Food

Italian Dressing Recipe

0 6 5 minutes read

Skip the store-bought stuff and make this easy selfmade Italian dressing recipe! It’s zesty, flavorful, and ideal for salads, marinades, or drizzling over contemporary veggies.

With what number of selfmade salad dressings I’ve on the weblog how have I not shared my go-to recipe for selfmade Italian dressing?! That modifications at present!

I’ve been making my very own salad dressings for years, and when you begin, you understand how a lot better they style in comparison with store-bought. This traditional Italian dressing is one I make on repeat as a result of it’s easy, contemporary, and elevates any salad with out overpowering it. Suppose zesty, herby, and simply the correct contact of sweetness—mainly all the things you need in a dressing.

Why You Gotta Attempt This One

When you begin making selfmade salad dressings, you’ll by no means return to store-bought. Right here’s why this Italian dressing deserves a everlasting spot in your kitchen:

Really easy to make – simply whisk all the things collectively and also you’re achieved in minutes.
Cleaner and more healthy – most store-bought dressings are loaded with preservatives, processed oils, and sugar. Selfmade is more energizing, cleaner, and cheaper.
Stuffed with taste – it’s zesty, herby, and tastes means higher than something from a bottle.
Customizable – when you begin making your personal dressing, you’ll be able to simply tweak the flavors and ratios to your liking.
Versatile – good for salads (like my Italian chopped salad) and doubles as a scrumptious marinade.

Elements You’ll Want

seasonings – onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, dried basil, black pepper and sea salt. For added freshness, be happy to make use of contemporary herbs as a substitute of dried herbs.
crimson wine vinegar – I like to make use of a high-quality crimson wine vinegar (aka not the most affordable one on the shelf) for salad dressings as a result of there are minimal elements and the flavour actually shines via. White wine vinegar may even work right here, so be happy to make use of that if it’s what you will have readily available.
extra-virgin olive oil – I additionally advocate utilizing the next high quality further virgin olive oil for salad dressings like this. Save your common olive oil for cooking.
dijon mustard – mustard is a good addition to vinaigrettes. It not solely provides taste but additionally helps to emulsify the dressing.
maple syrup or honey – the additional trace of sweetness actually ties the dressing collectively and helps stability the acidity of the vinegar.
garlic cloves – I want contemporary garlic cloves, however for those who don’t love the robust taste of garlic, you could possibly additionally use dried minced garlic or garlic powder as a substitute. I’d use about 1/4 teaspoon.

Make it Your Personal

I wouldn’t change an excessive amount of about this dressing as a result of it’s a traditional for a purpose. In the event you’re feeling inventive, listed here are a number of enjoyable methods to place your personal spin on it:

Add a kick: Love somewhat warmth? Stir in a pinch of crimson pepper flakes or a splash of scorching sauce for a spicy twist.
Add some zest: A sprinkle of lemon or orange zest can brighten the entire dressing. Good for those who’re serving it with a citrusy salad or grilled seafood.
Increase the umami: For a richer, savory depth, combine in a splash of tamari or a contact of anchovy paste. It received’t style fishy—simply next-level scrumptious.

The right way to Make Italian Dressing

This Italian dressing comes collectively in lower than 10 minutes. Right here’s how one can make it:

Step 1: Add all the things to a bowl, measuring cup, or mason jar.

Step 2: Whisk till clean or pop the lid on the jar and provides it a very good shake till the dressing is emulsified. Style and alter the seasonings if wanted. Serve instantly or retailer within the fridge till later.

Brittany’s Ideas for the Finest Italian Dressing

Style and tweak: Everybody’s vinegar-to-oil choice is totally different. After mixing, style the dressing and alter with a splash extra vinegar, a contact of sweetener, or a pinch of salt.
Use a garlic press: In the event you’re utilizing contemporary garlic, a garlic press helps keep away from huge chunks and will get the flavour evenly distributed.
Make it contemporary earlier than serving: This dressing is nice made forward, but it surely actually shines when used shortly after mixing whereas the herbs and garlic are most aromatic.
Shake earlier than serving: The oil and vinegar can separate because it sits, so at all times give the dressing a fast shake or whisk earlier than pouring.

The right way to Retailer Selfmade Italian Dressing

Retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 1 week. I really like utilizing 8 oz mason jars with plastic lids—they’re the proper dimension and make it tremendous straightforward to offer the dressing a fast shake earlier than serving.

If the dressing separates (which it’ll) or thickens within the fridge, simply let it sit on the counter for a couple of minutes or place the jar in a heat water tub. Then give it a very good shake and it’s able to go!

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Serving Solutions

This Italian dressing is extremely versatile and provides taste to so many dishes. It really works as a fast marinade for grilled proteins like hen, salmon, or tofu, will be tossed with pasta, or drizzled over roasted or grilled veggies. I even love serving it as a flavorful dip for crusty bread or uncooked veggies. Listed here are a few of my favourite methods to make use of it:

On a chopped Italian salad – I particularly shared this dressing recipe to be paired with a chopped Italian salad that mixes romaine lettuce, mozzarella cheese, crimson onions, cucumbers, and pepperoncini. It’s a pure match of flavors and so scrumptious!
As a marinade – nearly all dressings can double as a marinade and this Italian dressing is not any exception. I really like marinading my air fryer hen breast on this dressing.
On pasta salad – toss it with cooked pasta and chill for a lightweight and refreshing dish. It will be scrumptious with my wholesome pasta salad.
On grain salads – strive it on a quinoa salad, farro salad, or this mediterranean orzo salad.
On roasted veggies – wonderful on roasted zucchini, roasted cauliflower, or any veggie.
On meal prep bowls – Apply it to grilled hen meal prep bowls, zoodle salad, and even falafel bowls for a lighter dressing possibility.
As a dip – Serve with heat bread or contemporary veggies as a straightforward appetizer.

These are just some of my favorites, however actually, this dressing works magic on so many dishes. Listed here are much more concepts for how one can use it: