I have a bit of a love affair with salad dressings, and Italian dressing is no exception. Before my switch to healthier foods, ranch was about all that got me to eat raw broccoli. Thankfully my journey to real food brought me to love all kinds of salads<\/a> even without a lot of dressing.<\/p>\n A green salad doesn\u2019t need much dressing when it\u2019s freshly homemade and full of dried herbs and spices. A simple homemade dressing takes an ordinary salad to a completely different level.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s worth it from a health perspective too. Most store-bought dressings have dangerous vegetable oils<\/a> (high in omega-6, which we already get too much of in the American diet), MSG, and preservatives.<\/p>\n Homemade Italian dressing only takes 2 or 3 minutes to mix up. Plus it has healthy, real ingredients like olive oil, fresh garlic, and dried or fresh herbs. I also love that it stores well for weeks at a time. It\u2019s a win-win!<\/p>\n This homemade salad dressing is one of my favorite vinaigrettes. It not only makes a great addition to almost any salad, but it also serves as a simple marinade for most meats. And not just meat\u2026 marinate fresh vegetables for an hour or two and then grill them! The smoky flavors of the grill and the herbal flavors in the dressing combine perfectly for a complex flavor blend.<\/p>\n I love using leftover dressing on a big salad with some chicken for a quick lunch or as a condiment alternative for dipping raw veggies. The healthy oils give an energy boost and the flavor is amazing! You can also use it to make Italian pasta salad along with some black olives, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes for delicious Mediterranean flavors.<\/p>\n Not an Italian dressing fan? You can also check out more of my favorite DIY alternatives to bottled dressing<\/a> in this post.<\/p>\n This dressing will last about 2 weeks in the fridge, but I highly suggest making it in small amounts as needed as the flavor is definitely the best in the first few days. Sometimes I\u2019ll double the batch if I\u2019m making it for a crowd.<\/p>\n For a great shortcut, make a batch of homemade Italian seasoning mix<\/a> to replace the thyme, basil, and oregano. Just use 1 \u00bd teaspoons of the Italian seasoning mix instead of the herbs listed in the recipe. Then it\u2019s easy to make this recipe from memory. You may not even need to measure after a few practice runs!<\/p>\n They make shaker bottles for homemade dressing, but I prefer a glass mason jar. I love these tops<\/a> to give any mason jar a pour spout.<\/p>\n I use white wine vinegar here, but you could also use apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or red wine vinegar. They all add some acidity to counterbalance the olive oil. I prefer the smoother flavor or white wine vinegar in this recipe.<\/p>\n This recipe calls for all dried herbs but you could use fresh if preferred. And I use fresh garlic, but a little garlic powder will work if it\u2019s what you have. Check out below the recipe for some favorite salads with Italian dressing.<\/p>\n \tItalian Salad Dressing in the Kitchen<\/h2>\n
How to Make and Store Homemade Italian Dressing<\/h3>\n
Ingredient Substitutions<\/h3>\n
![\"Italian](\"https:\/\/wellnessmama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Italian-dressing-200x200.jpg)
Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe<\/h2>\n