Greek Olive Oil and Lemon Sauce

By
Nancy Gaifyllia
Nancy Gaifyllia
A resident of Greece, Nancy Gaifyllia is a cook who writes about the country's regional specialties.
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Updated on 10/4/21
Fish
Nadine Greeff/Stocksy United
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Serving: 1 to 2 servings
Yield: 3/4 cup

Oil and lemon sauce, called ladolemono or λαδολέμονο in Greece and pronounced lah-tho-LEH-mo-no, is a classic topping for grilled fish. The sauce can be used in many ways to enhance the flavors of all kinds of seafood, but you'll find many other uses for it as well.

Don't write it off if your family turns their collective noses up at fish. Use it on vegetables or on anything else that matches well with a light oil and lemon taste combination. It's basically a vinaigrette that can add a little zing to baked chicken, steamed broccoli or a bland salad. It's especially good with salmon. 

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons lemon juice, from about 2 lemons

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 pinch sea salt

  • 1 clove garlic, minced or sliced, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Blend on high for a few seconds until the sauce becomes thick and creamy.

  2. Add to your favorite fish, vegetable or chicken dish as a seasoning. 

Tips

  • If you don't have a blender, you can use a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake it vigorously until the sauce thickens to a cream consistency. Another option is to place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with a whisk.
  • Serve the sauce on the side so your family or guests can add as little or as much of it as they like to their meals. But be warned, the sauce will separate a little after it sits for a while. You might be best off serving a just small quantity of the sauce on the table, then you can re-whisk in the kitchen when you refill the serving bowl. 
  • You can also brush the sauce onto chicken breasts or fish fillets prior to cooking. 

Recipe Variations

  • A less authentically Greek version of this sauce adds 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard. 
  • Add a pinch of oregano.

A Word About Olive Oil

Don't be tempted to substitute virgin olive oil or "regular" olive oil in a pinch. Virgin oil is produced in a similar process to extra virgin oil. It's "pure," not blended with other oils. The major difference is in the olives that are used to make it. Virgin oil is made from riper olives, resulting in about 2 percent acidity. Extra virgin olive oil has less than 1 percent acidity. What difference does it make? Virgin olive oil is good for cooking, while extra virgin oil is preferred for dressings like this one, or any time you might plan to use it in a recipe where cooking isn't required. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
482 Calories
54g Fat
2g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1 to 2
Amount per serving
Calories 482
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 54g 69%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 74mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 4mg 21%
Calcium 4mg 0%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 33mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)