Italian Salad Dressing

This Italian Salad Dressing rivals any Italian restaurant salad dressing out there.  It’s an easy homemade Italian vinaigrette recipe to have in your back pocket when you need to whip up a delicious dressing in a pinch.  This is one of my favorite homemade salad dressings!

Homemade salad dressing recipes don’t come much easier than this. This Italian vinaigrette recipe is a simple mix of olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, fresh garlic, dried oregano and basil.

Once you make this easy homemade Italian Dressing recipe, you won’t ever buy store-bought bottled dressing again.   

Italian Dressing Recipe 

We use basic ingredients that you’ll likely have on hand for this Italian dressing recipe.

• Vinegar. We use white wine vinegar here, but you can also use red wine vinegar if you prefer. It adds a nice depth of flavor to the dressing!
• Seasoning. We use dried oregano and basil  which gives this dressing a delicious Italian flavor.
• Fresh lemon juice. Fresh is best when making dressings. Don’t use the bottled stuff. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
• Garlic. Garlic adds so much flavor to dressings. 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper. A little salt and pepper enhances the combination of flavors in this dressing.
• Oil. I prefer to use extra-virgin olive oil  for dressings. It adds a light peppery flavor that tastes amazing. But you can use avocado oil if you prefer.

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

Variations

• Cheese. Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese or Feta cheese (I typically add finely grated Parmesan when I make this dressing).
• Olives. Add 1-1/2 tablespoons minced kalamata olives (If I have kalamata olives on hand, I definitely add them in.  They give this dressing a delicious pop of flavor!).
• Red pepper. Toss in 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
• Mayonnaise. Whisk in 1-1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise to make a creamy Italian dressing.

How To Make Italian Dressing 

This homemade Italian vinaigrette comes together in just about 5 minutes start-to-finish.  But it’s best if the dressing is allowed to chill in the refrigerator for up to an hour before serving.

1. Mix ingredients. Add the vinegar, oregano, lemon juice, garlic, kalamata olives , Parmesan cheese, and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk to combine the ingredients. In a slow stream, whisk in the olive oil. Better yet, add everything to a mason jar, seal the lid and shake to combine.
2. Refrigerate. This Italian dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.  When refrigerated, the olive oil in the dressing may solidify a bit. Just remove the dressing from the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before using so you can whisk it or shake it to blend again.

Serving Suggestions

• Simple green house salads – toss this homemade Italian dressing on a simple bowl of greens like this Everyday Tossed Salad.
• Pasta salads – this is the best Italian dressing for pasta salads, like this Italian Pasta Salad.
• Quinoa salads – Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
• Bean salads –  it’s also the best Italian dressing to toss this  Mediterranean Bean Salad with.
• Italian salad – this is the Italian dressing that I use when making my popular Italian Chopped Salad (which is the best Italian salad out there!)
• Marinade – this is the best Italian dressing to marinade vegetables with to toss on the grill during warm summer months.
• Bread dipping – use balsamic vinegar instead of white wine vinegar and use this dressing to dip warm crusty bread in.  (SO good!) 
• Sandwiches – drizzle 2-3 teaspoons of this Italian dressing over the tomato and lettuce on your next sandwich.

Looking For More Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes?

• Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing
• Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Greek Salad Dressing
• Honey Lime Dressing
• Avocado Salad Dressing
• Healthy Citrus Vinaigrette
• Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
• Cleansing Lemon Herb Vinaigrette
• Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
• Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 8 servings

Italian Salad Dressing

Prep Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 1 minute

Total Time 6 minutes

This Italian Salad Dressing rivals any Italian restaurant salad dressing out there.  It's an easy homemade Italian vinaigrette recipe to have in your back pocket when you need to whip up a delicious dressing in a pinch. 

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (red wine vinegar works as well)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 cup good extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, dried oregano and basil and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk to combine the ingredients.
2. Set aside for 5 minutes to marinate the oregano and basil.
3. Add the olive oil in a slow thin stream, whisking constantly to combine. Or just add  all of the ingredients to a glass mason jar, seal the lid tight and shake to combine.

Notes

Variations

• Cheese - add 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese or Feta cheese
• Olives - add 1-1/2 tablespoons minced kalamata olives 
• Red pepper - toss in 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Mayonnaise - whisk in 1-1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise to make a creamy Italian dressing

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 244Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations.