Looking for a simple way to elevate your summer meals? These fresh, homemade summer salad dressings are bursting with vibrant citrus and fragrant basil—straight from my garden! Whether you’re tossing them over a crisp salad, using them as a zesty marinade for grilled chicken, or drizzling them over roasted veggies or grain bowls, these dressings add a bright, flavorful touch to just about anything. Today, I’m sharing two of my favorite go-to recipes: a citrus herb vinaigrette and a garden-fresh basil vinaigrette dressing that’s as versatile as it is delicious.
Trust me—once you try these, you’ll want to keep a jar in your fridge all season long. I even frozen extra so I could pull out these vinaigrettes over the winter and get a bite of summer back on my plate.
And while I’ve made homemade salad dressings here to there for years it was last year I made the commitment to try and stop buying store bought salad dressings, almost all of them have seed oils and other stablizers in them or cost $10 for a small bottle. And let’s get real- fresh salad dressings are 100% more flavorful with fresh ingredients- once you start making your own it’s hard to use a store bought dressing again!
Citrus Herb Vinaigrette
1.5 cups Avocado Oil (or Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
4 Tablespoons Lemon Juice (fresh Squeezed is best)
4 Tablespoons Orange Juice (fresh squeezed- or sub for grapefruit juice)
4 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar (or other vinegar – red wine or white vinegar)
3-4 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
2-3 Tablespoons Maple Syrup or Honey
2-3 Cloves of Garlic (pressed or minced)
2-3 Tablespoons Red onion (I used freeze dried red onions to save time)
4 Teaspoons Fresh Oregano (finely chopped)
4 Teaspoons Thyme (finely chopped)
3 teaspoons Rosemary (finely chopped)
1-2 Teaspoons Tarragon (finely chopped)
1 Teaspoon Lemon Thyme (optional)
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt (or salt to taste)
Black Pepper to taste
1. Add all ingredients to your high powered mixer (I used a Vitamix) and blend. If you don’t have a blender chop everything finely and mix with a fork or shake in a sealed bottom. An immersion blender would work as well.
I use this recipe as a base and always tweak it a bit- sometimes adding more fresh orange juice or a bit more maple syrup. Sometimes I add or use different herbs depending what I have in my garden. I have used basil in place of tarragon as well.
I use this dressing on green salads, to marinate chicken (it’s heavenly) and to drizzle on top of veggie dishes or meat dishes- I could put it on everything.
Basil Vinaigrette
1 Cup Avocado Oil (or Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
6 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar (or substitute Your favorite vinegar)
2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
3 Cloves Garlic (minced or pressed)
2 Cups Basil Leaves
1-2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup (or add less to continue adding to taste)
Splash of Lemon juice or 1/4 of a lemon squeezed in
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Pepper (to taste)
Directions: Combine all ingredients in your blender and blender until combined. You can either blend it until it’s lightly mixed (more vinaigrette looking) or blend longer and it will be a thicker bright green dressing. It tasted great either way.
As with everything I make (except baked goods) I add more of an ingredient to taste- if I want it sweeter I add more syrup, or if I want it to have more zest- more lemon juice, or vinegar. Make it work for you and don’t be afraid to experiment a bit.
I used this on green salads, on caprese salad, on salads with strawberries and nuts and I drizzle it on pizza and even chicken. It’s so versatile.
To freeze vinaigrette- put in a freezer safe glass jar and leave room at the top of the jar as it will expand and seal the top on the jar to freeze. To use later, remove from freezer morning you want to use it or night before and thaw in fridge.
This is perfect for:
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summer salad dressings
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homemade salad dressing recipes
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citrus vinaigrette recipe
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fresh basil dressing
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easy salad dressings for summer
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healthy salad dressing recipes
- vinaigrette for chicken marinade
