Lemon Olive Oil Dressing (Ladolemono)
The classic Greek dressing of good olive oil whisked with fresh lemon juice, oregano and a touch of garlic, until it turns thick, bright and glossy. Spoon it generously over grilled fish, octopus or simple greens.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Juice the lemons
Squeeze the lemons and strain the juice through a small sieve to catch any seeds or pulp. You need about 60 ml of clear juice.
- 60 ml fresh lemon juice
✅ Done when: the juice is clear of seeds and pulp
Dissolve salt in juice
In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the salt, oregano, grated garlic and black pepper until the salt fully dissolves. This step matters: salt dissolves in the acid first, so the dressing tastes even and not grainy.
- 60 ml lemon juice (from step 1)
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
✅ Done when: no grains of salt remain visible in the liquid
Whisk in the oil
Whisking constantly with one hand, pour in the olive oil in a very thin, slow stream with the other. Adding it gradually, not all at once, is what makes the oil and lemon juice bind into one thick, pale, glossy sauce instead of separating.
- 180 ml extra virgin olive oil
✅ Done when: the dressing looks thick, pale yellow-green and glossy, with no oil floating on top
Finish and taste
Stir in the lemon zest if using. Taste on a small piece of bread or vegetable; it should taste bright and lemony but rounded, not sharp. Adjust with a pinch more salt or a few more drops of lemon juice if needed.
- 1 tsp lemon zest
✅ Done when: the flavour is bright and balanced, not harshly sour
Rest briefly, then serve
Let the dressing sit for 5–10 minutes if you used garlic, so its sharp edge softens slightly. Whisk again just before serving, since it will separate a little as it sits, and spoon it generously over hot grilled fish, octopus or simple boiled greens.
✅ Done when: the garlic bite has mellowed and the dressing whisks back together smoothly
Juice the lemons
Squeeze the lemons and strain the juice through a small sieve to catch any seeds or pulp. You need about 60 ml of clear juice.
- 60 ml fresh lemon juice
✅ Done when: the juice is clear of seeds and pulp
Dissolve salt in juice
In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the salt, oregano, grated garlic and black pepper until the salt fully dissolves. This step matters: salt dissolves in the acid first, so the dressing tastes even and not grainy.
- 60 ml lemon juice (from step 1)
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
✅ Done when: no grains of salt remain visible in the liquid
Whisk in the oil
Whisking constantly with one hand, pour in the olive oil in a very thin, slow stream with the other. Adding it gradually, not all at once, is what makes the oil and lemon juice bind into one thick, pale, glossy sauce instead of separating.
- 180 ml extra virgin olive oil
✅ Done when: the dressing looks thick, pale yellow-green and glossy, with no oil floating on top
Finish and taste
Stir in the lemon zest if using. Taste on a small piece of bread or vegetable; it should taste bright and lemony but rounded, not sharp. Adjust with a pinch more salt or a few more drops of lemon juice if needed.
- 1 tsp lemon zest
✅ Done when: the flavour is bright and balanced, not harshly sour
Rest briefly, then serve
Let the dressing sit for 5–10 minutes if you used garlic, so its sharp edge softens slightly. Whisk again just before serving, since it will separate a little as it sits, and spoon it generously over hot grilled fish, octopus or simple boiled greens.
✅ Done when: the garlic bite has mellowed and the dressing whisks back together smoothly
The Story Behind the Dish
Olive oil and lemon have been paired in Greek kitchens for centuries, long before refrigeration, as a simple way to brighten fish straight off the grill or coals. Ladolemono is less a recipe than a ratio passed down by feel: good oil, fresh lemon, salt and a little oregano, whisked until it binds.
It appears on tavernas and family tables alike, spooned over whole grilled fish, octopus, lamb chops or simply boiled wild greens called horta.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is the dressing that defines Greek grilled fish and taverna salads: bright, grassy and lemony, with just enough body to cling to every bite.
💡 Fun Fact
Many Greek cooks never measure ladolemono; they whisk it by eye and taste, adjusting the lemon until the oil tastes like itself again, only brighter.
Greece, coastal regions and islands
37.98°N, 23.73°E
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