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Zesty, creamy and refreshing, this easy mint dressing is the pop of color and flavor your salad needs! It features simple ingredients and has endless potential- from grilled veggies to grain bowls to garden salads to marinades and beyond!

small pitcher of green mint dressing, lemon wedges, olive oil dispenser and jar of fresh mint
Jump to:
  1. 1 Erica’s Thoughts
    1. 1.1 This mint salad dressing:
  2. 2 What You’ll Need to Make Mint Dressing
  3. 3 Variation Ideas
  4. 4 How to Make Mint Dressing:
  5. 5 FAQs
  6. 6 How to serve fresh mint vinaigrette:
  7. 7 ​More homemade salad dressings you’ll love:
  8. 8 Incredible Fresh Mint Dressing Recipe
    1. 8.1 Description
    2. 8.2 Ingredients
    3. 8.3 Instructions
    4. 8.4 Notes
    5. 8.5 Would you like to save this?
    6. 8.6 Nutrition
    7. 8.7 Did you make this recipe?

Erica’s Thoughts

So there was this one time I thought to myself, ‘hey I should plant an herb garden’. And so I did. And then the mint exploded, devouring everything in its wake and leaving me with a full herb garden full of fresh mint. Cool story right? Words of wisdom: mint grows like wild so if you don’t want a metric ton of it, plant it in a planter.

Anyway, I’m kinda okay with lots of fresh mint leaves. It is one of my favorite herbs! And I’m constantly brainstorming creative ways to use it. Like this delicious dressing. Mint + peas is a match made in serious heaven so when I set out to make a gorgeous spring pea salad I knew it needed a creamy, fresh mint dressing. If you know me, you’ll know I’m kinda the queen of homemade dressings. And as soon as you start making your own, you won’t ever go back to store-bought!

This mint salad dressing:

  • features simple, fresh ingredients
  • is an easy recipe that takes less than 5 minutes to make
  • has healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil, which helps increase absorption of fat-soluble nutrients
  • provides other valuable micronutrients from the lemon, garlic, honey and mint (which makes this registered dietitian happy!)
  • is so flavorful and versatile

Let’s get to it and do it, all the springtime salads, grilled proteins and grain bowls are calling your name!

What You’ll Need to Make Mint Dressing

picture of the ingredients needed to make the recipe

Olive oil: gives the dressing its smooth, luscious base. Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for the best taste.

Lemon juice: use fresh lemon juice for bright, tangy flavor. You can use the kind in the jar but opt for 100% lemon juice not from concentrate. I like the Santa Cruz brand which you can find in the juice aisle of the grocery store.

Honey: just enough to balance the acidity and complement the mint.

Dijon mustard: dijon mustard adds a very subtle tang but is used mostly for it’s ability to emulsify the lemon juice and olive oil together into a creamy, cohesive dressing.

Fresh mint: the star ingredient, packed with cool, refreshing flavor.

Garlic: one clove of fresh garlic infuses the dressing with lovely contrast to the mint, honey and lemon.

Red pepper flakes: a little heat to round it all out (optional but recommended).

Salt and pepper: I like to use kosher salt or sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Variation Ideas

  • Omit the garlic, pepper flakes and mustard and use this dressing on fresh fruit. It would be SO good on this feta watermelon salad!
  • Increase the amount of honey if you like a sweeter dressing.
  • Throw in fresh basil and parsley to make it a blended herb vinaigrette.
  • Want more heat? Add a chopped fresh jalapeño instead of red pepper flakes.

How to Make Mint Dressing:

Combine all ingredients in a small food processor or the blender cup of a high-powered blender. Blend until very smooth and creamy.

ingredients in blender cup
blended mint dressing in blender cup

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add an extra pinch of salt, a squeeze more lemon, or a touch more honey depending on your preference. Alternatively, you can finely mince the mint and garlic and whisk everything together in a small bowl.

spring pea salad with gem lettuce, avocado, radishes, snap peas and english peas
hand pouring mint dressing on salad

Use on different salads, grain bowls or grilled/roasted proteins.

FAQs

How should I store this dressing?

Store dressing in a sealed jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Separation is normal; shake or whisk vigorously before using.

Can I use dried mint?

Fresh mint gives the best flavor and texture. Dried mint won’t have the same effect.

Does the type of mint matter?

I’d go for spearmint (this is the most common type of culinary mint). Peppermint is quite ​minty and might be overpowering. Other mint varieties like chocolate mint or apple mint could be fun to experiment with!

What could I use instead of lemon juice?

White wine vinegar or fresh lime juice will both work great!

​How can I make this vegan?

You can make it vegan by swapping honey for maple syrup or agave.

How to serve fresh mint vinaigrette:

  • On any and all of your favorite salads but especially this spring pea salad (pictured).
  • Try it instead of pesto on this orzo salad or on this farro grain bowl.
  • Toss it with pasta salad, pea salad or roasted potato salad.
  • Drizzle it on grilled asparagus, steamed green beans or broccolini.
  • Use as a marinade or finishing sauce for grilled steak, chicken breast, pork tenderloin, roasted salmon or tofu.
  • As a dipping sauce for raw veggies.
glass pitcher of creamy mint dressing
two plates of salad with mint dressing drizzled on them

​More homemade salad dressings you’ll love:

Honey lemon dressing

​Roasted peanut vinaigrette

Parmesan vinaigrette

White balsamic vinaigrette

Honey mustard dressing

Next time you’re making a salad don’t sleep on the fresh flavors of this creamy mint dressing!

If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!

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small pitcher of mint dressing

Incredible Fresh Mint Dressing Recipe

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  • Author: Erica
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: N/A
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 3/4 cup dressing 1x
  • Category: Dressing
  • Method: Blend
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

This fresh mint dressing blends mint, olive oil, lemon, honey, and garlic for a zesty, herb-packed vinaigrette perfect for salads, bowls, and more.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint
  • 1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped or grated
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a small food processor or the blender cup of a high powered blender. Blend until very smooth and creamy. Taste and season to taste, with another pinch of salt pepper, honey or lemon, per your preference.
  2. If you don’t have a food processor or blender you can finely mince the mint and garlic and whisk together the dressing ingredients. It will not be as creamy or cohesive, but it will still be delicious.

Notes

Refer to above blog post for step-by-step photos, variation ideas and answers to frequently asked questions!

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Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
  • Calories: 135
  • Sugar: 3.1 g
  • Sodium: 125.5 mg
  • Fat: 14 g
  • Carbohydrates: 4 g
  • Fiber: 0.2 g
  • Protein: 0.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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