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 Italian dressing is my go-to weeknight salad dressing. It’s a classic oil-and-vinegar homemade 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. While it’s perfect for a crisp green salad, it also adds a bright, tangy element to a cold pasta salad or a medley of roasted vegetables. The recipe makes enough for one large head or three hearts of romaine.
“A big fat hit with my family!! This dressing was exactly as described- tangy, zesty and yummy.”
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Italian Dressing
To make homemade Italian dressing, you’ll need extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to emulsify. Alternatively, you can whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.
As the dressing sits, it will separate, so give it a good shake before using. Be sure your greens are completely dry before dressing them—wet leaves cause the dressing to slide right off and dilute the flavor. Add the dressing gradually, tossing as you go, until the salad is coated to your liking. Store any leftover dressing in the fridge for up to a week.
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Zesty Homemade Italian Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 small cloves garlic, minced (or 2 to 3 medium cloves)
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
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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Don’t question the ingredients — you’re in for an amazing dressing you won’t forget.
Excellent dressing, only thing I changed was the amount vinegar since I like a little more tang
This is a wonderful dressing! Everyone loves my salads and requests this recipe. It is now our house dressing.🤡
This salad dressing was delicious and a nice compliment to a pork tenderloin I made for dinner. Next time I made it, I might add a pinch of Italian seasoning.
Was delicious. I did use sugar free maple syrup. Thank you!
This is one of my go to dressing recipes. I don’t change a thing, it’s delicious and super fast to make.
Nice zesty & also rich dressing alternative to winter salads!
This is the best Italian dressing I’ve made – lots of flavor and quick to make! The worcestershire sauce enhances the flavor, as well as the fresh garlic. Thanks to this dressing, my son will now eat salad!
I love having this made and in the Refrigerator. It goes over Meat & Salad & Vegetables. I really enjoy your recipes. It is so nice to see a picture of what is needed in the recipe before you begin.
Okay… I am NOT that home cook who gets all, “Oh, Jenn… this was great, but I increased the salt by 1/29th of a teaspoon, and now it’s perfect.” In fact, a review of the game tapes will reveal an almost sycophantic enthusiasm for Jenn’s recipes. Having said that, I added a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to this and OMG.
That is so funny. Thanks for the laugh!