With zesty ginger, lime, and garlic combined with classic olive oil and mustard, ginger lime salad dressing is refreshing and bright. Try it with any green salad or serve with my pretty-in-pink quinoa beet salad.
For some more flavourful homemade salad dressings - so much better than bottled - try my zesty Italian dressing, summery pesto salad dressing, or French staple shallot vinaigrette.
Ingredients
You'll need 8 ingredients for ginger lime dressing, mostly pantry staples. Fresh mint is blitzed in after the dressing is mixed.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Mint: if you don't have fresh mint, use another fresh herb like parsley or even basil.
- Honey: There's quite a lot of honey in this recipe, so use a good variety that you like the taste of. Use a vegan alternative, like maple syrup, if you need the dressing to be fully vegan.
- Oil: light olive oil has the best flavour here, not overwhelming the other elements. Extra virgin can be used if that's what you have. Substitute something like avocado oil if preferred.
Step by Step
Quickly blended in a food processor or small blender, this dressing comes together in seconds. Adding the oil slowly makes it creamier.
Step 1: add all ingredients but the oil and mint, and blend to combine.
Step 2: slowly drizzle the oil in while mixing. Once the dressing is blended, pulse in the mint.
Top Tips
- Use good fresh ginger: this is not the time for a wrinkly piece that's been in the fridge for a month! Use a good firm piece of ginger for the best taste.
- Boost the lime: if you want a stronger lime flavour, you can add the zest of a lime, too. Be sure to only zest the green skin and not the white pith, which is bitter.
- Roll your citrus fruits: to get the most juice from your lime, give it a firm roll on a countertop before halving and juicing. This helps to release extra juice.
- Make it without a blender: if you don't have a suitable food processor or blender, mix the ingredients well with a whisk in a large bowl instead. Add the oil in a slow stream while whisking. Finely chop the mint separately and stir into the dressing.
How to Store
Storage: keep the dressing in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days. If it thickens up due to the cold, just let it sit out at room temperature for half an hour before shaking and serving.
Freezing: I don't recommend freezing this salad dressing.
FAQ
Why is oil added slowly to dressings?
Adding the oil in a slow stream while blending or beating makes the dressing emulsify more effectively. This results in a creamier, slightly thicker dressing that doesn't separate as readily.
Why does my dressing separate in the fridge?
Oil and water are hard to combine, and will naturally separate over time. Give it a good shake to re-mix.
How should I store salad dressing?
Dressings and vinaigrettes are most easily and effectively stored in sealed glass jars in the fridge. You can shake them in the jar and the container won't take on any smells from the ingredients.
If you make this Ginger Lime Salad Dressing or any other vegan sauce recipes on Wholehearted Eats, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more WHE, follow along on Instagram or subscribe for new posts via email.
Recipe
Ginger Lime Salad Dressing
Equipment
- 1 food processor or small blender
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- ¼ cup lime juice ~1 juicy lime
- 1 ½ tablespoons good local honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger peeled and grated
- 1 large clove of garlic grated
- ½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
- ½ cup light olive oil
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves lightly packed
Instructions
- Add the lime juice, honey, mustard, ginger, garlic, and salt to a small food processor or blender. Mix until well combined.¼ cup lime juice, 1 ½ tablespoons good local honey, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, 1 large clove of garlic, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Pour in the olive oil in a slow stream while blending. Once all the oil is added, the dressing should be quite creamy looking and lighter in colour.½ cup light olive oil
- Add the mint and pulse until the leaves are chopped and incorporated into the dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to three days.½ cup fresh mint leaves
I made it without the mint and it still was delicious! I served it with a baby kale salad and the bitterness of the leaves really was perfect with the sweet and tangy dressing!