Get ready to elevate your salads with this irresistible homemade Italian Dressing Recipe! Bursting with authentic Italian flavors, this dressing will transport your taste buds to the streets of Rome. Say goodbye to store-bought dressings and hello to a fresh, zesty, and homemade dressing that will take your salads to a whole new level of deliciousness as you drizzle, toss, and savor every bite!
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Why you’ll love making homemade Italian Dressing
- When you need a salad dressing made fast, this is the recipe for you! Our go-to Italian Dressing is ready in 10 minutes or less.
- Salad dressings are so simple to throw together! Just add everything to a bowl and mix it up. Easy and so much better than a store-bought dressing!
- A great thing about making an oil and vinegar-based dressing is that it lasts a week or more in the fridge. Meal prep is a breeze!
- Whether it’s a tossed green salad or pasta salad, this fantastic zesty Italian dressing recipe is perfect for any salad. Get creative and use it as a marinade as well.
- This recipe is so much better than store-bought. It’s healthier because the ingredients are all natural and the flavor is much more powerful. This truly is the BEST Italian dressing recipe!
Ingredients you’ll need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
How to make Italian Dressing with step-by-step instructions
A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
It couldn’t be more simple to make this easy homemade Italian Dressing recipe!
Whisk together all of the ingredients: extra-virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, honey, oregano, parsley, Dijon mustard, thyme, basil, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl.
Taste the dressing and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve immediately at room temperature, or save the salad dressing in a jar or bottle for later.
Recipe notes and expert tips
- Double batch: We like having this homemade dressing recipe on hand for salads throughout the week. Make a double (or even triple) batch and save the rest for later.
- Vinegar: You can switch out the white wine vinegar for red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or even apple cider vinegar if needed.
- Add a little heat: If you like it spicy, a pinch or two of red pepper flakes is amazing in this Italian Salad dressing recipe. The heat will intensify as it sits in the dressing, so don’t add too much!
- Garlic: We used fresh garlic as it packs a punch of flavor and tastes incredible. In a pinch, garlic powder or even onion powder can be substituted.
- Oil: If you’re not a fan of the slightly bitter taste of extra virgin, switch the oil for light-tasting olive oil or avocado oil.
- Shake it up! You’ll find that the olive oil and vinegar separate in the container when stored. Make sure your container has a tight lid and shake vigorously before drizzling Italian Dressing over your salad.
- Make it vegan: Substitute the honey for maple syrup to make this delicious dressing recipe vegan.
How to store leftover Italian Dressing
Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container (like a mason jar or a glass bottle) in the fridge for up to a week.
Pro tip: Olive oil can sometimes turn solid and cloudy in the fridge.
This is natural and perfectly edible; however, you may need to allow it to sit out of the fridge or run the container under warm water to melt the oil back to its original state.
What to serve with Italian Dressing
This great Italian Dressing recipe is delicious on green salads (of course!). Try it with our
Make an Italian Pasta Salad with pasta, fresh tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella or freshly grated parmesan cheese, drizzled in delicious Italian Dressing.
This idea is great for sharing as a side dish at potlucks or even for meal prep!
Italian Dressing also makes a delicious marinade. Marinate mushrooms, tofu, or halloumi in this homemade salad dressing overnight before cooking.
The flavors are simply incredible.
More easy homemade dressing recipes for you to try
- Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- Chili and Lime Salad Dressing
- Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Vegan Cesar Dressing
Easy Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp White wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- ½ tsp Dried parsley
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp Dried thyme
- ½ tsp Dried basil
- ¼ tsp Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Italian Dressing
- Whisk together olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, honey, oregano, parsley, Dijon mustard, thyme, basil, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp White wine vinegar, 2 tbsp Lemon juice, 2 cloves Garlic, 1 tsp Honey, 1 tsp Dried oregano, ½ tsp Dried parsley, ½ tsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp Dried thyme, ½ tsp Dried basil, ¼ tsp Sea salt, Freshly ground black pepper
Notes
- Storage: Store any leftover salad dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It may last even longer: look, smell, and taste it before tossing.
- Double batch: We like having this homemade Italian dressing recipe on hand for salads throughout the week. Make a double (or even triple) batch and save the rest for later.
- Vinegar: You can switch out the white wine vinegar for red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or even apple cider vinegar if needed.
- Add a little heat: If you like it spicy, a pinch or two of red pepper flakes is amazing in this Italian Salad dressing recipe. The heat will intensify as it sits in the dressing so don’t add too much!
- Garlic: We used fresh garlic as it packs a punch of flavor and tastes incredible. In a pinch, garlic powder or even onion powder can be substituted.
- Oil: If you’re not a fan of the slightly bitter taste of extra virgin, switch the oil for light-tasting olive oil or avocado oil.
- Shake it up! You’ll find that the olive oil and vinegar separate in the container when stored. Make sure your container has a tight lid and shake vigorously before drizzling Italian Dressing over your salad.
- Make it vegan: Substitute the honey for maple syrup to make this delicious dressing recipe vegan.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.
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