Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette

This Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette is a light, lemony dressing that is perfect for leafy green salads or a Mediterranean orzo salad. It is also great on shrimp, chicken and salmon.

Vinaigrette dressings are made from an oil (like olive oil), combined with an acid (such as vinegar or lemon juice). 

This oregano lemon version is made with fresh or dried oregano, lemon juice and a dash of red wine vinegar. 

If you love vinaigrette dressings, you will also enjoy this Balsamic Date Vinaigrette or this Balsamic Citrus Vinaigrette.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• How To Make Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette
• Expert Tips
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Light & Creamy — This lemon vinaigrette is light but also quite creamy once it has been shaken, which makes it taste ridiculously delicious.
• 5 minutes — This is an incredibly easy dressing to make. Just add all the ingredients together and shake them up in a mason jar. 
• Versatile — Not only does this salad dressing work on a variety of salads (leafy green salads, pasta salads, etc.), but it also works drizzled over grilled shrimp or chicken.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Olive Oil: For salad dressings, using a high quality extra virgin olive oil really makes a difference in the overall quality of taste.  
• Lemon Juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice! Bottled lemon juice does not taste nearly as good. 
• Red Wine Vinegar: Most of the acidity comes from the lemon juice, but just a dash of red wine vinegar helps balance out flavors. 
• Oregano: You can use either dried oregano or fresh oregano if it is in season. If you are using fresh oregano, add in a large bunch rather than just ½ tsp. You can also replace the oregano for any type of herb you like, such as rosemary or thyme. 
• Garlic: You’ll need a small amount of diced garlic. You could use a dash of powdered garlic as a substitute.

How To Make Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette

Step 1: Add the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper to a mason jar.

Step 2: Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Pour over your salad immediately.

Expert Tips

• Shake well before serving. This salad dressing will separate once it has been sitting for a while. Shake the dressing vigorously before pouring it over your salad.
• Store in the fridge. Store this vinaigrette in the fridge for up to 7 to 10 days. 
• Add in some fresh herbs. If it is herb season, replace the dried oregano with fresh oregano, or a combination of fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, or chives.

Serving Suggestions

This Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette is really versatile and can be used on any sort of simple salad or even meat. Here are some ideas for the best ways to use this dressing.

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

My favorite way to use this dressing is with an orzo Mediterranean Greek salad, which I make with orzo pasta, feta cheese, black Kalamata olives, red onion, parsley and cucumber. 

This is a really filling pasta salad that makes a great side dish but also works well for a light lunch. 

You can add the dressing in advance without the salad getting “soggy”, so it’s great for work lunches or kids’ school lunches.

Green Salad

This lemon vinaigrette also works really well with any sort of light, green salad that you may serve as an appetizer or as a side dish along with chicken or salmon. 

Here are some ingredients that you could build your salad with:

• mixed greens
• kale
• spinach
• arugula
• romaine
• cucumber
• radish
• shredded carrots
• avocado
• cherry tomatoes
• parmesan
• feta

With Meat

Not only is this a salad dressing, but it is also great as a glaze for drizzling over meat! Try it with grilled shrimp, grilled chicken or salmon. 

You can also build a leafy green salad and add in either shrimp, chicken or salmon for a high protein salad that works as a main course meal.

Recipe FAQs

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