Italian salad dressing is not an Italian creation, but an American pantry staple inspired by Italian ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, garlic, basil, and oregano. What most of us know as Italian dressing is the bottled product featuring some of these flavors, albeit packed with emulsifiers and stabilizers that extend its shelf-life. By making a delicious fresh version of Italian dressing, you can control the quality of what goes in it and adjust the flavor to suit your palate.
This Italian salad dressing recipe is a simple combination of oil, vinegar, mustard, and seasonings and uses a very easy “shake” method that results in a perfectly emulsified vinaigrette. The tiny dash of Dijon keeps the oil and vinegar mixed together for restaurant-quality results.
Green salads are without a doubt the most common use for Italian dressing, but the blend also makes a terrific marinade for steaks, grilled chicken, pork chops, and firm white fish. Mix it into ground beef for a flavor-boosted burger or drizzle on the bread before grilling some panini. If you can, refrigerate overnight before using so the flavors can blend and intensify. Store for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator and shake before serving.
Gather the ingredients.
Combine all of the ingredients in a glass jar with a screw-on lid or another container with a tight-fitting lid.
Tighten the lid and shake vigorously for 1 minute.
Serve immediately or refrigerate. Enjoy!
