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.
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
How To Make Homemade Italian Dressing
Simply combine all the ingredients in a jar and shake to emulsify.
As always, when dressing salads, be sure greens are completely dry so the dressing doesn’t get watered down.
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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.
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
- 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
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- 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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LOVE this dressing! It’s all we use now!
Great recipe. Easy with ingredients always on hand. Made with mixed greens and added grated Parmesan. Excellent.
As an Italian, I am embarrassed to say that this is the best Italian dressing recipe I have found! It is the perfect balance of flavors. Now just don’t tell my family…….
Jennifer: Thank you again and again for all your wonderful recipes. You have taken the fear out of HOME Entertaining for me. Last night we had friends over to a special Valentine dinner. I served your Zucchini “Noodles” with Pesto and Pine Nuts and dressed the salad with your Zesty homemade Italian dressing. These additions brought my Steak dinner to new heights. When adopting any of your well instructed recipes I never Test Kitchen them first before serving them to my Family or Friends. They are so reliable and full of flavor. PS: Also 5 stars for the Zucchini Noodles
That is so nice to read, Carol! Thanks for the wonderful feedback and so happy you are enjoying the recipes 🙂
Mercy me! I am in love with your food. So much zip, that I will just keep plugging through some more recipes.
Thank you, Jill!
I am out of real maple syrup at my house (and the grocery store is closed today for Christmas), can I substitute the maple syrup with agave nectar? We have the light-colored agave nectar. Or what about honey? Any other suggestions? Thanks!
Yes either is fine, or even brown sugar.
Super simple! This goes best with such simple salads as romaine and grape tomatoes. With a properly grilled medium rare rib-eye cut, this is golden.
Love this idea!
Delicious dressing that is fail-proof – love it! Friends have also liked it enough to ask for the recipe. A definite keeper!
Great all purpose dressing to always have on hand
Very midwest tasting. It’s definitely not bad, but it WAS on the sweet side. Authentic Italian should not be sweet at all. It also lacked a depth I can’t quite put my finger on. For someone not expecting a rockin’ real Italian style dressing in the line of Girard’s Italian Dressing, this recipe will be fine.