Creamy Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
Creamy preserved lemon vinaigrette is a thick, creamy, luscious dressing. When you want to meal prep, but don’t want a lot of work, this is what you make.
Why? Because it elevates the simplest of meals. This dressing paired with basic ingredients will have you feel like you bought a $20/lb salad from your favorite boutique deli.
Preserved Lemons are a North African and Mediterranean staple. It’s salty, tangy, and best of all there’s additional health benefits to this vinaigrette. It’s a probiotic.
Probiotics are great for supporting a healthy gut. It’s a win-win. This is a delicious AND healthy creamy dressing. Who knew you could have both? Well, I’m here to tell you it’s possible.
THE DO NOTS
There are a few rules that you should know for making this and really, any vinaigrettes. We want a nice creamy emulsion.
There’s nothing worse for a creamy dressing than seeing it not come together. With that being said, here is your list for what not to do.
Do Not dump in all the ingredients at the same time
Do Not leave the seeds in the preserved lemons
Do Not omit oil
Do Not forget to adjust salt/sugar balance
If you ever read a recipe and it says to drop an egg or add slowly, there’s a reason. Emulsification happens gradually not instantaneously.
In a world of getting things done fast, this is not an area you can bypass and attain success consistently.
Slow and steady wins the game. Let’s not waste precious preserved lemons in this recipe by dumping the oil in improperly.
Which brings me to my next point. If you leave the seeds in, you’ll end up with a bit of bitterness that will need to be balanced out. It’s not much work, remove the seeds.
Dressings/vinaigrettes always have some form of fat. Oil here is necessary for emulsifying. Reducing or omitting will give you varying results, which I can’t guarantee.
Last, but not least. No lemon is created equal. Lemons and salt levels are going to vary quite a bit. Make sure to taste and adjust to your liking. Better yet, think about how you’ll want to use this dressing and adjust accordingly.
MEET THE PLAYERS
Preserved lemons are bright, tangy, and savory. If you’re using your own homemade version from this site, just remember to give your lemons time to ferment prior to using.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is preferred, but use what you like. My recommendation is to stay away from highly pungent oils.
I’d avoid using sesame, flax, or an oil that has gone rancid. Basically if it’s strong, find something more neutral. The star of this show is your preserved lemon. Simply put, you don’t want competing flavors. It’s a balance.
Shallots are sweet, spicy, sharp, acidic, and have an underlying tone of garlic to them. It adds dimensions and balances out this creamy dressing that a regular onion just can’t do. Substituting a shallot for an onion is easy, but not so much the same in reverse.
Champagne Vinegar is amazing! You don’t have to be a champagne fan to enjoy champagne vinegar. I’m definitely not a bubbly lover. Quite the opposite, but champagne vinegar is the best of champagne. It’s floral, but not in taste.
It’s fairly neutral while adding a roundedness to our vinaigrette. With no color and just the fragrance it is a perfect team member. If you’re unable to get your hands on this,
I’d recommend a white wine vinegar in a pinch, but this dressing is your work horse for simple foods. So I’d recommend splurging here if you can and stick to the champagne vinegar.
Tarragon is a perfect match. Here’s the thing, tarragon is known for being in bearnaise and hollandaise sauces. I don’t care for either. This is like the energizer version of both of those in a creamy vinaigrette form.
Tarragon is the best parts of anise, licorice and fennel, with a hint of eucalyptus, but subtle. It’s not overpowering, it’s supporting our point guard which is the preserved lemon. Omit if you must, but add it and you’ll be a believer.
FINAL THOUGHTS AND NOTES:
This recipe was created for my tuna pasta salad. You can use this dressing in salads, pastas, poultry and/or fish. It is the workhorse in elevating simple ingredients into a gourmet meal without a ton of dishes.
The best part is being able to make this ahead of time. The dressing gets better after the ingredients have had time to marry. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
LET’S GET STARTED!
Creamy Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a blender take preserved lemons, shallot, vinegar, tarragon, and honey/maple syrup (v) until smooth.
- With the blender running, slowly incorporate oil, allowing ingredients to emulsify. Adjust accordingly. Enjoy!
Notes:
*If preparing or making for vegans please use maple syrup.
**Be sure to seed the lemons prior to using.
**Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
