Whole Lemon Vinaigrette is pungent and punchy, but never puckery. You could lightly dress a simple salad of greens and cucumbers and it would be quite good – so fresh and alive.
But it’s even better with bitter greens. I frequently use this recipe for Kale Caesar Salad, adding a few anchovies to the blender for the occasion. You can generously dress the kale greens far in advance if you’re entertaining. You can’t over-dress it – it only gets better.
You may be put off by the fact that I use the whole lemon, even the pith and the peel. But the peel brings the brightness of all that zest, and the pith adds texture and body, which is quite nice. However, please be sure to remove every last seed from the lemons, because the seeds are horribly bitter, not at all what you’re going for! If you do accidently blend in a seed or two, you’ll have to start over. But it will be so worth it because this Whole Lemon Vinaigrette is all that!
Whole Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 medium lemon
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 T rice vinegar
- 1 t Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 t kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the lemon and the garlic – Wash and dry then lemon, then cut off and discard the ends. Cut the lemon into small pieces; remove and discard seeds. Peel and smash the garlic.
- Combine the ingredients – Transfer lemon to a blender, and process until finely chopped, about 1 minute. Add oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper; process until smooth and emulsified.
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