Chef Dimitra
Aegean Islands Ladolemono (Λαδολέμονο)
Aegean ladolemono is the quick oil-and-lemon sauce for grilled fish, boiled greens, and potatoes: cloudy when beaten hard, sharp enough to wake everything it touches on the plate.
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Macedonian Ladoxido (Λαδόξιδο)
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Macedonian ladoxido is the Greek table's oil-and-vinegar dressing, sharper than ladolemono, built for horta, beans, cabbage, and anything that needs good olive oil and a clean bite.
Sauces & Condiments
Greek
Quick Meal
Weeknight
Budget Friendly
5 min
Active Time
0 min cook•5 min total
YieldAbout 180ml, enough for 4 to 6 servings
Macedonian ladoxido is the oil-and-red-wine-vinegar dressing of the northern table: sharper than ladolemono, plainer, and very useful. It belongs on boiled horta, beans, cabbage, beets, roasted peppers, and grilled food that wants bite more than perfume.
The whole dressing rests on one small order of work. Salt the vinegar first, then add the oil. If you put everything in together, the salt hides in the oil and you chase the flavor around the bowl. Dissolve it in the vinegar and the dressing becomes even, bright, and rounded by the heavier hand of olive oil.
This is not a sauce to show off. It is the thing already waiting beside the pot, made in a jar, shaken again when it separates, spooned over Tuesday food. Λίγα και καλά: good vinegar, good oil, and no drama. My mother kept a little jar of it for greens in Thessaloniki, and that is exactly the kind of recipe worth writing down.
Ladoxido belongs to the older Greek family of table dressings made from what a household stored: oil from the press and vinegar from wine, before lemons became the default acid in many urban kitchens. In Macedonia and Thrace, vinegar remained especially natural with winter greens, cabbage, pulses, and beets, foods tied to cold-weather cooking and the Orthodox fasting table. Unlike ladolemono, which is strongly associated with fish and lemon-growing regions, ladoxido carries the inland wine-cellar logic of the mainland.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil
Quantity
135ml
good red-wine vinegar
Quantity
45ml
garlic clove (optional)
Quantity
1 small
lightly crushed
fine sea salt
Quantity
3g
dried Greek oregano (optional)
Quantity
1g
rubbed between the fingers
freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Quantity
to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil | 135ml |
| good red-wine vinegar | 45ml |
| garlic clove (optional)lightly crushed | 1 small |
| fine sea salt | 3g |
| dried Greek oregano (optional)rubbed between the fingers | 1g |
| freshly ground black pepper (optional) | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •small glass jar with tight lid, 250ml
- •small whisk, optional
Instructions
- 1
Salt the vinegar
Put the red-wine vinegar and salt in a small jar or bowl and stir until the salt dissolves. This is the step that decides the dressing. Salt dissolves in vinegar, not in oil, so do it first and the ladoxido tastes clean instead of gritty and uneven.
If your vinegar is very sharp, keep the same 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil and add another teaspoon of oil at the end. Don't sweeten it. That's not this dressing. - 2
Add the oil
Add the olive oil, the crushed garlic if using, the oregano if it belongs with what you're dressing, and a little black pepper. Whisk hard for 20 seconds, or close the jar and shake until the dressing turns cloudy and green-gold.
- 3
Rest briefly
Let it stand for 5 minutes if you've added garlic, just long enough to perfume the vinegar without taking over the bowl. Remove the garlic before serving if you want the old table version, sharp and plain.
- 4
Dress and serve
Shake or whisk again right before using. Spoon it over boiled horta, white beans, cabbage salad, roasted peppers, grilled fish, or a plate of beets while the food is still warm enough to drink the oil. Ladoxido separates as it sits. That's normal. Shake it and carry on.
Chef Tips
- •Use red-wine vinegar that tastes clean and alive, not harsh enough to catch in the throat. If the vinegar is poor, no whisk will rescue it.
- •Oregano is not automatic. Use it for cabbage salad, beans, roasted peppers, or grilled food. Leave it out for delicate boiled greens if you want the green taste to stay clear.
- •This is nistisimo, naturally fasting food. It makes boiled vegetables, pulses, and bread into a meal without pretending they need meat beside them.
Advance Preparation
- •Make it up to 3 days ahead without oregano for the cleanest flavor. Keep it covered at room temperature for the day, or refrigerate longer and let the oil loosen before shaking.
- •If using garlic, add it no more than 30 minutes before serving, then remove it. Garlic left too long bullies the vinegar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 29g)
Calories
180 calories
Total Fat
20 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
17 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
200 mg
Total Carbohydrates
0 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
0 g
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