This easy Italian Dressing recipe is perfect for tossing with leafy green salads, pasta salads, bean salads, grain salads, or Antipasto Salad. It’s made with fresh herbs and a healthy alternative to store-bought dressing! Vegan.
During the warm months, hearty salads are a daily occurrence. With is so much fresh abundance available this time of year, salads become a simple useful vehicle to getting these healthy nutrients into our bodies with very little cooking involved.
Each week I make a batch of homemade dressing to have on hand for quick, throw-together salads. This easy Italian Dressing (or Red Wine Vinaigrette) is one we turn to often because it compliments such a wide variety of dishes.
What I love about this homemade Italian dressing is the inclusion of fresh herbs. Adding a bit of fresh basil or Italian parsley gives the dressing a little pop of flavor, color and nutrients that you don’t often get with store-bought dressings.
Why make homemade Salad Dressing?
All too often, store-bought dressings are made with low-quality, inflammation-causing seed oils (canola, soy oil, sunflower, corn, grapeseed, rice bran, or safflower) because these are much less expensive to produce than high-quality olive oil.
The process by which these oils are made (heated to very high temps, then treated with chemicals to remove bad smells and dark color) is what is harmful to the body. Research shows that consuming too much of these seed oils creates inflammation in the body, damages our immune system, creates metabolic disease, type 2 diabetes, and the list goes on. Type 2 Diabetes did not exist until we introduced these “new” seed oils into our diets in the 1970s. A healthy diet consists of 2-4% of polyunsaturated fats, but now we are seeing an average of 10-20% of these oils in western diets, because of all the processed foods were consuming.
Store-bought salad dressing- even seemingly “good” brands that tout “Organic” and “non-GMO” are guilty of including these less expensive, harmful seed oils. Always check the labels. For more info on seed oils – read this and scroll all the way to the bottom.
The thought of people taking the time to create a beautiful, nourishing salad, then dousing it with seed oils makes me shudder! So please friends, check the labels or make your own.
What you’ll need to make Italian Dressing:
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- lemon
- garlic
- shallot
- fresh basil ( or Italian parsley)
- dried Italian herbs (or dried rosemary, thyme or oregano)
- honey, maple or a little sugar
- Salt & pepper
What to use Italian Dressing on?
- Leafy Green salads
- Antipasto Salad
- Bean Salads
- Grain Salads
- Potato Salads
- Pasta Salads
- As a marinade for Chicken
How to store Italian Dressing:
Store the dressing in a sealed jar in the fridge. The dressing will keep up to 7 days.
I think you’ll find many uses for this Italian Dressing ( aka Red wine Vinaigrette) and please let us know what you think in the comments below!
xoxo
More salad dressing recipes you may like:
- Greek Salad Dressing
- Mustard Seed Maple Dressing
- Charred Tomato Vinaigrette
- Creamy Herby Hemp Dressing
- Spirulina Dressing
- Lemony Leek Dressing
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Raw Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
- French Dressing
Italian Dressing Recipe
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: vegan, dressing
- Method: stirred
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
How to make homemade Italian Dressing from scratch- a healthier alternative to store-bought dressing that tastes way better. A simple easy recipe!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 finely minced garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon shallot, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon maple or honey (optional- see notes)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or dried oregano, dried rosemary, or dried thyme)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped ( or sub Italian Parsley)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- pinch chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk.
Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for 7-10 days and shake before using.
Use on leafy green salads, bean salads, antipasto salad, pasta salads, grain salads or as a quick marinade for grilled chicken.
Notes
Low-carb? If leaving out the maple or honey, use slightly less vinegar and add a teaspoon of dijon mustard.
If dressing tastes overly bitter, check your olive oil- some brands are quite bitter and will affect the flavor here.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 84
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 73.2 mg
- Fat: 9.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.8 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 0.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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This salad dressing is quick & easy. It was really good the day I made it… but, 2 days later, the flavors had melded together, and that salad dressing was delicious!!!
Great to hear Janet- thanks for rating and commenting- very appreciated!
I always come to your site for my dressing and marinade needs. Lovely as always!!
thanks Pamela!
Amazing and easy dressing. It’s the family’s favorite Italian dressing.
Awesome to hear Joan!
I have made this twice now and my husband loves it,so this time I used some wine that turned to vinegar ,for my red wine ,and the olive oil I used was very expensive but seems to leave a very oily taste in your mouth
Great to hear!
Perfect balance. Made with balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar, granulated garlic and parsley. A keeper
Nice! Glad it worked for you!
Our favorite dressing, thank you!
Oh nice!
Delicious! So easy to make!
Thanks so much Barbara!