Zesty Italian Dressing

Zesty Italian Dressing is a simple and easy DIY dressing to make at home!  This Homemade Italian Vinaigrette is light and healthy... way better than the bottle.  It's packed with a vibrant Italian Herb Spice Mix, olive oil, vinegar, and a touch of Parmesan cheese.  Use it for salads, Zesty Italian Pasta salad, vegetables, or even as a marinade.

Looking for more healthy salad dressings? 15 Healthy & Homemade Salad Dressings to Love.

Zesty Italian Dressing Recipe

This Zesty Italian Dressing is pure perfection.  It's bright, vibrant, and goes with so much!  In fact, this versatile homemade Italian dressing is perfect for everything from salads to a marinade for vegetables, fish, or meat.  I'd dare say the Italian flavors pair well with so much that this might be the most-used recipe in my Homemade Salad Dressings collection.

Sure, you could buy bottled Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing, BUT making your own homemade and healthy dressing is more flavorful and delicious.  Plus, with the fresh ingredients, you don't even need to use as much.

Making homemade dressing is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to make your meals taste better.  It can go with any dish you want to bring out Italian or Mediterranean-style flavors.

What makes Zesty Italian Dressing zesty?

Zesty Italian Dressing is a bit more FULL of flavor than classic Italian Dressing.  My version is amped up with extra Italian Herbs, a pinch of red pepper flakes, AND parmesan cheese.  It's just a little more lively!

Why You'll Love this Zesty Italian Dressing Recipe...

• This Zesty Italian Dressing recipe can be made in minutes with mainly pantry staples.
• It's healthier than bottled dressings because you control the ingredients... including my homemade Italian Spice Mix.
• It's vegetarian, gluten-free, low carb, and keto!  Keep reading for my notes on making it vegan and dairy-free.
• Italian flavors are versatile and pair well with many types of dishes, such as pasta salad, fish, and shrimp.
• It keeps in the fridge for up to a week, making it a fabulous dressing for meal prep.

Is Italian Salad Dressing healthy?

Traditional bottled Italian Salad Dressing isn't that healthy BUT my homemade Zesty Italian Dressing is healthy because it's made with quality olive oil and vinegar.  The fresh Italian Spice Blend gives these salad dressings tons of flavor, so you don't need to use as much to have that taste on your greens.

Serve this Zesty Italian Dressing with rich green lettuce, and you have a healthy salad you can feel good eating!

Ingredients:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make my Zesty Italian Dressing; keep scrolling for the amounts and printable recipe.

• Olive Oil: Salad dressings are pretty basic, and you don't cook the olive oil at all, so I like to use my best olive oil for recipes like this.  Make sure to pick a fragrant Extra Virgin Olive Oil like this one.
• White Wine Vinegar: I like to keep the flavors and colors of my Italian Dressing neutral, so I use white wine vinegar.  I think the flavor pairs well with the Italian spices and parmesan cheese. If you have Red Wine Vinegar and want to use it, try my Red Wine Vinaigrette, which has a slightly different flavor profile. You can also use apple cider vinegar.
• Italian Seasoning: Use your favorite Italian Spice Blend or use my DIY Italian Spice Mix, which is the perfect blend of basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sage.  These are the classic flavors you'll find in many Italian dishes.
• Garlic Powder: I like to use fresh garlic powder in this salad dressing for the extra zip!  I think it really adds to the zesty nature of this dressing.  I use garlic powder because it evenly distributes the garlic flavor through the dressing more than minced.
• Lemon Juice: Brightens this dressing.  Use the juice from about ½ of a fresh lemon.  No jarred stuff here.
• Onion Powder: Onion powder adds lots of depth of flavor to the dressing and is an easy pantry staple to include.
• Red Pepper Flakes: The red pepper flakes add some of the zest to this dressing.  They don't add much heat, just some depth of flavor.
• Parmesan Cheese: I love adding grated parmesan cheese to this Italian Dressing to have a rich flavor profile.  If you are vegan or dairy-free, you can leave it out.  The dressing is still very good without it.
• Salt & Black Pepper: I like using fresh-cracked pepper and sea salt from a grinder in my homemade salad dressings.  It's all about getting as much fresh flavor as you can!

Directions:

Keep scrolling for the printable recipe for my Zesty Italian Dressing.

1. Gather all your ingredients, including olive oil, white wine vinegar, Italian Spice Mix, minced garlic, lemon juice, onion powder, salt, pepper, and parmesan.
2. Either put the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until emulsified, or put all the ingredients in a jar and shake until well combined - emulsified.  I like to use these mason jars to make and store my homemade salad dressing.
3. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight mason jar or container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to a week.
4. Toss it with your favorite salad greens, pasta salad, or vegetables.

Variations

I love this Zesty Italian Dressing as is, but here are some fun ways to mix it up.

• Make it Vegan: You can easily make this salad dressing vegan by not using Parmesan cheese.  You can leave it out or substitute nutritional yeast if you still want that texture and flavor.
• Make it Herby: This dressing calls for a dried herb mix, but you can also use chopped fresh herbs like fresh parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
• Make it Spicy: Add more red pepper flakes for a stronger kick in the dressing.
• Make it Sweeter:  Balance the flavors with a bit of sweetness from maple syrup or honey.

FAQ

Storage & Leftovers

Store any leftover Zesty Italian Dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.  The dressing will separate while it sits in the fridge, so you will need to stir or shake it up before storing it.

Can I make a big batch?

Yes! Make a big batch of this dressing by doubling or tripling the recipe.  Click on the "2X" or "3X" on my recipe card and the site will do the math for you.

Can I use this as a marinade?

Yes! This Zesty Italian Dressing, much like bottled salad dressing, is the perfect marinade on everything from chicken, shrimp, fish, pork, and vegetables.

This Healthy Zesty Italian Dressing is So Versatile!

This Healthy Zesty Italian Dressing is so versatile.  It's the workhorse of my salad dressing collection and pairs well with so many things, including your favorite greens and veggies like zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and more.  Since it's packed with the flavors of garlic, onion, and Italian spices, it pairs well with so many dishes.  I made it originally to pair with my Zesty Italian Pasta Salad, which is perfect with it.

You can also use it as you would Italian Dressing, on a green salad, pasta salad, or chopped salad.  Here are a few more recipe ideas for using it.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Serve it With:

• Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
• Caprese Pasta Salad
• Bruschetta Pasta Salad
• Greek Couscous Salad
• Asparagus Salad with Tomatoes
• Marinated Cherry Tomatoes
• Fresh White Bean Salad
• Hearty Vegan Cobb Salad
• Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables
• Mediterranean Chopped Salad
• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

More Healthy Salad Dressing to Try:

• Homemade Lemon Tahini Dressing
• 5 Ingredient Basil Vinaigrette Dressing
• Healthy Homemade Green Goddess Dressing
• Healthy Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing
• The Easiest Homemade Salad Dressing {Video}
• Creamy & Healthy Thai Peanut Salad Dressing
• Greek Yogurt Chipotle Lime Ranch Dressing
• Healthy & Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing
• Healthy Greek Salad Dressing
• Healthy Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing
• Homemade Everything Bagel Greek Yogurt Ranch

See my entire collection of homemade and healthy salad dressings: 15+ Healthy & Homemade Salad Dressings You'll Love

If you make this Zesty Italian Dressing recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!

Zesty Italian Dressing Recipe

Julie Wunder

Zesty Italian Dressing is simple and easy DIY dressing to make at home!  This Homemade Italian Vinaigrette is healthy and packed with vibrant herbs, olive oil, vinegar, and a touch of parmesan cheese.  Use it for salads, pasta salad, vegetables, or even as a marinade.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Salad, Salad Dressing

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 8

Calories 191 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ¾ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Italian Spice Mix
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons parmesan
• pinch red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Get out all of your ingredients including the olive oil, white wine vinegar, Italian Spice Mix, minced garlic, lemon juice, onion powder, salt, pepper, and parmesan.
• Either put the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until emulsified or put all the ingredients in a jar and shake until well combined - emulsified.
• Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
• Toss it with your favorite salad greens, pasta salad, or vegetables.

Notes

Use this jar to make and store the dressing in.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 22mgPotassium: 28mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 31IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Zesty Italian Salad Dressing

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