Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

Preserved lemon vinaigrette is a bright, citrusy burst of sunshine to add to your salads or drizzled over some veggies or grilled fish. This salad dressing is made from a few simple ingredients and brings a fresh flavor to food.

Preserved lemons make such a delicious vinaigrette when blended together. I recently had a delicious preserved lemon vinaigrette at CAVA and I was inspired to make my own, so I could enjoy it year-round and whenever I want!

The result? A bright, sunshiny dressing that I love using with salads, my CAVA-inspired bowls, and drizzled over vegetables or fish.

Ingredients

• Preserved lemon
• Dijon mustard
• Lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil

What are preserved lemons?

Preserved lemons are a condiment used in North African cuisine. (Common in Moroccan, Tunisan, etc. cuisines). The lemon gets preserved in a salt mixture. It softens the lemon rind and mellows out any bitterness, leaving a more lemony bright flavor.

Typically, preserved lemons are rinsed to remove any excess salt before using. It's also common to remove any seeds from the lemons.

The preserved lemon rind and flesh can then both be eaten, though some recipes will just use the rind.

Preserved lemons can be found at places like Whole Foods, World Market, specialty grocery stores, and also online. You can also make your own preserved lemons at home!

Tools needed

Ideally, you'll have a blender or food processor to blend up the vinaigrette to make it smooth. My favorite tool for making this is actually my immersion blender!

If you do not have a blender or food processor, Chop the preserved lemon into very small pieces. It will not have the same texture or flavor, so I would advise using a blender or food processor.

Customizations

• Add your favorite herbs like tarragon, oregano, or basil
• For a touch of spice, add red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or even a little harissa paste

How to serve

The preserved lemon vinaigrette is so delicious on salads or grain bowls! I also will roast up some veggies and use it as a dressing on top. I love it on my CAVA-copycat bowls along with some spicy feta dip.

And of course, lemon and fish are a match made in heaven. This citrusy dressing is delicious drizzled over cod, swordfish, salmon, etc.

How to store leftovers

Any leftover salad dressing should be stored in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Shake the dressing to make sure all ingredients are mixed properly before serving.

Recipe tips

• Preserved lemon should be rinsed and seeds removed before using in this recipe.
• A blender or food processor works best to blend this vinaigrette. Cutting the preserved lemon into small pieces also helps them to all get blended into the vinaigrette.

How to make preserved lemon vinaigrette:

Take one preserved lemon, rinse to remove any excess salt, and remove all seeds. Chop lemon into small pieces.

Add the chopped preserved lemon, dijon mustard, and fresh lemon juice to a blender or food processor. Blend together until smooth. If possible, drizzle olive oil into mixture while blending/mixing. If not, add the olive oil, then blend together until smooth and incorporated.

Enjoy the bright, lemony dressing however you'd like!

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