Zesty Homemade Italian Dressing

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Forget the bottled stuff: this zesty homemade Italian dressing is easy to make and packed with flavor.

Glass jar of zesty homemade Italian dressing.

This zesty Italian dressing is my go-to weeknight salad dressing. It’s a classic oil and vinegar salad dressing with lots of garlic and a few surprise ingredients, like Worcestershire sauce and maple syrup. Sounds strange, I know, but it works. It’s a cinch to make, too: simply combine all of the ingredients in a jar, give it a shake, and you’re done. The recipe makes enough dressing for one large head or three hearts of romaine.

What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Italian Dressing

ingredients for homemade Italian dressing

How To Make Homemade Italian Dressing

combining all of the ingredients in a jar

Simply combine all the ingredients in a jar and shake to emulsify.

emulsified Italian dressing in jar

As always, when dressing salads, be sure greens are completely dry so the dressing doesn’t get watered down.

Glass jar of zesty homemade Italian dressing.

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Zesty Homemade Italian Dressing

Forget the bottled stuff: this zesty homemade Italian dressing is easy to make and packed with flavor.

Servings: Makes 1 ⅓ cups

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Colavita or Lucini
  • ⅓ cup red wine vinegar, best quality such as Pompeian Gourmet or Domaine des Vignes
  • 1½ tablespoons real maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 small garlic cloves, minced

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a jar. Seal tightly with lid and shake vigorously to emulsify. Toss gently with the romaine lettuce right before serving. Store extra dressing in refrigerator for up to a week. As the dressing sits, it will separate (and solidify in the fridge), so be sure to shake well before using.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Serving size: 2 tablespoons
  • Calories: 155
  • Fat: 16 g
  • Saturated fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 3 g
  • Sugar: 2 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 0 g
  • Sodium: 151 mg
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • This is now my go-to recipe for dressing salads. I can finally get rid of the 10+ bottles of dressings taking up room in my fridge now that we’ve found one that’s good on just about any salad combination.

  • So yummy. Thanks for the recipe!

  • I purchased all of the ingredients for this 2 weeks ago. Finally made the dressing last night and my husband and I both give it a thumbs up. We eat a salads frequently, but I always purchased SASS sesame ginger dressing in Austin (local brand). Since moving to Seattle I’ve been unable to find something we like. Looks like I’ll be keeping your dressing on hand. Thanks Jenn.

  • I made this for my mom for mothers day! She loved it!

    • — Emily Pedersen
    • Reply
  • Can’t wait to try this recipe looks great

    • — Cheryl Wheeler
    • Reply
  • very easy to make! Great Taste.

  • Love the dressing. Keep a jar ready in the refridge. Found that it is also good on grilled fish and grilled or roasted vegatables. Passed recipe onto my daughter who gave it rave reviews also. Thanks

  • The Bonne Maman jar is a must to achieve the perfect flavor.

  • This dressing has become my new house dressing.

  • I have made many homemade Italian dressings using red wine vinegar and they are always so bitter…this recipe is OUTSTANDING! Adding maple syrup instead of sugar added the perfect subtle sweetness that made this recipe a hit with my family. Thank you !

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