Italian Dressing Recipe

Meggan Hill

• Updated

5 from 11 votes

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

Leave a ReviewJump to Recipe

I couldn’t live in a world without a good homemade Italian Dressing Recipe. This one is quick, easy, and works delicious magic on anything from baby greens to a plate of homegrown tomatoes. So much better than Olive Garden, and not a filler or artificial ingredient in sight.

Italian dressing in a clear bowl on a countertop.


 

This homemade salad dressing is inspired by the legendary dressing at Olive Garden. It’s infused with red wine vinegar, lemon, honey, herbs, and Parmesan cheese. It’s packed with flavor and so easy to make, you might never open a store-bought bottle again!

And honestly, you don’t need to. I’m not a food snob, and I don’t mind convenience products or cutting corners, but I draw the line at store-bought dressing. If you have the ingredients, making dressing from scratch is always the best way to go. You’ll get the best, freshest taste and have all the control to make exactly what you want.

Table of Contents

  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Step-by-step instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Frequently Asked Questions
  6. Italian Dressing Recipe Recipe

Recipe ingredients

Italian dressing ingredients labeled in bowls.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Lemon juice: To add fresh lemon zest, zest the lemons before cutting in half to squeeze for juice.
  • Mustard: Dijon mustard adds flavor and aids in emulsification. Or substitute ¼ teaspoon ground mustard powder.
  • Herbs: I like a mixture of dried basil, dried oregano, and dried parsley. Or, substitute 1 ½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning. To substitute fresh herbs, use 1 tablespoon of each.

Step-by-step instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, basil, oregano, parsley, and garlic powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper).
Italian dressing in a clear bowl on a countertop.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This Italian salad dressing recipe makes about 1 cup of dressing, enough for 8 servings, 2 tablespoons each.
  • Storage: Store leftover vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Make ahead: Make the dressing up to 3 days in advance. For best results, leave out the Parmesan cheese and sprinkle it on your salad right before tossing.
  • Mix it up: Whisk it up in a bowl or shake it up in jar with a lid. Either way you’re good to go. I always use a jar when I’m making extra or plan to store it for a few days. White wine vinegar works in place of the red wine vinegar if that’s all you have.
  • Creamy italian dressing: Add ½ cup good quality mayo (Hellman’s or Best Foods) to the dressing.
  • Fresh herbs: Use about twice the amount the recipe calls for because the equivalent in dried herbs takes up less room in the measuring spoons. Onion powder and red pepper flakes are excellent additions, too.
  • Fresh garlic: Substitute 1-2 garlic cloves (minced) for the garlic powder.
  • Marinade: The dressing makes an excellent marinade for chicken (especially if you’re grilling it). Just combine in a bowl or plastic bag and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
A bowl of Mediterranean chopped salad.
This Mediterranean Chopped Salad has all your favorite Greek flavors on a bed of fresh, leafy romaine lettuce. It’s so delicious with homemade Italian Salad Dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best olive oil for salad dressing?

I look for extra virgin olive oil whenever I’m making salad dressings (Cobram Estates is my favorite brand). Because you aren’t cooking the oil, the flavor can really make a difference.

What is organic red wine vinegar?

Organic red wine vinegar is made from a variety of organic Italian grapes. Spectrum brand red wine vinegar is organic and is a product of Modena in Italy.

More delicious recipes

Join Us

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for our latest recipes! Tag all your glorious creations #culinaryhill so we can eat vicariously through you.
Italian dressing in a clear bowl on a countertop.

Italian Dressing Recipe

By Meggan Hill
I couldn't live in a world without a good homemade Italian Dressing Recipe. This one is quick, easy, and works delicious magic on anything from baby greens to a plate of homegrown tomatoes. So much better than Olive Garden, and not a filler or artificial ingredient in sight.
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Servings 8 servings (2 tbsp each)
Course Pantry
Cuisine American, Italian
Calories 140
5 from 11 votes
ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, basil, oregano, parsley, and garlic powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Store covered in the refrigerator.

Notes

  1. Lemon juice: To add fresh lemon zest, zest the lemons before cutting in half to squeeze for juice.
  2. Mustard: Dijon mustard adds flavor and aids in emulsification. Or substitute ¼ teaspoon ground mustard powder.
  3. Herbs: I like a mixture of dried basil, dried oregano, and dried parsley. Or, substitute 1 ½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning. To substitute fresh herbs, use 1 tablespoon of each.
  4. Yield: This Italian salad dressing recipe makes about 1 cup of dressing, enough for 8 servings, 2 tablespoons each.
  5. Storage: Store leftover vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 tbspCalories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 58mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 24IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
Website | + posts

Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

Questions and Comments

Thank you for your comments! Please allow 1-2 business days for a reply. Our business hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am PST to 5:00 pm PST, excluding holidays. Comments are moderated to prevent spam and profanity.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  2. I have made this dressing about once a month for the past 2 years. I don’t use the Parmesan, and it keeps well. It has become our favorite. Thanks!

    Reply

  4. I thought this was the recipe that had celery, poppy, and sesame seeds in it, but I don’t see them listed in the ingredients. Has the recipe been changed to omit those, or am I thinking of a different recipe? Thanks.

    Reply

    1. Hi Sally, your comment makes me laugh and feel sad at the same time. Sad because – yes I changed it! It’s not the same one. I woke up one day and looked at the recipe and I was like – this makes no sense, Italian salad dressing isn’t orange and doesn’t have all those seeds?? What was I thinking. So I changed it resemble something you might get at Olive Garden. And then I said to myself, well no one has ever made this anyway, no one will notice it’s different, and now I laugh because at least ONE person made it the old way. You. Long story to say, sorry about that! The original recipe with all the seeds was for my California Pasta Salad which still exists on the site, so I’ve copied and pasted the dressing from there below. So it’s not lost and gone forever, but I’m really sorry for the confusion. Maybe I’ll add it back to the site under a new name, like California Salad Dressing. LOL. Thank you! Sorry again. -Meggan

      Ingredients:

      1 cup olive oil
      1/2 cup red wine vinegar
      1/4 cup parmesan cheese
      1 tablespoon sesame seeds
      2 teaspoons dried oregano
      2 teaspoons poppy seeds
      2 cloves garlic finely minced
      1 teaspoon paprika
      1/2 teaspoon celery seed
      1/4 teaspoon Salt or more to taste

      Directions: In a small bowl, or in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, add olive oil, red wine vinegar, parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, oregano, poppy seeds, garlic, paprika, celery seed, and salt. Whisk or shake until combined. Allow flavors to blend and store covered in the refrigerator.

  6. Hi Meggan – I just stumbled on your page and I will be doing some more investigating, ‘cause everything looks great so far! Question on this recipe: how long will it last in the fridge? It’s just the two of us here and we love salads (and Italian dressing) but ya gotta change it up now and then, amirite? LOL. Maybe I should halve the recipe for us? What do you think?

    Reply

    1. Hi Melinda, the best rule of thumb is 4 days. With a recipe like this, you can likely go 7 days without any problems. But, the CDC and the restaurant management association will say 4 days. I hope this is helpful! Thank you! 🙂 -Meggan

  7. At one point, you mention 3 seeds are in this recipe. Celery and poppy seeds…what is the third seed? Also, how long can you keep this in the refrigerator?
    Thank you.

    Reply

    1. Hi Suzanne, the third seed is sesame seed. But regrettably I decided not to list that in the ingredients! I’ve fixed the post now. So sorry for the confusion/my typo. I appreciate your patience with me. -Meggan

    1. Hi Lynn, I don’t see why it would be a problem. I also feel like nutritional yeast might also be tasty (or even if you leave the cheese out entirely, the dressing is still awesome). Can you let me know what brand of vegan parmesan cheese you are going to try? I would love to pick it up and try it out just for my own knowledge, and so I can update the post. Thank you!

    1. Hi Mary, yes! I’m guessing if you served it to anyone else, they couldn’t even tell the difference. Thanks for the question.

  12. We saw Alton Brown’s life show a while back (gah maybe 5 years) and at the end of it, he took questions from the audience. The one I remember was someone asked what are people not making at home that we should be and his answer salad dressing.

    You might even be able to add sesame seeds to this one, it is starting to look a lot like my favorite garlic bread topping. https://www.mccormick.com/spices-and-flavors/herbs-and-spices/blends/perfect-pinch-salad-supreme-seasoning

    Reply