Italian dressing is fantastic on salads, roasted vegetables, and as a flavorful meat marinade. Don’t buy another one at the store because homemade will always be so much better! You can use the best quality ingredients and adjust the flavor to your personal taste.
In the world of salad dressings, nothing tastes better than homemade ones. Sure, there are perks of convenience when buying bottled dressing, but the taste and quality just doesn’t compare. With store-bought, you also never know exactly what chemical preservatives and other unnecessary ingredients are lurking inside.
So, rather than paying good money for what could be an awful tasting dressing, my preference is to make them from scratch. This way, I can use the best tasting ingredients and know exactly what is in the dressing.
Besides, homemade dressings are incredibly to make! You can also adjust it just to your taste and even diet preference.
Italian dressing is a light dressing that is olive oil based without any cream. I do love to add fresh grated Parmesan cheese to make it taste the best and spice it up with some crushed red pepper flakes. This recipe is also gluten free, just make sure to check the label on the vinegar and cheese. You can also make it keto by omitting sugar or use sugar alternative.
Recipe Ingredients and Notes
Now, here is what is in Italian dressing:
- Olive oil– Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. It’s a little more expensive, but you will definitely notice the difference. Make sure the oil flavor is not bitter!
- Red wine vinegar– You can certainly substitute a different flavor of vinegar but honestly, this variety is what gives the classic tangy flavor you expect in a good Italian dressing.
- Lemon juice– I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon rather than a concentrate.
- Italian seasoning blend– This blend usually includes dried herbs like basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, and/or sage. Check to see if your blends includes salt to know how much salt to add to the dressing.
- Fresh Parsley – this will add a nice fresh herb flavor to the dressing.
- Sugar: Just a tiny bit of sugar balances the vinegar and lemon juice. If you want or need to, feel free to substitute this for your favorite sugar alternative.
- Other seasonings: In addition to the Italian seasoning blend, I also use a little bit of garlic powder to enhance the flavor, salt and pepper, and a tiny bit of crushed red pepper for some heat.
- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese– This is a great ingredient to add into the dressing for more flavor and especially if you will use it in more than just salads.
Difference Between Italian Dressing and Vinaigrette
Honestly, there isn’t any difference at all between these two condiments. In fact, Italian dressing is really just one variation of a vinaigrette!
This recipe calls for oil and vinegar, along with herbs and spices, just like a basic vinaigrette.
Additionally, it uses the same technique of incorporating the ingredients; making an emulsion of oil and vinegar.
Italian Vinaigrette Recipe • Easy, Fast & Flavorful – Episode 353
FAQ
Is vinaigrette the same as Italian?
Is balsamic vinaigrette the same as Italian dressing?
What does Italian vinaigrette taste like?
Is vinaigrette healthier than dressing?
Is Italian vinaigrette easy to make?
The dressing is so easy to make you’ll never want to purchase a store-bought version again. Italian vinaigrette is an easy, homemade dressing that is perfect for any salad. This versatile dressing can be made with either red or white wine vinegar, and it is packed with flavour. Best of all, it only takes a few minutes to prepare.
What is Italian vinaigrette salad dressing?
The versatile Italian vinaigrette salad dressing is made with olive oil, vinegar and traditional Italian-style herbs. This is a must-have for creating delicious and healthy salads that your family will love. Enjoy using this delicious Italian vinaigrette salad dressing as an ingredient in marinade or dip, or as a salad dressing.
What is the difference between vinaigrette and dressing?
is that vinaigrette is a sauce, made of vinegar, oil, and other ingredients, used especially for cold meats, or as a salad dressing while dressing is material applied to a wound for protection or therapy. present participle of lang=en. A sauce, made of vinegar, oil, and other ingredients, used especially for cold meats, or as a salad dressing.
What is the difference between Italian and basic vinaigrette?
In this Italian vinaigrette, for example, the main difference between it and the basic vinaigrette it closely resembles is that this recipe is made with olive oil rather than ordinary vegetable oil. And the fact that it includes oregano, parsley, and garlic, three quintessentially Italian ingredients, also contributes to its name.