All-Purpose Lemon Vinaigrette | Alexandra’s Kitchen

Last Sunday I went to the Schenectady Green Market for the first time in months. Having lived in Upstate New York for almost a decade now, I know better than to expect asparagus and rhubarb this time of year, but I made the trek to confirm.

Sure enough, I found neither a majestic spear nor a ruby stalk, but I did find greens, bags and bags of greens — spinach, kale, pea shoots, bok choy, spring greens, and other baby lettuce mixes. After months of roasting root after root, these tender lettuces were a sight to behold, and I could not help loading my tote with ALL of them, along with a few enticing bundles of rainbow carrots and purple and green radishes.

That night I made a salad with a mix of the greens, shaved carrots and radishes, toasted walnuts, and feta, all tossed together with a simple lemon vinaigrette, a mix of honey, fresh lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, salt, and olive oil.

This lemon dressing is lighter than this cashew dressing and this tahini dressing, the two I favor during the winter for heartier greens. And, unlike my favorite large-batch shallot vinaigrette, this one requires no mincing or electrical equipment. It tastes fresh and bright, and for all of those tender spring greens, I don’t think there is a better match.

I hope you’ll agree.

All-Purpose Lemon Vinaigrette, Step by Step

For this dressing, you need 1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

First, whisk together the honey, salt, lemon, and vinegar; then stream in the olive oil, and whisk to combine.

Taste, and adjust to taste as needed: Add more lemon or vinegar for more bite. Add more olive oil if it’s too acidic. If you like it sweeter, add more honey. If it needs more seasoning, add a pinch more salt.

Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Here are some of the greens I returned home with last weekend from the market: kale, pea shoots, and mixed baby greens.

I used my peeler to shave the carrots into ribbons.

I ran the radishes down the mandoline. How pretty?

And I added toasted walnuts and feta.

Just before serving, I tossed everything together with the lemon vinaigrette and cracked lots of pepper over the top.

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