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
A: Yes, zesty has a little more garlic and stronger spices.
Why is Italian dressing a good marinade? ›
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 are the ingredients in Kraft Italian dressing and marinade? ›
Ingredients. 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).
Why do you have to shake Italian dressing before you serve it? ›
Thus, adding the two solutions two each other will cause layers to form and for the two solutions to separate. Therefore, it is necessary to shake oil and vinegar when added to physically mix the two to overcome their chemical aversion.
Which is better for you Italian dressing or ranch dressing? ›
Lower-Calorie Alternative to Creamy Dressings
Italian dressing makes a better alternative than many other higher-calorie options. It adds taste to salad and offers good fat. Though many calories come from fats, it is better than primarily cream-based dressings like ranch, a thousand island, or blue cheese.
Does Kraft zesty Italian go bad? ›
Typically, an unopened bottle of Kraft salad dressing can last well past the expiration date, staying fresh for several months if stored properly at room temperature. Once opened, however, the dressing's longevity is reduced, and it should be consumed within a shorter time frame to ensure its quality and safety.
How long can you marinate chicken in Italian dressing before it goes bad? ›
Information. 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.
What is the secret to a marinade? ›
Salt is the foundation of any marinade, so use it abundantly. It makes sure that moisture from the marinade gets thoroughly absorbed into all parts of the meat. This process is called osmosis: the salt pulls out the meat juices, which then get absorbed back into the meat with the marinade's flavors in tow.
Is there raw egg in Italian dressing? ›
But commercially prepared dressings are usually made with pasteurized eggs. The pasteurization process kills off bacteria (like salmonella) that raw eggs can harbor — which means they can't bug you or your baby.
How healthy is Italian dressing? ›
Is Italian dressing healthy? Yes, this Italian dressing is healthy! It's made with extra-virgin olive oil, which has heart-healthy monounsaturated fats (MUFAs). MUFAs and herbs—including the herbs in this recipe—have been shown to calm chronic inflammation.
The creamy Italian variant adds milk products and stabilizers. Italian and creamy Italian dressings are often bought bottled or prepared by mixing oil and vinegar with a packaged flavoring mix consisting of dehydrated vegetables and herbs.
Why did my homemade Italian dressing solidify? ›
But these oils will eventually start to solidify in the refrigerator because in cold temperatures, their saturated fat molecules lock together and stop moving, forming crystals.
Do they use Italian dressing in Italy? ›
The concept of a single "Italian dressing" does not exist in Italy. Instead, salads are typically dressed very simply with what many call "olio e aceto," which translates to oil and vinegar. The oil is almost invariably extra virgin olive oil, prized for its health benefits and flavor.
Why do Italians eat salad after? ›
Serving salad after the main course of a meal is an older tradition in Italy, and nowadays it is usually observed at large and formal dinners rather than during everyday meals. Eating a salad after a meal can help digestion, while eating one before a meal may help discourage overeating.
What is the meaning of zesty dressing? ›
: having a strong, pleasant, and somewhat spicy flavor. a zesty sauce.
Is zesty Italian dressing healthy? ›
Italian dressing is often considered a healthy option when compared with creamy dressings because it's lower in calories and fat. But because it can be high in sodium and the calories quickly add up if you use more than the serving size, it's still important to watch the amount you eat.
What is Italian dressing also known as? ›
Italian dressing is a salad dressing (duh), usually a vinaigrette style, that contains a combination of oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and herbs and spices like oregano, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Is Italian seasoning the same as Italian dressing mix? ›
No, the two are not the same. Italian seasoning is a blend of dried herbs, including basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sometimes marjoram. Italian dressing mix includes similar dried herbs as well as salt and additional seasonings that will create a flavorful salad dressing when mixed with oil and vinegar.
