This Italian Dressing is not just any salad enhancer; it’s a harmonious blend of robust olive oil, zesty lemon juice, and a kick of red pepper flakes, creating a symphony of flavors in every drop! The subtle sweetness of honey balances the tanginess of the vinegar, making it a versatile addition to not just salads, but also a variety of dishes, elevating them to gastronomic delights. It’s not just about taste; the simplicity and quickness of this recipe make it a go-to. A quick shake is all it takes to blend the flavors seamlessly, offering a fast-track to a memorable, flavorful meal, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned chef!
Olive Oil – While you can substitute sunflower, safflower, or avocado oil, to get a real Italian dressing I really recommend using a good olive oil here. Red Wine Vinegar – You can use either red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar for this recipe! Seasoning – Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and salt. Honey – For a little added sweetness to balance the dressing. Lemon Juice – I always recommend using freshly squeezed, use what you have on hand.
Creating this zesty Italian dressing is such a breeze; you’ll wonder why you ever opted for store-bought! So, let’s start by grabbing all our ingredients. We’ll need olive oil, red or white wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, and a few more things. Oh, and don’t forget the jar; any clean, empty jar will do. Now, let’s get to the fun part! Pour all those lovely ingredients into your jar. The olive oil, the vinegar, and all those spices need to go in. Now, tighten the lid – make sure it’s secure; we don’t want any spillages! Give it a good shake; we want all those flavors melding together nicely. And there we have it! Drizzle it generously over your favorite salad, and watch the dish come to life with vibrant flavors! And remember, it might separate a bit as it sits, so give it another shake before serving it up.
Storage
Store your Italian dressing in the refrigerator in an airtight container or jar with a lid. I prefer using a jar with a tight seal! Stored properly, your dressing will last for up to 2 weeks.
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title: “Italian Dressing” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-16” author: “Jackie Seeley”
Learn how to make it in 5 minutes, with nine simple ingredients, in a small jar. Our homemade Italian dressing is a simple and delicious recipe perfect for dressing most types of salads. You can use it in pasta salads, leafy salads, grain salads, legumes salads, and even as a marinade for grilled or air-fried recipes. All you need to do to make a tasty Italian salad dressing is add good quality extra virgin olive oil to a small mason jar with the other ingredients, put the lid on, and shake the jar well to emulsify them. Or add everything to a small bowl and whisk. Despite its name, Italian dressing is an American recipe invented around the 1940s in the United States by two Italian immigrants who were the first to make a blend of oil, vinegar, and dried herbs.If you traveled to Italy, you’d be surprised to know that there is no such thing as Italian dressing over there. Salads are dressed with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar (balsamic or white wine), and salt, and don’t use pre-mixed vinaigrettes like is common practice in the rest of the world. Our Italian dressing recipe is without parmesan cheese, so it’s suitable for anyone, including vegans and vegetarians.
Ingredients
Instructions
Serving suggestions
Tip
Shake or whisk the ingredients shortly before serving the dressing to make sure they are emulsified (mixed). Since this homemade Italian dressing does not contain artificial emulsifiers, the ingredients tend to separate after a while. That’s completely normal; all you have to do is shake the jar or whisk them again.If you want a dressing that stays together for longer, try adding a teaspoon of dijon mustard, a natural emulsifier. Store-bought Italian dressing, however, is generally made with cheaper vegetable oils, so if you don’t have extra virgin olive oil feel free to replace it with generic olive oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil.
Vinegar
You can use white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar, and for a sweeter and darker color dressing, you can even try balsamic vinegar.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice adds freshness to any homemade salad dressing. If you don’t have lemons at hand, you can replace them with the same quantity of vinegar.
Dried Herbs
We like to add dried oregano and dried basil. Other herbs that work well in Italian dressing are dried dill, parsley, fennel, and mint. Pick one or more. There are no fresh herbs in Italian dressing.
Spices
We use garlic powder and black pepper. If you like a spicier homemade dressing, you can add red pepper flakes or cayenne powder. If you want an oniony taste, you can add onion powder.
Maple Syrup
We use maple syrup to replace corn syrup, honey, and sugar. 100% maple syrup is great because it’s a natural ingredient with a great flavor, and it’s naturally vegan so anyone can have it. Agave syrup works well too.
Salt
We add salt to the dressing, so we don’t have to add it to the salad. Kosher salt and sea salt are the tastiest. Note: we don’t add parmesan cheese, so the recipe is also suitable for vegans and vegetarians. We find it’s best to serve freshly shaved or grated parmesan on the side and let people choose for themselves if they want to add it to their salad or not. Close the lid off, and shake the jar vigorously until the ingredients emulsify. If you don’t have a jar, you can whisk the ingredients in a small bowl.
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Brush on veggies and tofu: You can also drizzle the dressing on top of roasted veggies and tofu as a marinade:
Grilled eggplantSteamed artichokesVegan fish Air fryer asparagus
For more salad and veggie inspiration, check out our 25 best vegetable sides, including roasted, grilled, and steamed side dishes.
Storage
Since there’s no dairy, you can store our Italian dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week in a jar. The ingredients will separate when stored in the fridge, and that’s normal since we don’t add emulsifiers. All you have to do is take it out of the refrigerator and shake it well, or whisk again. The dressing is best served at room temperature.
Questions
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