Homemade Italian Dressing
Published 6/16/2022
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Make your own Homemade Italian Dressing at home with Ingredients you already have on hand. There are no added preservatives, it’s easy to make, and so good for you. Drizzle it over your favorite healthy salad recipe today.
Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe- It’s So Easy
There are so many different Italian salad dressings on the market, forget about them! Forget the store bought Italian dressing and make your own right in the comfort of your own home. You only need a few ingredients to make a classic Italian dressing that you can serve over a crunchy salad or a delicious pasta salad.
Why you’ll love it!
- It is so easy to make. Just throw everything into a bowl or jar and mix.
- You can keep this homemade Italian dressing in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Not only is this homemade Italian dressing a perfect dressing to top any salad, but it is also a great marinade for chicken, pork, steak, veggies, and more.
- This Homemade Italian Dressing is a healthy spin on a classic salad dressing without all of the preservatives and added sugar.
Featured Ingredients
We weren’t joking that this homemade Italian dressing is so easy to make. Honestly, you probably have everything you need for the dressing in your pantry right now! Check out the ingredients for this homemade Italian dressing recipe below.
- Olive oil: olive oil acts as a binder for many dressing recipes or vinaigrette. We use olive oil but you can use your favorite oil as a binder as well. You can use olive oil or extra virgin olive oil.
- Vinegar: you can’t skip the vinegar for this Italian dressing recipe because it adds the perfect bite and flavor to this dressing. We use rice vinegar but you can use white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or a combination of any of these types of vinegar.
- Lemon juice: a little citrus goes a long way in dressing recipes. Fresh lemon juices adds a freshness and brightness to any dressing.
- Italian seasoning: the Italian seasoning adds many different wonderful flavors to this dressing. We highly suggest making our homemade Italian seasoning that is a combination of simple dried herbs. Our homemade seasoning is made of minced dried garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and more. It’s a big step up from a store bought, classic Italian seasoning.
- All-natural sweetener: a bit of honey is all you need to cut the savory and saltiness in this dressing.
here’s a tip
If you have a store bought Italian seasoning at home it is usually made of dried oregano, basil, parsley, and other green herbs. Take it up a notch and add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, a teaspoon of garlic powder, and a teaspoon of kosher salt to your mix. It will really take it to the next level.
the best
Italian Seasoning Recipe
One ingredient that brings this Italian Dressing up a notch is a quality Italian seasoning. We love to use our u003ca href=u0022https://fitfoodiefinds.com/italian-seasoning/u0022u003ehomemade Italian seasoningu003c/au003e because it has so much flavor.
How to Make Italian Dressing from Scratch
- Place all of the ingredients for this Italian dressing into a salad dressing jar or mason jar. You can also add all of the ingredients to a bowl except for the olive oil and mix. Then, drizzle oil into the bowl and whisk until combined.
- Cover the jar with a lid and shake until all the ingredients are combined.
- Pour the dressing over a salad, vegetables, or use it as a marinade!
Storage
Store this Italian dressing in an air-tight jar for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
How to use Italian dressing
There are many different ways you can use this Italian dressing that isn’t just on a salad! Check out our favorite ways below.
- Use this Italian dressing as a marinade for chicken, pork, steak, vegetables or tofu.
- Pour this Italian dressing over pasta, add veggies, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together and you’ve got a pasta salad.
- Make this Italian dressing your new favorite simple vegetable dip. We like to dip tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, and other fresh veggies into this dressing for a little extra flavor.
Homemade Italian Dressing FAQ
Most Italian dressing is made with oil, vinegar, a mix of dried herbs and spices and citrus.
We like to use Italian dressing as a dressing for green salads, pasta salad, as a dip, or marinade.
Italian dressing tastes light, bright, and a little tart.
To thicken your Italian dressing we recommend adding a bit of dijon mustard or butter milk.
Italian Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a mason jar and twist the lid on tight.
- Shake mason jar until all ingredients are combined.
- Serve over your favorite salad or use as a marinade.
Tips & Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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First of all, I think the recipe itself is very well-written and easy to follow. The ingredients are all common pantry items, so it’s a convenient recipe to make on the fly without having to go to the grocery store. I also appreciate that the recipe is customizable in terms of the vinegar and oil used, as well as the ratio of herbs and spices to suit personal preferences.
In terms of the nutritional content, homemade dressings are often healthier than store-bought ones because they don’t contain preservatives or added sugars. This recipe is no exception – it’s a low-calorie, low-sugar option that can be used to liven up a variety of dishes.
Lastly, I appreciate the versatility of this recipe. The dressing can be used on salads, as a marinade for meats, or even as a dip for vegetables. It’s a great staple to have in the fridge for easy meal prep throughout the week.
Overall, I think this Homemade Italian Dressing recipe from Fit Foodie Finds is a winner. It’s easy to make, customizable, healthy, and versatile. I would definitely recommend giving it a try!
Thank you so much for this thoughtful review!
Oh my goodness! I’ve been wanting to make my own salad dressing. Thank you for sharing this!
Love love loving the rice vinegar! Good thing I just stocked up on a new bottle 😉 The best!
Homemade dressings are always so much better than store bought ones. I’m going to give this one a try this weekend.
Question: How long does this last in refrigerator? Or do you recommend leaving on room-tempature counter in sealed container?
Thanks!!
I’d say this needs to be used within a week or so just because there’s fresh lemon juice (which you could omit) and there’s no preservatives!
Love this recipe and the use of the coconut sugar and rice vinegar! Sounds awesome! Can’t wait to try it out.
Have fun at the party! Sounds like my idea of a fun time as well 🙂
THANKS! I love substituting with coconut sugar when I can!
I love this recipe! I seriously struggle with making my own dressing–like, I actually jus sprinkle lemon juice on everything 😀 NOT THE SAME. Have a great weekend!
I DO THAT TOO. Especially at Chipotle 🙂
Sounds like you’ll have a terrific weekend Lee, enjoy! 😀
This recipe sounds great, I’ll try it this weekend when due to the heatwave the only thing we’ll probably eat are salads and ice cream (and chilled mojito & lemonade 😉
I have just 1 question: why is there need to add lemon juice to the vinegar? Why not only one of them? Thanks!
The vinegar is a great base for the dressing and I added lemon juice because I love the flavor! If you’re going to use one or the other, I’d use the vinegar 🙂