This Honey Lemon Vinaigrette is super versatile. You can use it to dress up more than just a salad. Try it on seasonal vegetables or use it to marinate fish, meats, and poultry.
When I whip up salad dressings, I often use mild honey. Clover Honey is a mild Varietal Honey created by bees mostly pollinating clover flowers. On our farm, we grow a few different kinds of clover but our honey is considered Artisanal since we have so much else growing at the same time. The bees pollinate everything in bloom at the same time. They don’t discriminate between flowers.
Varietal Honey, made with nectar from one type of crop, are true labors of love by the beekeeper, who carefully sets hives in the center of cultivated fields for bees to provide pollination services for the brief time of blossoming.
Since bees will fly up to six miles to find nectar, the challenge in achieving varietal honey is providing enough crops of one type to satisfy the hive. The beekeeper then collects the filled frames from the hives and allows the honey to cure for a few weeks, then processes the frames. When honey is labeled as varietal, that means that at least 75% of the honey comes from one particular crop.
Different regions are notorious for and abundant in varietal honey. Clover Honey, for example, often comes from Pennsylvania or from upstate New York. South Dakota is most known for Sunflower Honey. Florida and California are most noted for Orange Blossom Honey, though Mexico is a close third.
Our Clover Honey is sometimes from the Eastern Shore of Delaware. At other times, we acquire our Clover Honey from upstate New York. It all depends on what is in bloom and when.
Adapting this Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe
- Add 2 tbsp. of dijon mustard for a depth of flavor
- Try pairing oil and honey for this recipe. Use Avocado honey and Avocado oil, and ultimately add Avocado to the salad!
- Wouldn’t two tablespoons of dried lavender make this dressing different and tasty?
This Honey Lemon Vinaigrette salad dressing is such a simple recipe and perfectly pairs with your favorite meals.
- Use this recipe to marinate onions (red or sweet, thinly sliced) to top your salad
- Quickly marinate fish or chicken with this dressing for a great meal
- Sauté a pan of cauliflower and broccoli with this dressing
If you decide to try this project, be sure to take a photo and share them with us using #waxingkararecipes on Instagram. We love seeing your photos!
Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 c olive oil
- 2 tbsp. Waxing Kara Honey
- 1/8 c apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 c lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 shallot minced
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp. pepper ground
Instructions
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Combine all ingredients and whisk or shake vigorously until emulsified. Store at room temperature prior to using or this will keep in the fridge in an airtight glass container for 3 months.
