Italian Dressing
Bold, zesty, herbaceous and tangy Italian Dressing is a homemade masterpiece! This easy to make dressing far surpasses anything you can buy from the store. It’s got all of the flavors you love with none of the artificial ingredients or preservatives you don’t. Serve it tossed with some mixed greens, and enjoy every flavorful bite!
We’ve got a permanent soft spot for Italian inspired recipes! When something calls for dried herbs, olive oil, and an array of Italian seasonings, you just know it’s going to be GOOD. Get your Italian fix with recipes like Italian Wedding Soup and Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken!
Italian Dressing
We can likely all agree that when you go to an Italian restaurant (even a super Americanized one like Olive Garden), the freshly tossed salad before the meal is usually one of the best parts. That’s not because the fresh greens are so mouthwatering… No, it’s the signature Italian Dressing that keeps everyone grabbing the tongs for more.
Essentially, Italian Dressing is just dressed up olive oil! A bouquet of dried herbs, seasonings, red wine vinegar and lemon juice transform olive oil into one of the most beloved salad dressings ever.
How to Make Homemade Italian Dressing
Shake, shake, shake, señora, shake your dressing right!
- Place all the ingredients in a jar with a sealable lid. Shake well to combine.
- Serve on your favorite salad or use as a marinade.
Tips and Variations
- Serving an Italian salad as an appetizer? Beat the restaurants by also serving up some freshly baked Italian Bread and of course some Bread Dipping Oil!
- Make sure the lemon juice you’re using is really from a freshly squeezed lemon. The little plastic bottles of lemon juice can be nifty, but you’ll be able to taste the fresh flavor of real lemon juice in this tangy dressing recipe.
- Need to swap the red wine vinegar for white wine vinegar? Not a problem! Either can be used in this Italian Dressing.
- Usually, when it comes to garlic powder, we encourage measuring it with your heart! However, you don’t want the galricky flavor to overpower the other ingredients here, which it can easily do. Measure with care.
- Start with ¼ cup of vinegar, taste the dressing, and add more if needed. You may need to adjust the amount depending on the brand of olive oil used.
Storage
Storage: Keep your Italian Dressing in an airtight container at room temperature, where it’ll stay fresh for up to a week.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ to ⅓ cup red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a jar with a sealable lid. Shake well to combine.¾ cup extra virgin olive oil¼ to ⅓ cup red wine vinegar1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon dried basil1 teaspoon dried parsley1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon onion powder½ teaspoon red pepper flakes¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Serve on your favorite salad or use as a marinade.
- See post for tips and storage options.
