Easy Citrus Vinaigrette | Feasting At Home

This delicious citrus vinaigrette recipe couldn’t be any easier! Made with fresh orange juice, orange zest and shallot, it is wonderfully bright and tangy with a hint of sweetness. Vegan, Gluten-free.

Why You’ll love Citrus vinaigrette

We’ve been making a version of this citrus vinaigrette since we started our vegetarian restaurant in the late 90s! Many salads on the blog feature a variation of this citrus salad dressing, and we often make it so often at home that I think it deserves its own recipe.

I love it because it reminds me that there is sunshine behind all the rain clouds, and it just makes me happy. It has this magical effect on people.

citrus vinaigrette Ingredients

• A fresh orange—seek out a juicy navel orange or cava cava orange. You’ll need both orange juice and orange zest.
• Vinegar: Use a light, fruity vinegar like apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or sherry vinegar. Straight white vinegar will be much too acidic and harsh here. Fruity vinegars work best!
• Extra virgin olive oil– for richness, and we absolutely prefer the flavor of olive oil over canola oil, avocado oil or vegetable oil.
• Shallot: finely minced or substitute one fat garlic clove, or garlic paste.
• Optional sweetener- just to taste; use sugar, honey, agave or maple syrup
• Salt and fresh black pepper

Variations

• Try other citrus fruits- grapefruit, blood oranges mandarin, tangerine, Meyer lemon or lemon – keeping in mind all have different levels of acidity, so adjust sweetener as needed.
• Add fresh herbs– Chopped cilantro, basil, Italian parsley, or thyme.
• Instead of shallot, use one finely minced garlic clove, or garlic paste.
• For a thicker, creamier vinaigrette, add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and blend it in a mini blender.
• To make a lemon vinaigrette use lemon zest and fresh lemon juice instead of the orange zest and juice, and whisk with the shallot, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper-adjusting sweetness to taste.

How to make Citrus vinaigrette

1. Zest the orange and place it in a small bowl. Juice 3 tablespoons of orange juice and add it along with the shallot, vinegar, and sweetener of choice. 
2. While whisking, drizzle in olive oil so it emulsifies a bit.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust sweetness to taste.

Storing Citrus Vinaigrette

Place it in a salad dressing bottle or mason jar, seal it with a lid, and store it in the refrigerator for up to one week. Let it come to room temperature and shake well before using.

Serving Suggestions

This Citrus Vinaigrette pairs well with many types of salads, especially green salads with fruit, like our Fennel Orange Salad with Arugula, Apple Cheddar Salad, Grapefruit, Fennel and Avocado Salad or Persimmon Salad. It would be good over a quinoa salad too!

Sometimes, I’ll spoon this over grilled fish, chicken or scallops for a refreshing sauce. You could also use it as a marinade.

More favorite salad dressings

Enjoy the citrus vinaigrette, and let us know how you use it in the comments below!

xoxo

Sylvia

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