Italian Dressing made from scratch is a complete game changer — it’s so much better than store-bought! This dressing combines olive oil with dried herbs, Dijon mustard, and red wine vinegar for a bright and tangy dressing sure to please a crowd!
This dressing recipe is one of my all-time favorites — in fact, it’s rare there isn’t a batch of it in my fridge to use on salads throughout the week.
Italian Dressing
This Italian Dressing is bright and fresh with a hint of sweetness and a nice tanginess. It’s the perfect topping for a bed of lettuce and veggies!
It’s also so quick to whip together — faster than running to the store and buying a bottle!
Quick Tip
How To Make Italian Dressing
You won’t believe how easy this dressing is to make — all you need is a jar with a lid or a small bowl and whisk. Just combine all the ingredients into a jar and shake until combined and emulsified– or combine all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until blended. Seriously — it’s really that easy!
What’s in Italian Dressing
- Red wine vinegar. This vinegar makes the dressing punchy and tangy, which is a classic flavor in Italian dressing. It adds a nice, almost imperceptible rounding-out flavor!
- Dijon mustard. We love Grey Poupon® Dijon best. Make sure to use Dijon, not yellow mustard. There’s a big flavor difference! The Dijon further enhances the tanginess of the dressing.
- Dried herbs. We keep the seasonings simple by using just two — dried oregano and Italian seasoning. They provide all the Italian dressing flavors without an overwhelming amount of seasonings to find and measure out!
- White sugar. Since the vinegar and Dijon offer a fair amount of tang, we like balancing that out with some sugar. If you’d prefer the dressing to remain tangy, leave out or reduce the sugar. For a sweeter dressing, add a little more sugar, slowly, and to taste.
- Olive oil. The better the olive oil, the better the flavor of the dressing. We recommend extra–virgin olive oil for this recipe.
- Mayonnaise. We love and recommend Hellman’s/Best Foods® mayo; it has a robust flavor without being too sweet. Before the mayo scares you away, note that there is a very small amount, nearly imperceptible. The mayo adds a nice and subtle creaminess and thickens the dressing nicely so it will cling to lettuce and/or veggies better.
- Salt and pepper. No dressing is complete without salt and pepper, and this dressing is no exception! Add to taste preference, remembering that an extra pinch can be the difference between a good and a great dressing!
Italian Dressing Tips
- If sensitive to tanginess, I’d recommend reducing the Dijon mustard and vinegar slightly and/or adding a few additional teaspoons of sugar.
- The better the olive oil used, the richer and more robust the dressing will taste. I recommend using extra-virgin olive oil in this salad.
- If you have time, prepare the dressing ahead of time and store it in the fridge so it can intensify in flavor and be cold when ready to use or top a salad with. See “quick tip” below.
Quick Tip
If the dressing separates or forms clumps, don’t be alarmed. It’s just the olive oil solidifying, which it does at cold temps. Take the dressing out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes or so before you need it, and shake it up to remix.
How to use Italian Dressing
There are practically endless ways to use this Italian Dressing recipe, and here are some of our favorite applications:
- On a simple, everyday greens and veggies salad (like this garden salad) or a pasta salad
- As a drizzling sauce over raw veggies like carrot sticks, cauliflower florets, broccoli florets, celery sticks
- As a drizzling sauce over roasted vegetables like roasted broccoli, roasted green beans, roasted Brussels Sprouts, roasted carrots, roasted sweet potatoes, or roasted asparagus
- Use as a sandwich condiment (Toss some mixed greens with the dressing and add to a loaded sandwich.)
- Drizzle on a grain bowl with veggies and a hearty grain such as quinoa, farro, couscous, or brown rice
Storage
Storing Italian Dressing
Stored properly in an airtight container in the fridge, this Italian dressing will be usable for 5-7 days.
Note: Leftover dressing will separate and may even solidify a bit (this is because olive oil solidifies at cold temperatures). Simply let the dressing stand at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes and then vigorously shake to re-combine. Then it’s ready to use again!
If you have time, make the dressing in advance. This dressing improves if it’s made in advance and chilled; the flavors meld together and intensify; plus, it’s just better chilled!
More Salad Favorites
- Olive Garden Salad “copycat” recipe
- Greek Salad with a simple oregano vinaigrette
- Mango Salad with a creamy yogurt-based dressing
- Citrus Vinaigrette made with lemon and oranges
- Applebee’s Chicken Salad with crispy chicken
Italian Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard Note 1
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar Note 2
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil Note 3
- 2 tablespoons full-fat mayo (we love Hellmann's/Best Foods) Note 4
- Fine sea salt & pepper
- Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes if you'd like some heat
Instructions
- COMBINE: In a wide-mouth jar, combine all the dressing ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper; I add 1/4 up to 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, but add to preference. Shake briskly to combine and emulsify. (Don't have a jar? Whisk in a bowl instead!) It might take a minute of good vigorous shaking, but the mayo should completely integrate (keep shaking or whisking until it does). Taste and adjust the flavors to personal preference. If you have time, make this ahead and chill in the fridge to intensify the flavors. Shake again right before using.
- STORAGE: Store in the fridge until ready to use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this dressing will be usable for 5-7 days. Heads up: Leftover dressing will separate and may even clump a bit (because olive oil solidifies at cold temperatures). Simply let the dressing stand at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes and then vigorously shake to re-combine. Then it's ready to use again!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
As your sister, I’ve been putting this dressing on literally everything recently!!
So happy you love this Italian Dressing! Thanks Heather!
Where do you put the Pin in your recipes? I can’t seem to find it and would like to save some of these to my Pinterest
Thanks
Sorry Michelle! We are working on getting it fixed right now! Thank you!!