== Leave a Comment
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Looking for an amazing homemade Italian dressing recipe? Look no further! This Healthy Italian Dressing is super simple to make, using basic ingredients that you likely already have on hand. Unlike store-bought dressings, this recipe contains no sugar, corn syrup or sub-par oils – just quality ingredients that will taste amazing!
This post may contain affiliate links. Delightful E Made is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Have you ever stopped to look at the nutrition label of most store-bought, bottled salad dressings? You’ll quickly discover that most store-bought dressings contain an unusually large amount of sugar and corn syrup. They’re also made with really poor quality oils.
This homemade Italian dressing recipe is a breath of fresh air! It contains no sugars, syrups or toxic oils – just good quality ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry.
Best of all, this dressing tastes way better than anything store-bought, and it’s less calories as well!
What you’ll need to make this homemade Italian dressing recipe:
- Extra virgin olive oil, or the best quality olive oil you can afford
- Red wine vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- Garlic powder
- Dried oregano
- Dried basil
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Garlic salt
- Ground pepper
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe. Thanks!
The time commitment to make this dressing is very minimal. From start to finish, it will take less than 5 minutes. I will often make this dressing after I’ve tossed a salad together or when making lunch. It’s a quick, simple and healthy option!
Pro-Tip: Dress your salad right before serving. If you dress your salad in advance, the lettuce and vegetables will become soggy and wilt.
Looking for other ways to use this Italian dressing? Check out these recipes:
- Baked Italian Chicken
- Grilled Italian Chicken
- Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
- Blueberry Spring Mix Salad
- Italian Chicken Salad
- A basic kitchen whisk (like in the photo above)
- A citrus juicer
- A bowl to mix the dressing
- Measuring spoons (to measure the spices) and a liquid measuring cup to measure the oil and vinegar.
Ingredient Substitutions and Recommendations:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I would recommend using the best quality olive oil you can afford. A good substitute to olive oil would be avocado oil. I do NOT recommend canola, corn, soy bean, sunflower, safflower, rapeseed oils, as these tend to be poor quality, and promote inflammation in the body.
- Red Wine Vinegar: A good substitute would be balsamic vinegar or a champagne vinegar.
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of the post. Thanks!
Frequently asked questions about homemade Italian dressing:
Is Italian vinaigrette same as Italian dressing?
Italian dressing is a type of vinaigrette. Vinaigrette dressings are typically an oil and vinegar based mixture.
What makes this Italian dressing healthier?
This homemade Italian dressing recipe doesn’t include sugar, corn syrup, or any other partially-hydrogenated oil (soy, corn, canola, rapeseed, safflower, sunflower, ect). This dressing recipe calls for extra virgin olive oil, which is much healthier than those other mega-transfat oils, which are considered highly inflammatory and toxic.
Is homemade salad dressing better than store bought dressing?
Yes. For several reasons, homemade salad dressing is almost always better than store bought. First, you get to control the ingredients going into the dressing, and these ingredients are fresher, and therefore taste better. Additionally, homemade dressings are less expensive to make, and more economical than store-bought.
Should I refrigerate Italian dressing?
Yes. Because this recipe includes lemon juice and garlic, it should be refrigerated. If the oil separates, simply let it come to room temperature and shake or whisk to combine. This dressing will last 7-10 days, stored in an air-tight container (like a mason jar), refrigerated.
Looking to meal prep salads for more healthy lunches? Here’s some great resources:
- Looking to get started with meal prep? This post is 5 Simple Things to Meal Prep this weekend in under an hour!
- Check out this Quick Guide to Cooking Oils from Randa Nutrition. It’s a great reference on all oils, what to avoid and best options.
- Want to get the best deal on groceries and health food? Check out my post on the 15 Things I Always Buy at Costco for healthy meals and snacks!
Here are some other resources for your healthy living journey:
- How I Gave Up Sugar and Survived
- 30 Best Healthy Snacks from Target
- Best Meal Prep Containers
- Breakfast Meal Prep Ideas
- 10 Best Health and Wellness Journals
If you loved this dressing recipe, check out some of my other dressings and salads:
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox.Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Delightful E Made.
Healthy Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe
Erin Indahl-Fink
This healthy homemade Italian dressing is the perfect substitute for store-bought salad dressing. Made with simple ingredients, this Italian dressing is amazing on a freshly tossed salad.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Dressings and Sauces
Cuisine Italian American
Calories 125 kcal
Equipment
Mixing Bowls These stainless steel mixing bowls are an essential cooking tool for every kitchen.
Citrus Juicer This hand-held citrus juicer is fantastic for fresh lime and lemon juice. Great for homemade dressings!
Salad Dressing Storage Jar This ingenious OXO salad dressing shaker and storage jar is perfect for making and storing your own dressing at home.
Mini Whisk Fantastic for small batch recipes, this mini whisk is ideal for dressings, sauces and marinades.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
In a medium mixing bowl, add the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, garlic powder, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, garlic salt and pepper.
Whisk together well. Pour over salad right away.
Notes
- Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- The dressing will likely separate once refrigerated. Let the refrigerated dressing come to room temperature. Shake or whisk together and dress your salad.
- A serving side for dressing is 2 tablespoons.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 125kcalCarbohydrates: 1gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gSodium: 101mg
Keyword homemade Italian dressing, Healthy Italian dressing, Homemade Italian dressing recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
You Might Also Like These Recipes
- Easy Greek Tortellini Salad Recipe
- Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Broccoli Potato Casserole
- Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes
- Candy Corn Krispie Cake
- Crockpot Chocolate Candy
