon and orange juice, but you can use other citrus juices in this dressing. For example, you can replace the orange with grapefruit and the lemon with lime juice. You may need to adjust the amount of sweetener, so taste and adjust until you reach the flavor you want.
- olive oil - To balance the acidity. You can replace some or all of the olive oil with other oils, like sunflower oil, avocado oil, walnut oil, toasted sesame oil, etc. For oils with a stronger flavor, like toasted sesame or walnut, I wouldn't replace all of the oil. Just a couple of tablespoons.
- maple syrup - You can use an equivalent amount of your liquid sweetener of choice, like agave nectar.
- garlic - You can use a small shallot instead of a flavor variation.
- salt and black pepper - A little salt brings out the flavors, and black pepper contrasts so well with the citrus! You can use crushed red pepper, too, if you like.
- fresh herbs - This is optional, but you can also stir a tablespoon or two of minced, fresh basil, thyme, or cilantro into the finished dressing. Don't put the herbs into the blender, because they can mess with the color of the dressing that way, and the color is part of its charm!
🔪 How to Make Citrus Salad Dressing
Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients in your blender.
Blend until completely smooth. Chill until ready to serve.
Season to taste with salt, black or crushed red pepper, and minced, fresh herbs, if you like. Pour onto green or grain salads!
🫙 Serving and Storage Directions
Your dressing will keep for seven to 10 days stored in an airtight container.
Truly, I can't think of a green or grain salad that this dressing wouldn't take to the next level. Try it on:
- arugula salad
- kale salad
- quinoa salad
- taco salad
- Brussels sprouts salad
And so on, in that fashion.
Frequently asked questions
Citrus salad dressing is a mix of orange and lemon juices along with olive oil, maple syrup, and garlic. You can add other seasonings, like crushed red pepper and fresh herbs, if you like. You can also swap in other juices, like lime instead of lemon or grapefruit instead of some or all of the orange juice.
It will keep for 7 to 10 days in the fridge. I recommend storing in a mason jar or a reused dressing bottle for ease of pouring.
Yes! If you want a creamier dressing, throw 2 tablespoons of soaked cashews into the blender. Make sure you puree until you have a completely smooth mix. This will take longer in a regular blender but is totally doable.
🍴 More Easy Salad Dressing Recipes
📖 Recipe
🍊 Citrus Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed or bottled is fine
- ¼ cup orange juice fresh squeezed or bottled is fine
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper or crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients in your blender, and puree until completely smooth. Season to taste with salt, black or red pepper, and minced fresh herbs, if you like. Chill until you're ready to serve.
Video
📝 Notes
- 1 lemon yields approximately 2 tablespoons of juice
- 1 large orange yields approximately ¼ cup of juice
Got a question? Tried this recipe? Leave a reply!