I have a bit of a love affair with salad dressings, and Italian dressing is no exception. In fact before my switch to healthier foods, ranch was about all that got me to eat raw broccoli. Thankfullymy journey to real food brought me to love all kinds of salads even without a lot of dressing.
Nota lot of dressing is needed when it’s freshly homemadeand chock-full of herbs and spices.Asimple homemade dressing takes an ordinary salad to a completely different level.
And it’s worth it from a health perspective too. Most store-bought salad dressings contain dangerous vegetable oils(high in omega-6, which we already get too much of in the American diet) and additives like MSG and carrageenan.
Homemade dressing only takes 2 or 3 minutes to mix up, contains healthy, real ingredients like olive oil, real garlic, and spices, and stores well for weeks at a time. It’s a win win!
Italian Dressingin the Kitchen
This homemade salad dressing is one of my favorites because it not only makes a great addition to almost any salad, but it also serves as a simple marinade for almost any kind of meat. And not just meat… marinate fresh vegetables for an hour or two and then grillthem! The smoky flavors of the grill and the herbal flavors in the dressing combine perfectly for a really complex flavor blend.
I love this dressing tossed on a big salad with some leftover chicken for a quick lunch, or as a ranch alternative for dipping raw veggies. The healthy oils give an energy boost and the flavor is amazing!
Not an Italian dressing fan? You can also check out six more of my favorite DIY alternatives to conventional salad dressings in this post.
How to Make and Store Homemade Italian Dressing
This dressing will last approximately 2 weeks in the fridge, but I highly suggest making it in small amounts as needed as the flavor is definitely the best in the first few days.
For a great shortcut, make up a batch of homemade Italian seasoning mix to replace the thyme, basil, and oregano. Just use 1 ½ teaspoons of the Italian seasoning mix instead of the herbs listed in the recipe. Then it’s easy to make this recipe from memory. You may not even need to measure after a few practice runs!
They make shaker bottles for homemade dressing, but my advice is to stick to a glass mason jar. I love these tops to give any mason jar a pour spout.
Check out below the recipe for some favorite salads with Italian dressing.
Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe
A better-for-you version of Italian dressing without the highly processed vegetable oils!
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Calories 117kcal
Author Katie Wells
Servings
Ingredients
- 3 TBSP white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ tsp thyme
- ½ tsp basil
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe
Amount Per Serving (2 TBSP)
Calories 117Calories from Fat 114
% Daily Value*
Fat 12.7g20%
Saturated Fat 1.8g11%
Sodium 322mg14%
Carbohydrates 1.3g0%
Fiber 0.3g1%
Sugar 0.2g0%
Protein 0.2g0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notes
Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If refrigerated, the dressing may solidify slightly. This is perfectly okay. It happens when olive oil is chilled. Simply remove from the refrigerator about an hour before you need to use it.
Salad Combinations to Try with Italian Dressing:
- Classic chopped salad – Toss with romaine lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives (and a bit of feta if you’re in the mood!).
- Strawberry spring salad – TryItalian in place of honey mustard dressing on this favorite spring salad concoction with toasted pecans, fresh strawberries, and chicken.
- Simple summer salad – Splash a little Italian dressing overthinly sliced cucumbers and red onion with a few cherry tomatoes thrown in. Top with fresh basil leaves.
- Sweet pepper steak salad – Italian dressing is not only for chicken!
The applications are endless… for other meal ideas usingItalian dressing, try out my favoriteReal Plans meal planning tool!
What is your favorite salad dressing? Have you tried makingyour own? I’d love to hear about your favorite dressings to shake up at home!
FAQs
Distilled Vinegar, Vegetable Oil (Soybean And/Or Canola), Water, Sugar, Salt, Contains Less Than 2% Of Garlic,* Garlic, Red Bell Pepper,* Onion,* Onion, Spice, Xanthan Gum, Monosodium Glutamate, Natural Flavor, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Calcium Disodium EDTA (To Protect Flavor), Annatto Extract (Color).
What is the difference between Italian and zesty Italian dressing? ›
FAQs. What's the difference between Italian dressing and zesty Italian dressing? Regular Italian dressing and zesty Italian dressing use the same base recipe, but the zesty version has added flavor for more zing.
Why is Italian dressing a good marinade? ›
Bottled Italian dressing has everything a good marinade does: Fat, acid, salt, sugar, and a seasoning. It can be a one-ingredient upgrade to nearly any weeknight protein. I recently bought a few bottles of Italian dressing for a different recipe and didn't end up using them.
How to make store-bought Italian dressing better? ›
Adding freshly ground black pepper can often be an easy way to up your dressing game, but also freshening up any ingredient listed on the bottle can be useful. An extra dollop of mustard in your Dijon vinaigrette, or pinch of oregano in your Italian dressing can make a world of difference.
What is Italian dressing a mixture of? ›
In American cuisine, Italian dressing is a vinaigrette-type salad dressing in that consists of water, vinegar or lemon juice, vegetable oil, chopped bell peppers, sugar or corn syrup, herbs and spices (including oregano, fennel, dill and salt) and sometimes onion and garlic.
Is zesty Italian dressing good for you? ›
Made with a base of oil, vinegar, and lemon juice the Italian dressing provides a full-bodied flavor to compliment any dish. It is lower in calories and fats and is considered a healthy option as compared to cream-based dressings.
What is the most common salad dressing in Italy? ›
To dress a salad in Italy is simplicity itself: extra virgin olive oil, salt, and vinegar – but t's not as easy as it looks.
What does Italian dressing do to meat? ›
Italian dressing is one of the best steak marinades you can use, and it's a flavorful shortcut to perfectly juicy and flavorful steaks. The combination of oil and vinegar with herbs and spices makes it a delicious and powerful tenderizer. The dressing is especially handy when you're dealing with tough cuts of beef.
What is Olive Garden's dressing called? ›
Our Famous House Salad served with our signature Italian dressing (served on the side).
What is the secret to a good marinade? ›
What makes the best marinade? A good balance of fat, acid, and salt is key. Too much acid and the meat can taste pickled, too much salt and, well, it's too salty. Too much fat and the other ingredients won't have the proper concentration to work their magic.
The secret is in the straightforward ratio of base ingredients that include oil, acidic juice and soy sauce – a third, a third, a third! Add ingredients along with herbs and spices of choice, if desired in a glass jar with a lid and shake to combine.
Can you marinate chicken too long in Italian dressing? ›
Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.
Why add water to Italian dressing? ›
A Splash Of Water Makes A Smoother-Tasting Vinaigrette
Adding a touch of water won't suppress all those flavors, it'll just tone down the acidic bite. As for specific quantities, the most common rule of thumb is to add just a tablespoon of water per batch of dressing.
Who makes good seasons of Italian dressing? ›
GOOD SEASONS THE KRAFT HEINZ COMPANY-Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing 7.6 Ounces - 12 per Case-#10043000846060.
Which salad dressing is the healthiest? ›
Generally speaking, the healthiest salad dressing will be a vinaigrette like balsamic or oil and vinegar, while Caesar, ranch or anything with the word “creamy” will be the unhealthiest. The exception? We like products made with healthy swaps—think Greek yogurt in place of mayo or heavy cream.
How much sugar is in zesty italian dressing? ›
Salad dressing, KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing, 1 tbsp
| Protein (g) | 0.09 |
|---|
| Sugars, total (g) | 1.33 |
| Fiber, total dietary (g) | 0.16 |
| Calcium, Ca (mg) | 1.24 |
| Iron, Fe (mg) | 0.05 |
10 more rowsIngredients: Water, white vinegar, vegetable oil (antioxidant (320)), sugar, salt, garlic (food acid (330)), mineral salts (332, 341, 508), lemon juice concentrate (0.4%) (food acid (330), preservative (223)), vegetable gums (407, 410, 415, 440), red capsicum, herbs (0.1%) (oregano, parsley), natural flavour, onion, ...
Is there dairy in zesty italian dressing? ›
This product is likely dairy free. Which diet do you follow? Follow more than one?
