Vegan Italian Dressing
There are just a few minutes between you and a delicious dressing to use on green salads and other easy recipes!
Making your own vegan dressings and sauces is a great way to ensure that you're getting a delicious quality product each and every time.
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Why you'll love this homemade salad dressing recipe
- It doesn't get any easier than this: measure out your ingredients, toss them in a container and shake.
- Full of flavor and easily customizable.
- Healthier than a store-bought salad dressing with no preservatives or additives.
- Cheaper than buying a vegan special bottle of dressing at the store.
- No food processor, blenders, or other kitchen gadgets are needed to make your own dressings.
- This vegan recipe uses wholesome ingredients commonly found in your pantry.
- This homemade dressing is typically superior when compared to the storebought ones because it not only has a delicious flavor, but it only uses simple ingredients that you can pronounce (no high fructose corn syrup either) and feel confident about using.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Dried Basil
- Dried Oregano
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Fine Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - this is an optional ingredient if you like a little heat
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Agave nectar- you may swap this out for pure maple syrup
How to make Italian dressing from scratch
All you have to do to make your vegan Italian dressing is first add your seasonings to the mason jar.
Then add the wet ingredients.
Then put the lid on and shake it vigorously until it is all well combined.
If you don't have a mason jar, whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
Storing
You can store this homemade dressing in the mason jar that you make it in or another airtight container in the refrigerator.
Homemade Italian dressing usually lasts between three days to a week.
Keep in mind that the oil in this dressing may solidify while left in the fridge.
When you're ready to use this dressing let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to get close to room temperature and whisk the dressing before you use it.
Ideas for using vegan Italian dressing
This dressing with so many amazing flavors can be used in more than just salad recipes. Here are a few simple homemade recipes to enjoy this homemade Italian dressing recipe on:
- Mix a bit of this zesty dressing into your hummus pasta salad
- Add a pop of flavor to your pasta recipes
- Marinade your meatless "meat" dishes in it, such as plant-based chicken, tofu, or tempeh
- Use in any vegetable stir frys
Variations and substitutions
- Want a cheesy flavored Italian dressing? Add 1-2 Tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast.
- If you want less of a tangy dressing, swap the red wine vinegar for white wine vinegar.
- You can swap out the basil and oregano for Italian seasoning.
- Olive oil can be subbed out for avocado oil, but note this will change the flavor.
- As mentioned above, you can also use pure maple syrup in place of the agave if you prefer.
- We used dried herbs as opposed to fresh herbs in this recipe because they release flavors easier and faster, but feel free to use fresh herbs instead if you prefer.
Frequently asked questions
If buying Italian dressing at the store, please note that some brands are vegan, but some brands contain animal-derived ingredients like Parmesan cheese or anchovies. Always check the ingredient labels and nutrition information when at the grocery store to ensure that things are truly vegan.
Absolutely. You can double this recipe if you need more servings.
With only 11 basic ingredients needed, you can see why making your own salad dressing is not only a smart, budget-friendly choice, but it's also a tasty one! This do it yourself vegan Italian salad dressing recipe is a no brainer and will quickly become your favorite go-to salad dressing for just about any type of salad.
Can I make more homemade vegan salad dressings?
Heck yes you can! We've made quite a few homemade delicious vegan salad dressings for you to try:
- Vegan Ranch - Nut free and amazing with Chickpea Nuggets
- Vegan Blue Cheese - great for vegan cauliflower wings, Air Fried Carrots, and of course a good salad.
- Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing - yummy on veggie bowls and tacos
- Vegan Honey Mustard- for wraps, sandwiches, and more
- Oil Free Salad Dressing
Vegan Italian Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ teaspoon dried basil
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt (use more or less if desired)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup
Instructions
- Add seasonings to a *mason jar followed by the liquids. Shake well until ingredients are well combined.
(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)
Notes
Nutrition
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