Tangy Italian Dressing
The BEST Italian Salad Dressing— perfect for chopped salads, marinades and more! This tangy Italian salad dressing is so much better and healthier than bottled dressing.
This easy, tangy Italian salad dressing is better than just about anything you can pick up at the store, and takes just minutes to whisk together. No special equipment necessary; simply throw all of the ingredients in a mason jar and shake until combined. No cooking, no chopping and no blending!
One of the best reasons to make your own salad dressing? It’s a fraction of what you’ll pay in a bottled version, especially a healthier dressing that contains quality extra-virgin olive oil and minimal sweetness. You can also scale up or scale down to what you need. You probably have all of these ingredients on hand already, so you can quickly whip up a jar of this tangy Italian salad dressing whenever you want it. How easy is that?
What Ingredients are in Italian Salad Dressing?
I’ve made a lot of salad dressings over the years and this combination is hands down my favorite. The secret is the peppadew peppers! They add great tang to this recipe. If you can’t find them, then you can sub in chopped red bell pepper instead or jarred roasted red bell pepper.
You’ll also need:
- Good quality olive-oil. You taste the olive oil in this dressing, so it should be bright, fruity and with plenty of it’s own flavor. Good olive oil makes or breaks a dressing!Â
- White balsamic vinegar. I love the bright, tangy taste of white balsamic vinegar. If you can’t find it, sub in white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar.Â
- Dried herbs, like parsley, basil and oreganoÂ
- Maple syrup. You can omit completely, but most Italian dressings have a hint of sweet to balance the acid.Â
Where can you use Italian Salad Dressing?
Besides enjoying this dressing on salads, it’s also fantastic as a marinade. I love it in my marinated white bean salad or my marinated lentil salad.
For salads, it’s great on this Italian pasta salad, chopped Italian salad,or my Greek salad with tofu feta.
How to store your dressing leftovers
Place any leftover dressing in an airtight container with a lid. I love a mason jar as it has a tight fighting lid with a seal. It will keep in the fridge for 10-12 days. As it doesn’t contain any emulsifiers and will separate over time, you’ll need to shake it before using.
If you try this Tangy Italian Dressing recipe, make sure to come back to leave a comment and rate it! Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day! You can also share on social media using the hashtag, #delishknowledge
Tangy Italian Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quality extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped red pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried onion powder or onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt, or garlic powder + salt
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and salt.