I Put This Easy DIY Sauce on Everything from Grilled Meats to Salad

I love to play with homemade sauces and dressings. There is no end to the fabulous combinations and pairings you can end up with, and often it is the sauce that makes the meal. Whether it is a homemade spicy chimichurri for grilled meats or a delicate creamy salad dressing to lift up the bounty from your garden, it is wonderful to craft just the right sauce for the right dish.

Related—Our Easiest DIY Condiments 

But sometimes I want a condiment I can make easily at scale and use on just about everything. And for me, especially in summer, that is a simple lemon caper dressing that I make in the blender for ease and stash by the quart to use over the course of a couple of weeks. Making it in the blender means no chopping or mincing—everyone in the pool at once and let the blades do the work. This punchy dressing is full of flavor, so a little goes a long way, and even better, it has a lot less oil than many dressings. 

Related—This One-Pan Dessert Is Winning My Every Backyard Cookout This Summer

These flavors go with just about everything, so I use this lemon caper dressing as (yes) a salad dressing, but also as a sauce for meats or vegetables and as a dip for crudites. It is as terrific on ribeye as it is on fish. I dip artichoke leaves in it as a nice alternative to clarified butter or toss cooked potatoes in it for a new version of potato salad. Cooked pasta becomes instant pasta salad, and rice becomes a lemony pilaf. You can marinate meats in it before they go on the grill or pull things off the grill and give them a dunk to absorb the flavors as they rest. Like I said: it's the ultimate condiment all summer long.

You can whip up this beauty it in your jar blender, or in a vessel with your immersion blender. And the recipe multiplies up beautifully, so if you have a houseful, feel free to double or triple the batch!

Makes about 2 cups

½ cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup Dijon mustard 

3 shallots, peeled and cut in quarters

⅓ cup capers

1 tablespoon honey 

¾ cup neutral oil like canola

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Place all the ingredients in your blender, or in a tall vessel to use with your immersion blender and whizz up until fully emulsified.

2. Taste and adjust seasoning (or other flavors) to your personal preference. If you want it more subtle, add more oil. If you want a little kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks in the fridge.