A bright, sharp lemon ginger dressing, this vegan-friendly low histamine salad dressing makes use of just 5 simple ingredients to bring life to your favorite greens. Plus it comes together in just 5 minutes.
Try pouring this dressing over my fava bean and chickpea salad or pairing it with Indian-style Brussels sprouts for a tasty, flavorful side.
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✔️ Why This Recipe is Great
Super Quick. This lemony low histamine salad dressing whips up in less than 10 minutes, including prep time.
Toppings to Pair: The flavor profile of a ginger lemon dressing can be very strong without a creamy component, so the salad you put it on would benefit from the addition of goat cheese and/or any tolerated nuts.
🫚 Ingredients
Lemon Juice: the kick of acid from the lemon juice really accentuates the complexity of tahini without adding too much flavor of its own. Additionally, lemon contains loads of vitamin C, a known mast cell stabilizer, though some people are sensitive to citrus-derived forms of it.
Oil: You can use any oil for this dressing, but I’d discourage using avocado oil or olive oil if possible, as both can add a bitter undertone, even to a lemon ginger dressing.
Fresh Ginger: possibly the best-known low histamine spice, ginger is the sharp, mildly sweet root of a flower; it’s been used for thousands of years in dishes both sweet and savory.
Maple Syrup: this condensed tree sap helps balance out the brightness of the lemon and the sharp notes of the ginger. The only decent low histamine sweeteners you could use instead are honey and date syrup.
See recipe card for exact ingredients and quantities.
🥗 How to Make Lemon Ginger Salad Dressing (Step-by-Step)
Step 1) Squeeze out your fresh lemon juice, then peel your fresh ginger (if using) with a spoon and grate it with a micro-plane; you'll need about 3" of fresh root.
Step 2) Add your lemon juice, oil, ginger puree, maple syrup, and salt to a bowl, then blend it well (images 1 & 2). You can use an immersion blender, high-powered milk frother, or a small food processor; any of these would do the job, though the latter would whip it up more. Voila! Your lemon ginger dressing is all done.
🍋🟩 Variations
- Oil Swap: Use avocado oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil to vary flavor while keeping it low histamine.
- Citrus Twist: Replace some lemon juice with a splash of lime juice for a different tangy note.
- Herb Addition: Add finely chopped fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, or basil for extra flavor and nutrients.
- Ginger-Free Option: Omit fresh ginger or use a pinch of ground ginger if fresh ginger is not tolerated.
- Sweetener Swap: Use a small amount of date syrup or honey instead of maple syrup for a natural low-histamine sweetener.
- Creamy Version: Blend in 1–2 teaspoons tahini for a richer, slightly nutty dressing while keeping it paleo and vegan.
🫙 Storage
Store the dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 hours to maintain its low histamine benefits, or up to one week if dietary restrictions aren’t a concern.
👨🏻🍳 Expert Notes & Tips
Ginger Puree: I highly recommend grating your own ginger into a puree rather than purchasing it, especially if you're eating low histamine, but there are some preservative-free ginger purees out there, if you can source locally.
Making a Salad: This stuff goes great on everything in my opinion, but I especially like adding almonds or chia seeds for crunch, and some sort of berry or pear for a fresh punch of flavor. If you can tolerate it, this tastes amazing with goat cheese or any other fresh soft cheese. I like pulled-apart chicken breasts for protein, or even pieces of grilled lamb or bison.
🍗 What to Do With Lemon Ginger Dressing
- put it on chicken or other meat with some fresh herbs, and then bake it; the lemon juice will break down the meat while the oil will make it oven-ready immediately
- basted onto meat & veggie skewers
- add life to plain boiled grains or legumes
- blend it with the greens of your choice to make a sauce for chicken or veggies
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely—if fresh ginger isn’t tolerated, you can leave it out or use a tiny pinch of ground ginger.
Neutral oils like avocado, sunflower, or light olive oil work well and keep it low histamine.
Yes! Adjust the maple syrup for sweetness or add a bit more lemon juice for extra tang.
Yes! It works well as a marinade for chicken, fish, or tofu, keeping the flavors light and fresh.
Have you tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Lemon Ginger Dressing (5 Ingredients)
Equipment
- immersion blender or high-powered milk frother, or a small food processor (optional)
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup lemon juice
- ¼ Cup neutral oil of choice
- 1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Squeeze out your fresh lemon juice, then peel your fresh ginger (if using) with a spoon and grate it with a micro-plane; you'll need about 3" of fresh root.
- Add your lemon juice, oil, ginger puree, maple syrup, and salt to a bowl, then blend it well. You can use an immersion blender, high-powered milk frother, or a small food processor; any of these would do the job, though the latter would whip it up more. Voila! Your lemon ginger dressing is all done.
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