This Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette is one of the easiest salad dressings you can make at home! It's very simple and it takes less than 10 minutes! The bright lemon flavor goes perfectly with fresh thyme and it's great used as a dressing for any salad, roasted veggies, and more! Perfect for meal prep and always a hit!
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Why You'll Love This Thyme Vinaigrette
Easy and quick - This is a dressing you can whip up last minute with just a few ingredients and less than 10 minutes of time. All you need is a bowl and a whisk or a jar you can close and shake up to mix everything together. It's super easy, foolproof, and really simple.
Bright fresh flavor - Freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil is a flavor combination that works together every time. It's fresh, light, bright, and so flavorful. Adding it to a simple salad will brighten your day even in gloomy weather!
Lots of uses - There are endless salad variations you can use this on! Add it to grain or rice bowls, and roasted veggies, and brush it on grilled or roasted chicken, salmon, or shrimp. You can even drizzle it on sandwiches, wraps, or burgers!
Great for meal prep - This vinaigrette keeps well in the fridge for up to 5-7 days. This makes it perfect for meal prep. I like to make it on Sunday while I'm getting ready for the week ahead and it always comes in super handy throughout the week!
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil - Use a good quality olive oil to achieve the best flavor. The better the olive oil, the better the vinaigrette!
- Lemon juice - Freshly squeezed lemon juice is ideal here, the flavor is so much better than bottled lemon juice.
- Thyme - Fresh thyme (without stems) adds flavor and freshness to the vinaigrette. You can use dried thyme in a pinch but I highly recommend fresh if you have it available.
- Dijon mustard - Dijon mustard rounds out all the flavors, adds a little bit of heat and helps to emulsify the lemon juice and olive oil together.
- Honey - A little bit of sweetener won't change the flavor or make the vinaigrette sweet but it balances all the other ingredients out and ties it all together. You can also use maple syrup or agave to keep the dressing vegan.
- Sea salt and pepper - I recommend using sea salt or Himalayan pink salt whenever possible. It's much better than regular table salt and has more minerals. Freshly ground black pepper will yield the best flavor.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different herbs - You can make a different variation of this vinaigrette by adding different herbs like parsley, rosemary, sage, or chives. You can do a mix of any of them as well for even more flavor!
- Make it spicy - You can add a clove of grated garlic, red pepper flakes, finely diced fresh chili peppers, or even hot sauce!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add lemon juice, honey, dijon mustard, thyme leaves, sea salt, and black pepper to a medium bowl.
- Whisk to mix everything together.
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- Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking constantly.
- Keep whisking until the oil is fully mixed in.
- Serve immediately or store it in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Expert Tips
- Stream in the olive oil slowly while whisking constantly. This is the best way to get your vinaigrette to emulsify properly and not separate in the fridge.
- A small amount of mayonnaise goes a long way in a vinaigrette that doesn't wanna mix properly. Just add ½ teaspoon to 1 cup of vinaigrette and it's magically fixed!
Serving Suggestions
Salads and bowls - Besides your classic big green salads with fresh veggies, this vinaigrette is also delicious in pasta salads, grain salads, or grain and rice bowls. Try it on this Asparagus Quinoa Salad (instead of the pesto) or this Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad! It would also go really great with this Persimmon Salad with Goat Brie and Pomegranate Seeds.
Roasted vegetables - You can drizzle it on roasted or grilled veggies any time of the year. It's great on asparagus, peas, brussels sprouts, zucchini, bell pepper, onions, cauliflower, broccoli, and more! It goes great with practically any veggie side, like this Cucumber Radish Salad or this Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lentils.
Protein - This vinaigrette is also delicious drizzled or brushed on protein like roasted or grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp. Just a little bit adds a ton of flavor!
Storing and Make Ahead Options
Fridge: Store any leftover vinaigrette in an airtight jar or a container in the fridge for up to 1 week. If it was whisked properly, it shouldn't separate but if it does, all you need to do is shake the jar vigorously for a few seconds until it's smooth again.
Freezer: Vinaigrettes separate in the freezer so freezing is usually not recommended. If needed, freeze it in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. Defrost it in the fridge overnight and use a whisk, an immersion blender, or shake it up in a jar to make it smooth again.
Make ahead: Since this dressing keeps well in the fridge for 5-7 days, it's great for meal prep. You can make it for the week ahead on Sunday and have it ready for you during the week for simplified dinners and quick lunches.
FAQs
If you don't have or don't like Dijon mustard, you can use other mustard like whole grain or honey garlic. Just no yellow mustard. Mustard is what helps to emulsify the vinaigrette. If you skip it, the lemon juice and olive oil may stay separated.
Another great emulsifier is mayonnaise. If you can't have mustard, add ½ teaspoon of mayo to the vinaigrette instead. It won't change the flavor but it will help everything to bind together beautifully.
You didn't add enough mustard, added the oil too quickly, or didn't whisk enough. Keep whisking vigorously and it should come together. If it doesn't, you can add ½-1 teaspoon of mayonnaise for every 1 cup of vinaigrette to fix it.
More Salad Dressing Recipes
If you like this vinaigrette, you should check out the four dressings linked below! They're some of my favorites and delicious on more than just green salads! To see all the latest ones, head over to Dips, Dressings, and Spreads.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Dressing
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette is one of the easiest salad dressings you can make at home! Perfect for any salad, roasted veggies, fish, and more! Great for meal prep!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approx. 1 ½ lemon)
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp heaping fresh thyme leaves (hard stems removed)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼-½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add lemon juice, honey, dijon mustard, thyme leaves, sea salt, and black pepper to a medium bowl.
- Whisk to mix everything together.
- Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking constantly. Keep whisking until the oil is fully mixed in.
- Serve immediately or store it in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Easy jar method: You can add all ingredients to a jar, instead of a bowl, and shake it vigorously until everything is mixed. The vinaigrette is more likely to separate with this method but it’s the easiest.
Oil not mixing properly: You can use an immersion blender but I recommend doing this before adding the fresh thyme. If you’ve already whisked the vinaigrette, try adding more Dijon mustard, or ½ teaspoon mayonnaise. Mayo is a great emulsifier that works like magic to fix broken vinaigrettes.
Storing: Store in the fridge for up to a week. Always use a clean spoon. The vinaigrette might need a little shake after sitting in the fridge for a few days.
Freezing: It’s often recommended not to freeze vinaigrettes but I find they freeze fine, you just need to whisk them or shake them up in a jar again before using. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
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Veronika Sykorova says
I love making this vinaigrette on Sundays as part of my meal prep for the week. It takes no time at all and it's delicious with so many things! Please leave a comment like this one if you try it! I'd love to know what you think!