This Italian Dressing is made with classic Italian herbs and fresh garlic mingle with citrusy lemon juice, smooth Dijon mustard and tangy red wine vinegar. This ultra flavorful condiment is like never before and perfect for elevating all your salads! Vegan, gluten-free, low carb, paleo and easily keto and Whole30 compliant.
PIN HERE for later and follow my boards for more recipe ideas
Zesty Homemade Italian Dressing
Did you know that Italian dressing actually originated in the United States? It was created by a family of Italian heritage and features common ingredients of the cuisine, but the condiment is mainly served in the US to this day. This Italian Dressing recipe is our version of the American dream!
The texture is just right and all of the flavors balance each other beautifully. The aroma alone will practically have you drooling! And you can easily adjust the ingredients in the recipe based on your personal tastes. Plus, you don’t even need a blender or food processor to bring your dressing to life!
And if you need more healthy dressing recipes to try, be sure to check out our these 10 delicious homemade salad dressings.
Is Homemade Salad Dressing Healthy?
Homemade salad dressing is definitely a healthier option than its bottled counterparts. Dressings that sit in stores are almost always made with preservatives to increase their shelf lives. Not only is this recipe free from those, but it also contains no refined sugars or corn syrup, which are often used in Italian dressing. On top of that, this version is vegan, paleo, gluten-free and can be made Whole30 and Keto.
What You’ll Need
Brace yourself! Thinking about all these yummy ingredients will likely make your stomach rumble.
- Avocado Oil: Or extra-virgin olive oil.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Don’t use white vinegar – it won’t provide the same flavor or health benefits as red wine vinegar.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed.
- Pure Maple Syrup: For keto dressing, use coconut flower nectar syrup, Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup or your preferred liquid sweetener. Use homemade date syrup or omit the sweetener for Whole30. Honey is another good alternative for non-vegans.
- Dried Italian Seasoning: You can make your own by combining 1/3 teaspoon each of dried oregano and dried basil with 1/4 teaspoon each of dried rosemary and dried thyme.
- Dijon Mustard: For a touch of spice and a creamy consistency.
- Minced Garlic: Or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Onion Powder: You could also use 1 small shallot or 1/4 small red onion, very finely chopped.
- Sea Salt: Added to taste.
How to Make Italian Dressing
This dressing is so easy to throw together for meal prep or right before you plan to serve it. First thing’s first – round up the above ingredients.
- Combine Ingredients: Add all the ingredients to a medium-sized jar or bowl. Shake or whisk until well combined. Alternatively, you can add them to a small food processor or a high-speed blender and puree until the mixture is smooth.
- Give it a Taste: Taste your dressing and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Serve or Store: Serve the dressing immediately or keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
Tips for Success
As always, I have some helpful tips to guide you in the right direction while working with this recipe.
- Don’t Use Fresh Herbs: I know, I usually advocate for using fresh ingredients, but it’s important to remember that dried herbs provide a lot more flavor than fresh ones. If you really want to use fresh herbs, you’ll have to add about 3 times the amount, which may change the texture of the dressing.
- Avoid Small Mixing Bowls: It takes a good bit of mixing to get the oil and vinegar to blend together. If your bowl is too small, it will be difficult to whisk it well enough.
- Adjust it to Your Palate: Not everyone likes their Italian dressing the same exact way. If you taste it before you serve it, you can fine-tune the flavor until it’s perfect for you.
- Keep it Chilled: No preservatives means no storing at room temperature. Make sure you put this dressing in the fridge if you’re not enjoying it right away.
Serving Suggestions
Not only can you pair this dressing with your favorite Italian salads, but there are plenty of other ways to serve it too! Here are some of our all-time favorite options:
- Caramelize Veggies: Pouring this dressing over fresh vegetables and roasting them in the oven is unthinkably delicious! We like using zucchini, carrots and mushrooms.
- Pasta Salads: Pair it with your favorite pasta salads to add some freshness and flavor!
- Marinate Meat: Whether you’re cooking steak or chicken, this Italian vinaigrette makes a mean marinade. It will infuse your meat with tons of flavor while tenderizing it to perfection – and it works with tofu too!
- Dunk Fries: Partnering fries with ketchup can get old after a while. Why not use a dip with new, exciting flavors? This dressing is a clever choice, and paired with these crispy Avocado Fries – heaven in an appetizer!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover Italian salad dressing should be stored in an airtight container or resealable jar in the fridge. It will stay good for up to 1 week. Shake or whisk it very well before using.
Can I Freeze Italian Dressing?
Technically, you can, but I don’t recommend it. Salad dressings like this one separate while they thaw out. Once that happens, getting them re-combined isn’t very doable.
More Salad Dressings to Try
Don’t go yet! You definitely don’t want to miss out on the delightful recipes below.
This Italian Dressing is made with classic Italian herbs and fresh garlic mingle with citrusy lemon juice, smooth Dijon mustard and tangy red wine vinegar. This ultra flavorful condiment is like never before and perfect for elevating all your salads! Vegan, gluten-free, low carb, paleo and easily keto and Whole30 compliant.
- 1/3 cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup for keto, sub with coconut flower nectar, Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup, honey if not vegan or preferred liquid sweetener. Omit or use date syrup for Whole30
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning or ⅓ tsp each of dried oregano & basil and ¼ tsp each of dried rosemary and thyme
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 large garlic clove minced, or 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder or 1 small shallot or ¼ small red onion, very finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
Add all the ingredients for the dressing in a medium jar or to a bowl. Shake or whisk until combined. Alternatively, add to a small food processor or a high-speed blender and puree until smooth.
Adjust any seasoning to taste, then chill in the fridge until ready to use.
Store any leftovers in a resealable jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Shake well before using.
How to Store
You can keep this dressing chilled in the fridge for up to 1 week. Be sure to store it in an airtight container or resealable jar. Give it a good shake or stir before using it to re-combine all of the ingredients.
How to freeze:
Salad dressings generally don't freeze well, as the ingredients tend to separate while they thaw.
But if you'd like to do some experimentation, try freezing small portions in an ice cube tray for up to 1 month, thawing them out in the fridge and mixing/shaking the thawed mixture very well before using.
Leave a Comment