This lemon pepper salad dressing is only five ingredients, but it’s full of flavor! It’s perfect drizzled on a bed of mixed greens, massaged into kale, or poured over roasted vegetables!

lemon and black pepper dressing
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I based this salad dressing recipe on a salad I had at a restaurant here in Richmond. The place, Betty on Davis, is no longer around. But this salad dressing lives on! After I tried their lemon and black pepper dressing, I couldn’t get it out of my mind! It was just slightly sweet with a subtle spiciness from the pepper. I grabbed some basic ingredients and whipped up a simple lemon and black pepper dressing recipe.

Ingredients and Substituions

  • Olive oil- I recommend buying a high-quality olive oil brand like California Olive Ranch. This makes such a difference in a salad dressing. You can use cheaper olive oil for cooking but the flavor really shines in this salad dressing so quality is important.
  • Lemon juice– Freshly squeezed lemon juice is recommended but there are good brands of lemon juice you can keep in your fridge in a pinch. I like the Santa Cruz brand.
  • Honey– A little bit of honey helps balance out the tart flavor of the lemon juice. You can substitute with maple syrup if you prefer.
  • Mustard– I recommend using Dijon mustard or spicy brown mustard.
  • Salt– Don’t forget to add salt to taste!

This dressing is simple and light. It’s delicious on a bed of greens with strawberries and goat cheese! But you could also drizzle this over your favorite combination of raw or roasted veggies! Try it with kale for a heartier green! Just make sure you massage it before serving.

kale salad with berries

For the salad pictured above, I used kale, strawberries, and pine nuts! But you could also add a little goat cheese or feta if you like. The dressing was the perfect complement to the sweet & salty flavors in the salad! 

Tips & Tricks

  • This dressing can be stored in the fridge, but you may need to whisk it again if the dressing separates. I like to store it in a small mason jar so I can just give it a shake before serving.
  • I highly recommend using freshly cracked pepper. We keep a little pepper mill around and the freshly ground pepper really does have a lot more flavor.
  • I prefer Dijon mustard but you could use spicy brown mustard.
  • You can double or triple the recipe if you want to make a larger batch.
lemon pepper dressing

You could use this lemon pepper dressing on a bed of mixed greens, massaged into kale, or drizzled over roasted vegetables like a marinade! The possibilities are endless for this simple dressing!

Print
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Lemon & Black Pepper Dressing

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Liz Thomson
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1/4 cup 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This lemon and black pepper salad dressing is only five ingredients, but it’s full of flavor! It’s perfect drizzled on a bed of mixed greens, massaged into kale, or poured over roasted vegetables!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a small container and shake until combined.
  2. The dressing might separate a bit if you leave it out so just shake it up!
  3. Drizzle over salad or dip fresh veggies in it!
  4. This makes enough for 2 entree sized salads.

Notes

This recipe was originally published in 2014. Updated in 2022.

Looking for other simple salad dressing ideas? Try this healthier honey mustard salad dressing or this red wine vinegar dressing!

 healthier honey mustard dressing

What’s your favorite type of salad dressing?