My favorite thing about making vinaigrettes is making them from scratch.
I have been enjoying making this classic Italian dressing in my kitchen lately, and it’s a favorite of mine. I created this dressing based on the taste and appearance of the Italian dressing that you can find in your local grocery store, however it’s made with simple ingredients that you can find in your fridge and pantry.
Apronese thinks with this salad dressing, you’ll be taking your homemade salads to the next level with its vibrant lemon and vinegar mix, flavorful herbs, and savory Parmesan.
Italian Dressing: What’s In It?
There is nothing quite as easy as this homemade vinaigrette recipe, which is a simple vinaigrette topped with dried herbs and parmesan cheese.
A combination of olive oil and red wine vinegar, along with lemon juice to make it fresh, and Dijon mustard to help emulsify the vinegar into the oil, constitutes the base of this salad.
In order to make it even more delicious, I added a substantial amount of herbs to this dish, in the form of an Italian seasoning blend.
Additionally, I added a little garlic, as well as a touch of sugar to soften the acid a little bit. It is ensured that your taste buds will be pleased with the addition of grated Parmesan, which adds a lot of umami and depth of flavor to the dressing.
Is It Possible to Skip the Sugar?
It is technically possible to skip the sugar in this dressing if you have to, but I would recommend skipping it if you can if you don’t mind.
Even that small amount of sugar helps create an extremely smooth dressing as well as reducing any bitterness, so I wouldn’t recommend skipping it altogether.
The total amount of salt used is only 1/2 tablespoons for the whole batch, which is a very small dose of salt per serving.
Does the Parmesan Have to Be Included?
Despite the fact that I would not include the Parmesan, this still makes an absolutely fantastic vinaigrette.
I will admit that the Parmesan does a lot more for it, but I also enjoy plain vinaigrettes on their own as well.
I strongly suggest that you do not let the lack of Parmesan hold you back from making this homemade dressing because it would be a vegan dressing, or if you simply do not have Parmesan on hand.
Italian Dressing: How to Store It
As opposed to keeping any leftover dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week, it can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five minutes before setting out at room temperature again.
The olive oil may solidify as it gets cold, but as it warms back up it will liquefy again.
Italian Dressing: How to Serve It
Despite its simplicity, the flavors of this dressing are universal, so you can use it on almost any salad.
But I think this dressing also works great on pasta salads, as well as on sliced tomato and mozzarella salads, as well as a marinade for chicken.
I think the dressing would also be perfect soaked into a crusty piece of bread and sliced onto a pressed deli sandwich.
Italian Dressing Made at Home
In addition to its zesty blend of flavorful herbs, savory parmesan, and bright lemon, this simple homemade italian dressing is also a delicious way to accompany any salad.
Author: Beth
Prep Time: 5 mins/ Total Time: 5 mins
Servings: 8 (2 Tbsp each)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan ($0.22)
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning blend ($0.30)
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard ($0.12)
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar ($0.30)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil ($0.84)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.04)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp sugar ($0.01)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
Instructions
- You can make the dressing by placing all of the ingredients in a jar or bowl and shaking or whisking everything together. If you use a jar, screw on a tight lid and shake vigorously until all of the ingredients are incorporated. If you use a bowl, whisk until all of the ingredients are incorporated. For best results, serve the dressing straight away.
- In case you prefer a stronger garlic flavor, you can use one clove of minced fresh garlic as opposed to the garlic powder, if you prefer.
* Basically, grated parmesan in a bottle may get somewhat clumpy, but it will still be of great quality, as it has cellulose (an anti-caking agent) added.
Nutritional
Serving: 2 Tbsp ・ Calories: 130 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 1 g ・ Protein: 1 g ・ Fat: 14 g ・ Sodium: 180 mg ・ Fiber: 1 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer .
Equipment
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Italian Dressing: How to Make It – Step by Step Photos
To prepare it, all you need to do is mix 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, 1/4 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning mix, 1/2 tablespoons salt, 1/4 tablespoons freshly cracked pepper, 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan in a bowl or jar.
It is recommended that if using a jar, you close the lid on the jar tightly and shake lightly until the ingredients are evenly mixed together.
If using a bowl, combining the ingredients and whisking vigorously until evenly mixed will suffice.
If you wish to serve your homemade Italian dressing with a salad of your choice (you can see the example above), sliced vegetables, or even as a marinade for chicken, use your favorite recipe.
It’s simple and quick for this sauce, isn’t it, of course, you can also adjust the seasoning to suit your family’s eating habits, not necessarily the same as Apronese shared.
If your recipe is more interesting, don’t be afraid to share it with us, knowing more recipes will definitely be easier in everyday cooking, right?
