Italian Dressing

5 from 1 vote

Homemade Italian Dressing is a total game changer—way better than store-bought! With olive oil, dried herbs, Dijon, and red wine vinegar, it’s bright, tangy, and crowd-pleasing!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Condiment, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Healthy, Vegetarian

Keyword: Italian Dressing

Servings: cup of salad dressing

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $1.12

Equipment

Wide-mouth jar or a bowl

Ingredients

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard see note 1
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon granulated sugar see note 2
1/2 cup olive oil see note 3
2 tablespoons mayo full-fat, I love Hellmann’s/Best Foods, see note 4
Salt and pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, if you’d like some heat

US - Metric

Instructions

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 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.

Notes

Note 1: I love Grey Poupon® Dijon best. Make sure to use Dijon, not yellow mustard. Dijon enhances the tanginess of the dressing.

Note 2: Since vinegar and Dijon offer a fair amount of tang, I like balancing that with some sugar. If you prefer the dressing to remain tangy, leave out or reduce the sugar. For a sweeter, less tangy dressing, add a bit more sugar, slowly and to taste.

Note 3: The better the olive oil, the better the flavor of the dressing. I recommend extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe.

Note 4: I love and recommend Hellman’s/Best Foods® mayo (full fat); it has a robust flavor without being too sweet. The mayo adds a subtle creaminess as well as thickens the dressing nicely so it will cling to lettuce and/or veggies better.

Nutrition Note: Nutrition information is for the entire recipe. There are 8 servings in this dressing; each serving is 2 tablespoons. One serving contains 159 calories, 17 grams fat, and .75 grams of carbohydrates.

Storage: Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 5–7 days. If it separates or clumps (olive oil solidifies when cold), let it sit at room temp for 15–20 minutes and shake vigorously shake to re-combine.

Nutrition