Every time my California sister, Nelda, visits us in St. Louis, she makes us a fabulous meal that often includes this flavorful salad dressing. Nelda uses fresh lemon juice in place of the vinager used in vinaigrettes and thickens the dressing with a generous amount of Parmesan cheese. It is awesome! That sister of mine is one amazing cook.

I love having this dressing on hand in my fridge. It elevates any ordinary salad to make it something special. Here's how easy it is to make.

Step-by-step photos for making
Lemon Parmesan Salad Dressing

Step 1. Assemble the ingredients

• extra virgin olive oil
• canola oil (or other neutral oil like vegetable, grapeseed, etc.)
• fresh lemon juice
• grated Parmesan cheese --I use the convenience of cheese that comes already grated--look for the fresh kind that is sold in deli containers; I don't recommend the dry kind in the can (it's a close cousin of sawdust 😬).
• garlic powder -- You may use fresh garlic, if you prefer, but it will  reduce the fridge shelf-life of the dressing.
• salt and pepper

Step 2. Combine all of the ingredients in a mason jar or other lidded container (something you can seal and shake). I love the mini Oxo salad dressing container pictured below. I can mix, shake, store, and serve from it. The measurement marks make it super easy to pour the oils and lemon juice directly into the container, and it's the perfect 1-cup size to hold one batch of this recipe. Mason jars work well, too.

view on Amazon:  my mini Oxo salad dressing container, handheld lemon juicer (so easy to use!)

Step 3. Shake it! Shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Then refrigerate it for awhile to let the flavors blend. The cheese will resettle in the bottom of the container, so you need to shake it again before each use.

Store it in the fridge. If you use garlic powder, it will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If you use fresh garlic, it should be used within 3 days. (This is because fresh garlic can develop harmful bacteria after that.)

The cheese softens and thickens the dressing while adding yummy texture and flavor. I love those bits of Parmesan that you can see and taste. Lemony and cheesy is a tasty combo!

This dressing is so easy to make and so much tastier than anything you can buy in a bottle. Thanks to my Sis for sharing this great recipe. 

Make it a Yummy day!

Monica

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Lemon Parmesan Salad Dressing

By Monica              Servings: makes 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup canola oil (or other mild, neutral oil)
• 1.5 oz (1/3 cup) grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 minced garlic cloves)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a 1-cup jar or container, add ingredients in order given. Tighten lid and shake vigorously until well mixed.

Salad dressing will not remain mixed and should be shaken before each use.

Best made a few hours ahead to allow flavors to blend. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks if using garlic powder. Use within 3 days if using fresh garlic.

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