Easy homemade Italian dressing recipe that is quick and takes just 5 minutes to put together. This healthy salad dressing recipe is made with olive oil, wine vinegar, herbs and spices. Learn how to make the best Italian dressing from scratch.
Italian dressing is a healthier option to most cream dressings. It goes with most kinds of salads and also makes a great marinade that can be used on fish, beef, chicken, other meats, pasta, and Italian dishes.
I like making Italian salad dressing at home because I like the taste and its versatility. Not only is it easy and quick to make, but it's also inexpensive to make from scratch.
This authentic Italian dressing recipe is so simple. No cooking, no blending, no stress. Just add all the ingredients in a jar, cover, shake and you have your Italian vinaigrette. That's all!
If you have a homemade Italian seasoning mix in your cupboard, it's even better but do not worry if you don't you can simply measure out the herbs.
Italian Dressing Recipe
With this DIY Italian dressing recipe, you don't need an Italian seasoning packet. It's from scratch and I promise you it won't take much of your time.
It makes use of simple ingredients and you can customize by adjusting the pepper, herbs and spices to suit your taste.
Homemade Italian dressing is best because not only do you know what's in it, there's no artificial preservative in it and make use of ingredients you can pronounce.
It's healthy, better than store-bought, you can make as much as you require anytime you want and you save money, so say goodbye to store-bought.
This recipe makes 1 cup of dressing. You can save some for later or double this recipe if you want to make a big batch.
Ingredients for Italian Dressing
Detailed ingredient list, measurements, and direction are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - This is what I use but if you don't have it on hand, you can replace it with olive oil.
Red wine vinegar or White wine vinegar - You can use any of the two or even use half and half. The difference is in the colour of the dressing and tang. Red wine gives a darker colour dressing. They are both perfect and I use any of the two based on what I have at home at the time.
Parmesan cheese - You don't have to use this but it takes the dressing up a notch and I like using it in mine. It should be finely grated before use. If you are in the UK, this is sold as Parmigiano-Reggiano in stores.
Lemon juice - This is optional but I like to add few drops.
Honey - You can use sugar in place of honey.
Oregano
Basil
Parsley
Garlic
Black pepper - You can replace with cayenne pepper or chilli flakes. Adjust quantity to how you see fit.
If you have a homemade Italian seasoning mix, use 1 teaspoon and omit parsley, oregano, and basil from the ingredient list.
How to make Italian Dressing
You wouldn't believe how easy this homemade Italian dressing recipe is, so easy you can watch a child make it. I almost didn't make a video for it because of how simple it is but I still did anyway as I like to give you visuals of my recipes.
Add extra virgin olive oil in a jar, add wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic and all the other ingredients.
Close the jar with its lid and shake to combine the ingredients.
It's ready to use.
What is Italian dressing used for
It is versatile and can be used on a variety of foods such as
Salads and coleslaws.
Chicken, seafood, meats.
Spread on sandwiches and pizza.
Roasted and steamed vegetables.
How to Store
This Italian dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If you omit the parmesan cheese, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. To use, leave in the fridge overnight to thaw then bring out and let it come to room temperature. Shake well before use.
More Easy Homemade Recipes on the blog
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. If you find this post helpful, rate it 5 stars and leave me a comment below.
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Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Wine Vinegar Red or White
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice optional
- 2 tablespoon Parmesan finely grated
- ⅛ teaspoon Oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon Parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon Basil
- ⅛ teaspoon Garlic
- ¼ teaspooon Black pepper or chilli flakes or cayenne pepper
- If you have a homemade Italian seasoning mix, use 1 teaspoon and omit parsley, oregano, and basil from the ingredient list.
Instructions
- Add extra virgin olive oil in a jar, add wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic and all the other ingredients.
- Close the jar with its lid and shake well to combine the ingredients.
- It's ready to use.
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