My whole lemon dressing wakes up salads, marinades, roasted veggies, and fish with an irresistible bold citrus flavor.

dress, drizzle, and dip!
Whether you use this whole lemon dressing on your favorite leafy green salad, a hearty grain salad, or to drizzle over roasted asparagus or shrimp, or salmon. You’re going to love the bold punch of lemon, it’s unlike any other dressing. (I love to dip raw veggies and French fries in it, too.) I recently developed it to dress my lemon couscous salad, and it was so good I knew it needed its own post.
more recipes that use a whole lemon
- Creamy Lemonade ~ better than TikTokโs!
- Whole Meyer Lemon Bars
- Flourless Whole Meyer Lemon Cake
- How to Preserve Lemons
why use the whole lemon?
Lemon has a unique flavor that so many of us can’t get enough of! And that flavor comes from lemon’s essential oils, such as limonene, which give it a bright, citrusy aroma. These oils are present in the zest or peel of the lemon, which is why we sometimes use the whole lemon ~ to get the full benefit of those tasty oils!
ingredients for whole lemon dressing
- lemon
- olive oil
- salt
- sugar
equipment
- a blender
- a high speed blender is ideal because it’s powerful enough to pulverize the lemon into a creamy dressing.
we’re using organic lemons
I use organic lemons for this recipe, and any recipe where I’m using the whole thing. Organic lemons are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and other harmful chemicals, so they are a safer option if you are using the whole lemon in a recipe.
Choose thin skinned lemons. Some lemons have thicker skins than others, and I like to choose ones that have relatively thin skins for this dressing. Thin skinned lemons are generally smoother and glossier than thicker skinned lemons, which can have rough or pebbled surfaces.
Can you use a food processor instead of a blender?
A food processor will not give you the same result. The power of a high speed blender is needed to pulverize the lemon completely. If you only have a food processor, then plan on straining your dressing through a fine mesh sieve after processing. This will remove any bits and chunks of lemon.
what to expect
THE TEXTURE: This unusual dressing is thick, but not completely smooth, there will still be some texture.
THE FLAVOR: it’s intensely lemony, with a slight (pleasing) bitter flavor from the rind of the fruit. The small amount of salt and sugar in the dressing balances out the bitter or sour element, and brings out the bright lemony flavor.
variations on whole lemon dressing
You can use a Meyer lemon instead of a regular lemon for a mellower flavor.
Blend in some basil, tarragon, cilantro, or dill.
Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard before blending.
Add a clove of peeled garlic before blending.
If you would like a thinner dressing, strain through a fine mesh sieve. You’ll still get the bold flavor, without the texture.
how to use your whole lemon dressing
- On grain salads
- I’ve used this dressing on my lemony couscous salad, but it would also be lovely with tabbouleh salad, a farro salad. or my orzo salad with shrimp, above.
- On green salads, chopped salads, or Niรงoise salads.
- On bean salads or potato salads!
- Spread on salmon or other seafood before or after roasting.
- Drizzle over vegetables like roasted potatoes, smashed potatoes, asparagus, or green beans.
- Drizzle on a baked potato or corn on the cob!
- Stir into steamed spinach or kale.
- Use to dress an avocado salad.
- Use as a dip for cruditรฉ.
- Make homemade mayonnaise with it!
Whole Lemon Dressing
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 1 organic lemon
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Wash your lemon. Slice off both ends and discard. (Trimming off the ends reduces excess peel.) Cut the lemon in quarters and pick out any seeds. Add the lemon quarters to your blender.
- Add the oil, salt, and sugar to the blender and blend, starting on low speed, working up to high speed, until the dressing is thick and smooth and there are no chunks of lemon rind left. Give the dressing a taste to see if you need to adjust the salt or sugar.
- Pour into an airtight jar. Keep the jar at room temperature if you plan to use it the same day, but otherwise store in the refrigerator. You will need to let the dressing sit on the counter after chilling because the olive oil will start to solidify when refrigerated.
- Plan to use your dressing within a week. It can be frozen for longer storage.
I roasted the lemon and added basil, it was delicious!
Wow, love it!
I,m going to make it tomorow! THANKS!
I have made this recipe a lot, for GF friends and others. Someone always asks for the recipe, so I refer them to your blog.
Thanks Linda!
Should the white pith of the lemon peel be removed before placing into the blender?
No, the only thing you need to remove are the seeds. I do trim both ends off the lemon because that tends to be areas where the peel is thickest.