Cilantro Lemon Vinaigrette is a healthy homemade dressing with fresh cilantro, lemon juice, garlic, honey and champagne vinegar for a perfect salad dressing or fantastic marinade for meat. 
Cilantro Lemon Vinaigrette
This last weekend I traveled to Minneapolis for a studio lighting photography class. I have taken lots of other classes at the Minneapolis Photo Center and have been very impressed. These classes are my sole photography education apart from online tutorials.
I have had a small children’s portrait business for a few years now but I exclusively use natural light. While I love the look of the soft natural light, I felt it was time that I finally get a good grasp on studio lighting. I most likely won’t be using it for my business, but I would love to conquer it for personal projects and frankly for sheer pride’s sake.
The class was great and I learned some new things as well as had the opportunity to reinforce the previous knowledge I had with practical experience. I am a hands on learner, so having the chance to practice what I read in a book is the best way for me remember and store the information. These are a few of my favorite shots from the day.
One of my favorite parts of attending these classes has been the food. Of course. In the past they have served everything from homemade frittatas with gourmet salads to hummus spreads. I was expecting big things based on my past experiences, but sadly we ended up with burnt pizza and a basic salad with ranch dressing. They could have used some of this awesome Cilantro Lemon Vinaigrette to add a fun kick of flavor to the salad at the very least. 🙂
- ⅓ c. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp water.
- 2 handfuls cilantro
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tsp. garlic, diced
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 Tbsp champagne or red wine vinegar
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender or a bowl with immersion blender. Puree until smooth and emulsified. Store refrigerated.
More healthy homemade dressings!
Citrus Poppyseed Dressing
Chipotle Lime Southwest Dressing
Light Greek Yogurt Bleu Cheese Dressing
This would be a good way to use up cilantro stems, since they taste the same as the leaves.
Just curious, how long before the dressing goes bad and needs to be thrown out?
Thanks!
It will be so good there won’t be any left! My guess is to use within a few days considering the fresh cilantro, but vinegar and lemon have some preserving properties. That said, you could start with a smaller batch so there aren’t any leftovers. I’m going to try it on pasta salad tonight. Thanks for a levels recipe and the bonus is that I have everything on hand!
Thanks Sandi! And you’re absolutely correct, you can certainly make a half batch very easily of something like this. It goes great with so many things though so it’s not hard to use up quickly.
I store this dressing in the refrigerator for atleast a week.
Hi Danielle,
Is 1/2 lemon or juice from 1/2 lemon.
Thanks
Juice from half a lemon!
Can I Substitute Red wine Vinegar with Balsamic Vinegar?
Balsamic vinegar is going to be a little stronger and has a distinct flavor that wouldn’t meld quite as well with this combo. If it is all you have, just use a little less, otherwise a white wine vinegar would also work great.
I made this and used it as a marinade for chicken. DELICIOUS! Thank you 😊
That sounds like a fantastic way to use it! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
How about apple cider vinegar in place of the rwv?
Apple cidar vinegar is much stronger so it will have a different taste. If it’s all you have, you could use it but just use less or add more honey.
This was very good, it will be a summer staple! I bet you could use basil instead of cilantro too.
I made verde chicken enchiladas with a side choppedish salad and this was a perfect dressing. It will be my go to for every salad I pair with Mexican food from now on
Thanks so much Anna!
I can’t get enough of this. I added a small avocado to this dressing and it took it over the TOP. Thanks fo sharing. I also made Lentil patties and used it for mayonnaise. Oh My, Oh My. Hello My New Love. Thanks for sharing.
Ooooo I love the idea of adding avocado! I am going to have to try that. I’m happy to hear you have been loving it!
I’ve made it today for lunch. I subbed lime for lemon and used only 1TBS red wine vin. It came out terrific. I like simple dressing, and don’t feel good after those that have too much ingredients. Thank you.
Does this really need the vinegar?
Yes, the vinegar and honey balance each other to create an essential flavor for the dressing.
Can this be frozen and stored to be used longer? For how long?
I have never tried to freeze it. I imagine it would freeze fine though given the ingredients.
Can you sub the red wine vinegar for rice vinegar? That’s all i have on hand.
Yes, that should work fine!
Loved this vinaigrette. I followed the recipe exactly and have decided to cut back on the water next time. Maybe only 1 T instead of 2. Thanks for sharing!
Happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Hello, does anyone know the calorie, carb content from this amazing dressing?? Thank you
I just updated the recipe with the nutritional information!
I follow a ketogenic, sugar free diet. I can’t have honey, agave nectar, or anything like that. Can i use a granulated or powdered sugar substitute in place of the honey? Or maybe you have another recommendation? Thanks
You can try, but I’m not certain how good it will taste. The balance of a sweetener like honey with the vinegar is what really adds to the depth of flavor.