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

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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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Comments

  • Had to try it and so glad that I did. The family loved it. A breeze to make.

  • That is DAMN good salad dressing! Thank you!

  • Hello to you and your family, Jenn.
    I am definitely going to make this salad dressing.
    I have spriing lettuce ready to pick and this will be great on it.

  • good one !

  • Jenn,
    Thank you for your website! I am sorry I don’t comment after every recipe of yours I make, but you might get sick of hearing from me! My recipe folder is full of your printouts. Thank you.
    I love how your food is healthy, unfussy, and family friendly — yet I still feel that I am preparing something “gourmet” and very special. A lot of love goes into your cooking and it shows!
    Kindly,
    frances

  • can I use red wine that has turned to vinegar for recipes like this? is that then considered best-quality red wine vinegar? Thanks!

  • Sounds great. Will definitely make it!!

  • Gotta try this one. Sounds ZESTY!!!

  • Our nightly salad is usually just tossed with olive oil, then given a few grinds of black pepper, salted a bit, and then tossed again with vinegar (usually white balsamic). We like it a lot. But I have to say, your Zesty Italian Salad Dressing looks fantastic! I’ll be giving it a try tonight. 🙂

  • Love your recipes…they have helped me brighten
    up my meals…and after 60 years of cooking, they
    were getting boring…Thanks…

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