Parmesan Vinaigrette

With just a handful of simple ingredients and a bright parmesan flavor, this parmesan vinaigrette will be your new go-to salad dressing!

If you’re trying to upgrade your salad game this year, don’t miss my easy homemade salad dressings! This Gorgonzola Vinaigrette packs a smooth blue cheese punch and this tangy Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette adds fresh berry flavor to your greens.

Parmesan cheese is one of those classic flavors that elevate literally any recipe to the next level. It’s known for being a hard Italian cheese with a salty, umami flavor. It is delicious in soups, sprinkled over fresh pasta, or blended into this luscious creamy lemon dressing.

Why you’ll love parmesan vinaigrette

Not only does this salad dressing add parmesan flavor to your fresh greens, it’s seriously easy. I mean it. All you need is a handful of common ingredients and an immersion blender or food processor.

With an immersion blender, it can be made in the same container you use to store, reducing the amount of dishes you’ll need to and minimizing any waste.

Making your own salad dressings is a great way to reduce your waste! You can skip the bottles, inflammatory oils, and plastic packaging. Once you start, you won’t want to bother with those storebought dressings ever again!

Equipment

You’ll need a wide-mouth mason jar or a small bowl, a measuring cup, and an immersion blender. That’s it!

Ingredients

Parmesan cheese – You’ll need just a small chunk of parmesan cheese to make this creamy dressing. Let it sit out at room temperature to release its oils before blending.

Olive oil – This Italian cheese should be blended with real Italian olive oil, of course! Get a good quality extra virgin olive oil for that fresh olive flavor.

Lemon juice – This is my favorite acid to use in dressings because lemon juice is so clean and refreshing without a vinegary funk. Feel free to use all lemon juice for a bright smooth flavor.

Honey – Just a little hit of honey smooths out the tangy acid and brings everything together.

Red wine vinegar – Add just a bit of red wine vinegar to balance out the creamy flavor of the cheese.

Shallot – Fresh shallot is a great way to add a smooth bite to your dressings and it pairs perfectly with lemon and parmesan.

Kosher salt – Salt is a key ingredient in salad dressings as it draws out all of the flavors from the oil and other ingredients. Use a good flaky salt like kosher salt and taste as you go.

Black pepper – Pepper counters the salty, tangy, and creamy flavors of this dressing and goes perfectly with lemon.

How to Make Lemon Parmesan Vinaigrette

1. Let your Parmesan cheese sit out at room temperature to release its natural oils.
2. Add all of your ingredients to a wide-mouth pint jar or small bowl.
3. Insert the blade of the immersion blender into the jar and blend until smooth.
4. Taste your dressing and add a little more vinegar or salt to taste.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Storing Suggestions

Store leftover vinaigrette in an airtight container like a mason jar. Keep it in the fridge for 5-7 days. It may solidify in the fridge due to the oil, so allow it to sit on the counter for a while before serving. Stir thoroughly before serving.

Tips & Variations

• Use romano cheese for a cheaper cheese that still packs a ton of flavor.
• Add a squirt of dijon mustard for an extra bite of mustard-y flavor.
• Substitute your favorite vinegar like white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, or use extra lemon juice.
• Replace the honey with a little maple syrup.
• Feel free to use sea salt. You can also use table salt, but you’ll want to use much less.
• If you don’t have shallots handy, try adding one clove garlic.
• Use lemon juice concentrate instead of fresh juice in a pinch.
• Since parmesan is naturally salty, be sure to taste your dressing as you go to manage the salt level.

How to Use Parmesan Dressing

I love using this homemade salad dressing to make an antipasto salad whenever we make Italian recipes. Make a garden salad with cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and sliced red onion. It also makes a great dressing for a fresh pasta salad with arugula and bell peppers.

FAQs

Is homemade salad dressing healthier than storebought?

When you make your own dressing, you can control the quality of the ingredients. It makes it easier to make simple, organic dressings using the simple ingredients you already have on hand like extra-virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

It’s tempting to buy cheap grocery store salad dressings, but take a look at those ingredient lists. They’re full of inflammatory oils like canola oil or soybean oil. Companies add thickeners like xanthan gum, syrups, artificial flavor, caramel color, food dye, monosodium glutamate, and preservatives like potassium sorbate and calcium disodium edta to make them palatable to the market.

You can skip all of these unnecessary ingredients when you make your own dressing.

Related Recipes

If you like this homemade dressing, you’ll also enjoy these other recipes:

• Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette
• Gorgonzola Vinaigrette
• Air Fryer Delicata Squash Rings
• Air Fryer Walnuts