Healthy Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe

Name: Healthy Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon); 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

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Looking for an amazing homemade Italian dressing recipe? Look no further! This Healthy Italian Dressing is super simple to make, using basic ingredients that you likely already have on hand. Unlike store-bought dressings, this recipe contains no sugar, corn syrup or sub-par oils – just quality ingredients that will taste amazing!

Jar of healthy homemade Italian dressing.

Have you ever stopped to look at the nutrition label of most store-bought, bottled salad dressings? You’ll quickly discover that most store-bought dressings contain an unusually large amount of sugar and corn syrup. They’re also made with really poor quality oils.

This homemade Italian dressing recipe is a breath of fresh air! It contains no sugars, syrups or toxic oils – just good quality ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry.

Best of all, this dressing tastes way better than anything store-bought, and it’s less calories as well!

What you’ll need to make this homemade Italian dressing recipe:

Extra virgin olive oil, or the best quality olive oil you can afford
Red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 cloves of garlic
Garlic powder
Dried oregano
Dried basil
Crushed red pepper flakes
Garlic salt
Ground pepper

For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe. Thanks!

ingredients for healthy Italian dressing on wooden board.

The time commitment to make this dressing is very minimal. From start to finish, it will take less than 5 minutes. I will often make this dressing after I’ve tossed a salad together or when making lunch. It’s a quick, simple and healthy option!

Another healthy dressing option is my Chick fil A Creamy Salsa Dressing recipe, which is just 15 calories for 2 tablespoons!

Pro-Tip: Dress your salad right before serving. If you dress your salad in advance, the lettuce and vegetables will become soggy and wilt.

Looking for other ways to use this Italian dressing? Check out these recipes:

Bowl of whisked homemade Italian dressing ingredients.

Tools you’ll need to make this homemade Italian dressing:

A basic kitchen whisk (like in the photo above)
A citrus juicer
A bowl to mix the dressing
Measuring spoons (to measure the spices) and a liquid measuring cup to measure the oil and vinegar.

Ingredient Substitutions and Recommendations:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I would recommend using the best quality olive oil you can afford. A good substitute to olive oil would be avocado oil. I do NOT recommend canola, corn, soy bean, sunflower, safflower, rapeseed oils, as these tend to be poor quality, and promote inflammation in the body.
Red Wine Vinegar: A good substitute would be balsamic vinegar or a champagne vinegar.

For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of the post. Thanks!

Italian dressing being poured over the top of a mixed salad.

Salad that has been dressed with homemade Italian dressing.

Frequently asked questions about homemade Italian dressing:

Is Italian vinaigrette same as Italian dressing?

Italian dressing is a type of vinaigrette. Vinaigrette dressings are typically an oil and vinegar based mixture.

What makes this Italian dressing healthier?

This homemade Italian dressing recipe doesn’t include sugar, corn syrup, or any other partially-hydrogenated oil (soy, corn, canola, rapeseed, safflower, sunflower, ect). This dressing recipe calls for extra virgin olive oil, which is much healthier than those other mega-transfat oils, which are considered highly inflammatory and toxic.

Is homemade salad dressing better than store bought dressing?

Yes. For several reasons, homemade salad dressing is almost always better than store bought. First, you get to control the ingredients going into the dressing, and these ingredients are fresher, and therefore taste better. Additionally, homemade dressings are less expensive to make, and more economical than store-bought.

Should I refrigerate Italian dressing?

Yes. Because this recipe includes lemon juice and garlic, it should be refrigerated. If the oil separates, simply let it come to room temperature and shake or whisk to combine. This dressing will last 7-10 days, stored in an air-tight container (like a mason jar), refrigerated.

Two images of homemade Italian dressing, poured over salad and in jar.

Looking to meal prep salads for more healthy lunches? Here’s some great resources:

Looking to get started with meal prep? This post is 5 Simple Things to Meal Prep this weekend in under an hour!
Check out this Quick Guide to Cooking Oils from Randa Nutrition. It’s a great reference on all oils, what to avoid and best options.
Want to get the best deal on groceries and health food? Check out my post on the 15 Things I Always Buy at Costco for healthy meals and snacks!

Here are some other resources for your healthy living journey:

If you loved this dressing recipe, check out some of my other dressings and salads:

healthy Greek yogurt ranch dressing being poured over salad. — Healthy Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing

Creamy poppy seed dressing recipe, spooned over strawberry salad. — Healthy Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing

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