Mediterranean-inspired · Easy
Lemon-oregano vinaigrette
A bright, pourable dressing made by blending a whole peeled lemon’s flesh and juice with fresh garlic, dried oregano and olive oil. The pulp gives it body without mustard or sugar; shake it over salads, grain bowls or cooked vegetables.
- Prep
- 10 minutes
- Total time
- 25 minutes
- Portions
- 10
Estimated nutrition
| Nutrient | Per portion | Whole batch |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 82 kcal | 823 kcal |
| Protein | 0.1 g | 1 g |
| Carbs | 0.8 g | 7.9 g |
| Fiber | 0.2 g | 2.4 g |
| Sugars | 0.2 g | 1.6 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 9 g | 90.3 g |
| Saturated fat | 1.2 g | 12.5 g |
| Sodium | <1 mg | 4 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
How these estimates work
Per portion and for your whole batch. These are ingredient-based estimates, not laboratory-tested nutrition facts. Optional ingredients are excluded.
Estimate includes all olive oil, the lemon flesh with its juice, garlic and dried oregano, divided into ten equal portions. Most energy comes from the olive oil. No salt or sweetener is added. This is a dressing component, not a meal, and actual intake depends on how much clings to food.
USDA FoodData Central references. Brands, food varieties, preparation and portion size change the result. Added sugars assume plain, unsweetened ingredients; for prepared breads and sauces, a range shows zero to the reference food’s total sugar because the added amount is unspecified.
Ingredients, sources & assumptions
All listed edible food and oil are counted as eaten. Cooking losses and final cooked weight are not measured. Some ingredients use a stated reference food or a proxy for a missing nutrient. No personalized dietary advice.
Lemons, raw, without peel · 60 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceGarlic, raw · 4 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceSpices, oregano, dried · 1.5 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceOil, olive, salad or cooking · 90 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceCalculation version 2. Source records and method are documented in our nutrition guide.
Nutrition guidancePer portion and for your whole batch. These are ingredient-based estimates, not laboratory-tested nutrition facts. Optional ingredients are excluded.
Estimate includes all olive oil, the lemon flesh with its juice, garlic and dried oregano, divided into ten equal portions. Most energy comes from the olive oil. No salt or sweetener is added. This is a dressing component, not a meal, and actual intake depends on how much clings to food.
USDA FoodData Central references. Brands, food varieties, preparation and portion size change the result. Added sugars assume plain, unsweetened ingredients; for prepared breads and sauces, a range shows zero to the reference food’s total sugar because the added amount is unspecified.
Let’s make it
Steps at a glance 4 steps
Amounts below match your selected batch. Follow each short step, and use timers as reminders to check the food.
Equipment
Kitchen scale that reads to 0.1 g · Cutting board and sharp knife · Fine grater · Small blender cup, or a tall jar and whisk · Clean jar with lid · Refrigerator
- 1
Prepare the lemon
Wash hands, the lemon, cutting board and knife. Slice off both ends of the lemon, then cut away all the yellow peel and white pith. Cut the flesh into small pieces over a bowl so no juice is lost, remove every seed, and weigh 60 g lemon flesh together with its juice.
- 2
Blend the flavor base
Peel and finely grate 4 g garlic. Put the lemon flesh and juice, the garlic and 1.5 g dried oregano into a small blender cup or tall jar and blend until the lemon pulp is broken into fine flecks.
- 3
Emulsify with the oil
With the blender on low, or while whisking hard, add 90 g olive oil in a thin stream until the dressing turns cloudy and slightly thickened. Let it stand 10 minutes so the oregano softens, then shake or stir and taste it on a salad leaf.
- 4
Store it cold
Pour into a clean jar, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. Because it contains fresh garlic in oil, keep it at 40°F / 4°C or colder, never at room temperature, and use within 3 days. Olive oil firms in the cold: hold the closed jar under warm running water briefly, shake, serve what you need and return the jar to the refrigerator.
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Make it work for you
For kids & different preferences
Children can wash the lemon and shake the closed jar with supervision; an adult handles the knife, grater and blender. The dressing is thin and quite tart, with tiny pulp flecks. Offer a small amount tossed through soft or finely cut foods the child already manages, rather than undiluted by the spoon. Individual needs vary; this is not age-specific feeding guidance.
Storage & packed lunches
Contains fresh garlic in oil. Refrigerate in a covered jar at 40°F / 4°C or colder within 2 hours of making (within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F / 32°C) and use within 3 days. Never store at room temperature. This is not a canning recipe.
Freezing & reheating
Not recommended; the emulsion separates and the fresh lemon and garlic flavor fades.
Do not heat. If the oil has firmed, warm the closed jar briefly under warm running water and shake.
If something looks different
If it separates, shake or whisk again just before using. A bitter taste usually means white pith was left on the lemon. If it tastes too sharp, use it on sturdier leaves or warm cooked vegetables.
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Updated 2026-10-29
Bethany’s Kitchen · /recipes/lemon-oregano-vinaigrette · Original instructions and generated food illustration. General culinary practice informed the combination; no third-party prose or photograph copied. Not physically kitchen-tested or human-reviewed.