Printed: 01/09/2025
This vinaigrette-style do-it-yourself Italian dressing is zesty, shiny, and stuffed with daring, contemporary taste. It takes solely about 5 minutes to organize with a mixture of pantry staples and some contemporary elements. Making your individual Italian dressing is extremely straightforward and much more scrumptious than something store-bought.
I initially printed this recipe in 2015 and have since added new pictures and extra success ideas.
Earlier than you attain for store-bought dressing the subsequent time you make a salad, let me present you the way easy it’s to make contemporary, zesty do-it-yourself Italian dressing from scratch. I do know it sounds odd to have a salad dressing recipe on a baking web site, however that is one among my most favourite “dipping sauces” for do-it-yourself breads like artisan bread and ciabatta bread, and clearly pairs effectively with do-it-yourself croutons. 😉
It’s definitely simpler and extra handy to select up a bottle of dressing from the shop, however I promise this fast recipe delivers far superior taste in only some minutes. With a handful of easy elements, and not one of the unpronounceable components, this do-it-yourself Italian dressing will elevate your salad to the subsequent degree.
I’m assured when you strive it, you’ll all the time need a jar on the prepared in your fridge.

Right here Are the Elements You Want & Doable Substitutions
Don’t let the prolonged ingredient listing make you nervous! Most of those elements are in all probability already in your pantry or spice drawer. You’ll want:
- Further Virgin Olive Oil: I all the time use additional virgin olive oil right here for its superior taste, however you should utilize avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil if that’s what you will have.
- White Wine Vinegar: Vinegar is an apparent necessity for any vinaigrette-style dressing. I like to make use of white wine vinegar, however pink wine vinegar additionally works. These are the one two vinegars I like to recommend right here; different vinegars will lack the flavors crucial for traditional Italian dressing.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is most well-liked. You’ll need the finer particles of cheese relatively than the lengthy shreds. Parmesan might be pricey, so when you don’t really feel like selecting it up OR if you wish to preserve the dressing dairy free, you’ll be able to depart it out.
- Pink Bell Pepper: A bit of little bit of chopped pink bell pepper is usually included in Italian dressings as a result of it provides taste and a little bit of freshness. You should definitely cube it into very small items in order that they’ll evenly disperse in your salad dressing.
- Dried Parsley, Basil, Oregano, Garlic Salt, and Pepper: The massive taste makers! I often attain for dried herbs and spices for ease, however you should utilize contemporary when you desire. See recipe Notes for precise quantities.
- Minced Onion (Dried or Recent): Once more, I usually use dried minced onion for ease, however be happy to make use of contemporary minced onion or shallot when you desire. I additionally use dried minced onion on everything-style do-it-yourself bagels.
- Lemon Juice: Only a splash of contemporary lemon juice helps brighten and stability the flavors.
- Honey or Sugar: This provides a touch of sweetness and balances the flavors within the dressing. Don’t depart it out—the dressing can style bitter with out it. You need to use honey or common granulated sugar.


Use Your Selfmade Italian Dressing in These Recipes:
This recipe yields about 1 cup of dressing, so that you’ll want an air-tight container with not less than 1-cup capability. Ideally, one thing barely bigger is greatest so that there’s sufficient room when shaking the elements collectively. A easy canning jar works (and listed here are some nifty tops to make pouring a breeze), or you should utilize a salad dressing shaker like this or this.
As soon as blended, the dressing lasts for as much as 2 weeks within the fridge. For longer storage, you’ll be able to freeze it for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than utilizing. (Tip: You need to use a silicone ice dice tray to freeze small, individual-sized parts of dressing. Freeze the dressing within the ice dice tray, then switch to a zipped-top bag for storage.)
Sure, this recipe can simply be doubled (or additional multiplied) for giant batches.

Extra Recent Salads & Selfmade Sauces/Toppings:
When you see how straightforward it’s to make do-it-yourself Italian dressing, you’ll love having this contemporary, flavorful possibility within the fridge. Listed below are a number of extra of my favourite salads and different from-scratch sauces and toppings:


Selfmade Italian Dressing
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Prepare dinner Time: 0 minutes
Whole Time: 5 minutes
Yield: About 1 cup
Class: Dinner
Technique: Whisking
Delicacies: American
Description
This vinaigrette-style do-it-yourself Italian dressing is zesty, shiny, and stuffed with daring, contemporary taste. It takes solely about 5 minutes to organize with a mixture of pantry staples and some contemporary elements.
Directions
- Mix the entire elements in a bowl or a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Whisk or shake till the combination is effectively mixed. Style the dressing and add extra seasonings if desired.
- Retailer the dressing in an hermetic container or jar within the fridge for as much as 2 weeks. Shake effectively earlier than utilizing.
Notes
- Freezing Directions: For longer storage, you’ll be able to freeze this salad dressing for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than utilizing. (Tip: You need to use a silicone ice dice tray to freeze small, individual-sized parts of dressing. Freeze the dressing within the ice dice tray; as soon as frozen, switch the cubes to a zipped-top freezer bag for storage.)
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Field Grater | Citrus Juicer | Canning Jar (with non-compulsory pour tops) or Salad Dressing Shaker (like this or this)
- *Oil: As an alternative of olive oil, you should utilize avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil if that’s what you will have.
- *Vinegar: You need to use pink wine vinegar as an alternative of white wine vinegar. I don’t counsel another vinegars for this dressing.
- *Parmesan Cheese: You should definitely use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. You’ll need the finer particles of cheese relatively than the lengthy shreds. Parmesan might be pricey, so when you don’t really feel like selecting it up OR if you wish to preserve the dressing dairy free, you’ll be able to depart it out.
- Can I Use Recent Herbs As an alternative of Dried Herbs? Sure, completely. Use 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons finely chopped contemporary parsley (or extra to style), and a couple of teaspoons every finely chopped contemporary basil and contemporary oregano.
- Can I Use Recent Onion? Sure. As an alternative of dried minced onion, you should utilize 1 Tablespoon of contemporary finely minced yellow or candy onion, or shallot.