Italian Salad Dressing

↓ Jump to Recipe

This Italian Salad Dressing is zesty, a touch on the vinegary side, and full of herbs and spices. If you want to add amazing Italian-American dinners to your growing list of cooking accomplishments, this homemade salad dressing is a must make recipe.

Italian dressing pouring over green salad

This recipe is my own version of the Italian Vinaigrette that my grandparents made nearly every night for dinner. Bottled dressing had no place in their house, and I don’t use it in mine. I've shared this recipe with a few close friends in the past, and they never went back to buying the bottled stuff.

Make Slow Cooker Pork Ragu, Basil Pesto Sauce, and Authentic Italian Braised Meatballs. Serve these dishes with simple green salad dressed with this Italian Vinaigrette for a perfect dinner every time. For a sweet and impressive dessert, you can’t go wrong with this no bake Italian Sweet Cream Cake called Zuccoto.

Make this recipe!

Italian Salad Dressing is a super simple recipe with only two steps. Measure and Mix!

You can easily make a large batch and store in the fridge for two weeks. That means you can have a great garden salad any night.

It is very inexpensive to make and much higher quality than most store bought dressings.

Homemade dressing is fresh. Store bought was made ages ago and has been sitting on a store shelf for who knows how long.

It has many uses beyond a simple salad. This vinaigrette can be used to dress pasta salad, marinate meat, and as a lovely glaze for grilled vegetables.

Ingredients

Olive Oil- I make all of my homemade salad dressings with extra virgin olive oil instead of cheaper vegetables oils. That small “splurge” adds amazing flavor.
Ketchup and Mustard- These may look a little unusual, but both of these ingredients add to the velvety texture and round out the taste of the red wine vinegar and olive oil. Ketchup adds sweetness that tones down the acidity of the vinegar, and mustard adds spice.

How to Make Italian Dressing.

There isn't too much too actually making this recipe.

Step 1: Measure
Step 2: Mix

FAQs

What is vinaigrette?

A vinaigrette is a salad dressing made from mixing oil, wine vinegar, and spices. There are infinite combinations and variations.

How can I use vinaigrette?

These recipes can be used as salad dressings, marinades, or sauces. Try drizzling this Italian dressing over grilled vegetables.

How long can I store Homemade Italian Salad Dressing?

Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks?

Expert Tips

You do not need any special equipment to fully emulsify (blend) this Italian dressing. I recommend mixing in a mason jar. Simply seal the jar tightly and shake until the ingredients are well combined and it starts to look a bit frothy.

This dressing needs to be stored in the fridge. Over a few days the olive oil and red wine vinegar will separate. Shake before using each and every time to keep the balance and flavor right.

The olive oil may harden in the fridge. Simply take the dressing out of the refrigerator when you start to assemble your salad. It won’t take long for the olive oil to liquefy.

If it isn’t melting quickly enough, run the jar under a little hot water in the sink. After warming it under water for a minute or two, give the dressing a good shake.