Recipe for Homemade Light Italian Dressing

Did you know that some bottles of Italian dressing have 12 or more ingredients? When you make dressing yourself, you can be sure you know each ingredient. This natural dressing has heart-healthy fats from extra-virgin olive oil, plus wholesome spices. Add mustard if desired to thicken the dressing slightly.

‍

Italian dressing is ideal to for dressing a side salad greens to serve with any dinner, such as whole-grain vegetable pizza or whole-grain pasta with marinara sauce. You can also put it on a dinner salad with greens, other vegetables and garbanzo beans or chicken.

‍

Another option is to cook with your Italian dressing. Marinate chicken or fish in it before baking, for example, for a tasty and easy meal. You can also dress up vegetables before roasting them.

Recipe for Light Italian Dressing

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of white wine or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• (Optional) 1 teaspoon of Dijon or deli mustard 
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
• ½ teaspoon each of dried oregano, dried basil, and dried thyme (or 1 ½ teaspoons of dried Italian herbs)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard until well combined.
2. Add the minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, and dried thyme to the bowl and whisk again until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
3. Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste. Start with a pinch of each and adjust according to your preference.
4. Taste the dressing and adjust the acidity by adding more lemon juice or vinegar if desired.
5. Store the dressing in the fridge in a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake or mix before using to mix the ingredients.

Nutrition information per serving: calories: 130 kcal; total fat: 14 g; total carbohydrates: 1 g; sugar: 0 g; fiber: 0 g; protein: 0 g; sodium: 55 mg; cholesterol: 0 mg

Reviewed by Natalie Stein, MS, MPH, CDCES