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
We didn't name it Ken's Zesty Italian because it was shy about flavor. Robust and blanced, this dressing adds onion, garlic, red pepper, and oregano to it's oil and vinegar base to create a deliciously bright, memorable and crowd-pleasing flavor.
What are the ingredients in Kraft Italian dressing and marinade? ›
Vinegar, Water, Blend of Vegetable Oils (Soybean Oil, Canola Oil), Sugar, Salt, Garlic (Dried), Contains Less than 2% of Red Bell Peppers (Dried), Onions (Dried), Xanthan Gum, Spice, Oleoresin Paprika (Color), Potassium Sorbate and Calcium Disodium EDTA (to Protect Flavor).
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.
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 Italian seasoning made of? ›
What Is In Italian Seasoning? This kitchen staple includes dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried thyme and dried marjoram, but there are several variations that also feature additions like dried sage, fennel seeds or even spices like garlic powder or crushed red-pepper flakes.
What is used to mix dressings marinate ingredients? ›
Answer. Explanation: MIXING BOWLS- used to mix dressings, marinate ingredients, hold separate elements of a salad before assembling and used to toss and mix all the ingredients together.
Does Italian dressing tenderize 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 house Italian dressing made of? ›
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, honey, oregano, garlic, mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper. If desired, stir in the cheese.
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.
Canola Oil, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Parmesan Cheese (Pasteurized Part-Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Contains Less Than 2% Of Sugar, Garlic,* Red Bell Pepper,* Onion,* Spice, Basil, Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavor, Annatto And Turmeric (Color).
Do they use Italian dressing in Italy? ›
Despite its name, Italian dressing is not used in Italy, where salad is normally dressed with olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, salt, and sometimes balsamic vinegar at the table, and not with a pre-mixed vinaigrette.
What is the secret to a good marinade? ›
Plenty of herbs and spices
The higher the concentration of salt in the marinade, the more herbs and spices you need for the meat to absorb their taste. One of Otto's favorite herb mix marinades is an abundance of garlic, herbs, and spices: at least 3-4 cloves of garlic and at least one big tablespoon of chopped herbs.
What is the secret to a marinade? ›
You simply need to follow this simple formula: an acidic ingredient to tenderize the meat (think vinegar, juice, yogurt, or mustard), fresh herbs and spices for added flavour, and a fatty ingredient, such as oil or butter.
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.
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.
Is Italian dressing pure or mixture? ›
Oil and vinegar are the main ingredients in Italian salad dressing. Since oil and vinegar don't mix Italian salad dressing would be a heterogeneous mixture. French dressing is well mixed and it doesn't separate into different layers. We would classify French dressing as a hom*ogeneous mixture.
What type of substance is Italian dressing? ›
Italian dressing
| A dish of Italian dressing |
|---|
| Type | Salad dressing or marinade |
|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Main ingredients | Water, vinegar or lemon juice, vegetable oil, bell peppers, sugar or corn syrup, herbs and spices |
| Variations | Creamy Italian |
Salad dressing, KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing, 1 tbsp
| Protein (g) | 0.09 |
|---|
| Energy (kcal) | 108.81 |
| Sugars, total (g) | 1.33 |
| Fiber, total dietary (g) | 0.16 |
| Calcium, Ca (mg) | 1.24 |
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