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Home » Recipes » Basics

Orange Vinaigrette Dressing

By Kim Hardesty

This tasty orange vinaigrette salad dressing is perfect for delicate lettuces and light summer salads which include fruit, chicken or shrimp. 

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Homemade healthy salad dressings are a favorite way to jazz-up dinner - and not just the salad. A good vinaigrette dressing does double duty as a dressing for grilled meats and veggies as well as a marinade. They’re super easy to make and are ready in minutes.

This fresh orange vinaigrette recipe creates a tart, lightly sweet citrus salad dressing that I just love. Its bright citrus flavor brings a touch of summer to any meal.

Orange Vinaigrette in a cruet with sliced orange and mixed green salad.

What is Vinaigrette Dressing?

A vinaigrette dressing is a refreshing mix of oil and vinegar, citrus flavors, or both. Spices, herbs, salt, and pepper add additional flavor to a vinaigrette.

I make all kinds of homemade vinaigrette dressings. Two of my favorites are this Summery basil vinaigrette, which is great on almost everything, and this crumbled blue cheese vinaigrette. Their light texture is perfect for more delicate Summer lettuces.

How Do I Sweeten Vinaigrette Dressing?

Oil and vinegar dressings can be a little sour in taste to some tastebuds. To offset the bite of vinegar, most vinaigrette dressings incorporate a touch of sweetener. My orange vinaigrette recipe relies on fresh squeezed orange to balance flavor.

In general, store bought vinaigrettes contain a lot of added sugars. And many homemade recipes call for adding maple syrup, sugar, or honey to the vinaigrette to help temper the acid from the vinegar. None of which are keto friendly. Instead add yacon syrup, stevia glycerite, erythritol based sweeteners or keto-friendly maple syrup to tame the bite and bring balance.

This dressing is fantastic on a mixed citrus and fennel salad with walnuts. Try adding some pomegranate seeds for a pop of color. It also great on Asian Chicken Salad or a simple salad of frisse, hazelnuts and Parma ham.

Orange Vinaigrette is 2 net carbs per serving.

Orange Vinaigrette salad dressing with fresh orange and mixed green salad

Orange Vinaigrette

This light tasting orange vinaigrette is perfect for delicate lettuces and crisp summery salads.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Basics, Condiments, Dressings and Sauces
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 129kcal
Author: lowcarbmaven.com

Ingredients

  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup light tasting olive oil or salad oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest reserve at least 1 more teaspoon
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of pepper

Instructions

  • Zest the orange(s). Measure ½ cup of orange juice into a small pot and bring it up to a boil. Turn the heat down to a strong simmer and reduce the orange juice by half. Pour the reduced orange juice into a small bowl with at least a 3 cup capacity.
  • While the orange juice is reducing, mince the shallot. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl with the reduced orange juice and whisk to combine.
  • Taste and adjust: If the dressing needs more orange flavor, add a little more zest. If it needs more acid or tartness, add a little more lemon juice. If it's lacking flavor add a little more salt. If it tastes sharp, add 1 tablespoon of water. Refrigerate in a The flavors improve over-night.
  • Makes 1 cup and serves 8 at two tablespoons per serving = 1.93 g NET CARBS.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoon | Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.03g | Protein: 0.15g | Fat: 13.53g | Saturated Fat: 1.867g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.43g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9.86g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1.36g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.9mg

About Kim Hardesty

Kim is a self taught cook with over 30 years experience in the kitchen. She develops and tests low carb and keto recipes in her California home. She began her low carb journey in 2009 and at the urging of friends, started blogging in 2014. Kim shares delicious low carb and keto recipes no one would believe are sugar-free. Her recipes are featured in newsstand publications and on sites all over the internet.

View all posts by Kim Hardesty | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

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  1. Matt

    June 20, 2017 at 9:50 pm

    Great dressing for a refreshing summer salad on a hot day

    Reply
    • Kim

      June 20, 2017 at 10:12 pm

      It really is, Matt. It's also great on an Asian salad. -Kim

      Reply
  2. Emily

    December 10, 2015 at 7:50 pm

    Is 1/4 cup oil supposed to be listed twice? Also, how do you figure 14 calories for 2 tablespoons? Does that include the oil?

    Reply
    • Kim

      December 10, 2015 at 8:21 pm

      Hi, Emily. Those are valid questions. Yes, I have extra virgin oil listed and then a light tasting oil like extra light olive oil or salad oil. The extra virgin olive oil adds a nice rich flavor, but too much would overpower the flavor of the dressing so I call for 1/2 EVOO and 1/2 a neutral tasting oil. The 14 calories was a typo. Thanks for catching it, it's been changed! The dressing is 129 calories per serving! Have a great night. -Kim

      Reply
  3. Pernille

    December 08, 2015 at 6:32 am

    This looks so delicious! Any idea how long it will keep in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Kim

      December 08, 2015 at 7:25 am

      Thank you Pernille. It was forgotten for almost a week in the fridge and still tasted great so I would say 7-10 days. -Kim

      Reply

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