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Italian Dressing Recipe (Keto, Paleo, Whole30)

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This Italian dressing recipe is so easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought. Just throw a few fresh ingredients into a bottle and shake. This keto, paleo, and Whole30 salad dressing will become your go-to Italian dressing!

Homemade Italian dressing in bottle, tomatoes, herbs, garlic

With a paleo salad dressing this easy, there’s no excuse for using packaged dressings with ingredients like industrial vegetable oil, sugar, and thickeners. This quick homemade Italian dressing tastes so much better and is so much better for you. And it’s naturally paleo, keto, Whole30, gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, and vegan. In other words, this is just about the healthiest, clean eating Italian dressing you can make.

How to make Italian dressing

How do you make Italian dressing? It’s a simple vinaigrette with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and herbs. Just add all the ingredients to a mason jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid and shake it up. Or you can add everything to a mixing bowl and whisk it together. This homemade Italian salad dressing recipe couldn’t be easier and takes just a few minutes.

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The great thing about making your own dressing is that you can make it the way you like it. Add more garlic, use different herbs, or adjust the ratio of red wine vinegar to olive oil. I like a tangy Italian style dressing, so this 1:3 ratio is perfect for me. Of course, you can always adjust the vinaigrette ratio to your taste.

Italian dressing recipe in a bottle

When the dressing is stored in the refrigerator, the olive oil may thicken a bit. Just take it out of the fridge before you start making the salad to let it come up to room temperature. By the time your ready for the salad dressing, a quick shake or whisk is all it needs.

Ways to use it

I love having paleo salad dressing ready to go in the refrigerator. I usually have some kind of salad greens every day and having a jar of this classic dressing already made up makes it so much easier. Just add veggies—tomato, cucumber, onion—and toss with Italian dressing for a simple side salad. It’s also perfect for a low carb antipasto salad, an easy BLT salad.

Try this Italian dressing on grilled vegetables to add an extra kick of flavor. Or make a “pasta salad” with zucchini noodles instead of pasta.

You can also use it as a marinade for quick and easy Italian dressing chicken breasts. I remember my mom making this old-school chicken recipe with the bottled “zesty Italian dressing” when I was a kid. With your own jar of zesty homemade Italian dressing in the fridge, it’s just as fast!

It’s so easy to make your own homemade Italian salad dressing, there’s no reason to ever go back to store-bought. And with real whole food ingredients, you can feel even better about eating salads every day.

More Easy Salads

Print Recipe
4 from 1 vote

Italian Dressing Recipe

An easy zesty Italian vinaigrette—just throw a few ingredients in a jar and shake.
Prep Time4 mins
Total Time5 mins
Course: Dressing
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Quick and Easy, Vinaigrette
Diet: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Keto, Low Carb, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30
Servings: 16 tablespoons
Calories: 91kcal
Author: Lisa Wells

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs - I used Italian flat leaf parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 clove garlic minced with a garlic press
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Shaking Method: Add all ingredients to a jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until well combined.Whisking Method: Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk until the ingredients come together.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Equipment

glass measuring cups
stainless steel measuring cups
measuring spoons

Nutrition

Calories: 91kcal | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 2mg | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.1mg

More salad dressing recipes

  • Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing and Dip
  • Easy Chipotle Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
  • Cranberry Salad Dressing

 

Italian Dressing Recipe (Keto, Paleo, Whole30)Italian Dressing Recipe (Keto, Paleo, Whole30)
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Filed Under: Dressings & Sauces, Favorites Tagged With: dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, keto, low carb, paleo, quick and easy, vegan, vegetarian, Whole30 Posted by: Lisa Wells 15 Comments

Previous Post: « How To Make Kale Chips
Next Post: 23 Keto Instant Pot Recipes for Fast & Easy Keto Meals »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Audry

    July 30, 2014 at 4:23 pm

    What about storage? And how long does it last?

    Reply
  2. Sara @ Don't Feed After Midnight

    January 30, 2015 at 10:57 am

    Yeah, I’d also love to know how long it keeps in the fridge. Thank you and keep up the great work!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      January 30, 2015 at 2:28 pm

      Hi Sara, I’ve kept it in the fridge up to a week. Hope this helps! 🙂

      Reply
  3. creatively living

    November 09, 2015 at 9:19 am

    I love fresh, homemade dressings!

    Thanks for sharing on Monday Funday!

    – Holly @ Creatively Living

    Reply
    • Lisa

      November 10, 2015 at 11:31 pm

      Thanks Holly!

      Reply
  4. Rachel Lindsey

    January 27, 2016 at 12:04 pm

    On the Italian dressing can it be stored room temperature in my counter & for how long is it good for?! Seems all the ingredients would be good for a while?! Thank You!!! Rachel Lindsey
    [email protected]

    Reply
    • Lisa

      January 28, 2016 at 3:38 pm

      Hi Rachel, I keep it in the fridge and let it come to room temp while I make the salad. It never lasts more than a week in our house. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Rach's Recipes

    March 12, 2016 at 4:10 am

    I think I finally found the perfect Italian dressing recipe! What do you think about adding dried mustard and celery seed?
    Thanks for sharing – looking forward to trying this out.

    Reply
  6. [email protected] diet

    January 29, 2018 at 12:53 pm

    This is the best salad dressing that I’ve ever love. Thanks for your post as ever nice!

    Reply
  7. Katrina

    April 14, 2018 at 2:57 pm

    what are some different herb combinations people use?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      April 17, 2018 at 2:59 pm

      Any soft herb would work well, I wouldn’t use a woody herb like rosemary for this. My favorites are basil, oregano, parsley, and thyme.

      Reply
  8. Renee

    July 08, 2018 at 10:57 am

    Hi! I am new to the Paleo diet. Can I eat Kraft fat free Italian Dressing while being on the Paleo diet?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      July 08, 2018 at 4:33 pm

      Hi Renee, most bottled dressings have ingredients and processed food additives that are not paleo. You can see more about what to avoid on the paleo diet here.

      Reply
  9. B

    January 08, 2020 at 7:58 am

    I have struggled with homemade dressings because I *really* don’t like much vinegar unless it’s salt and vinegar chips! Lol

    This was still too vinegary for me but I tasted my husbands favorite Wishbone Italian dressing, and to me I could taste Bell peppers, so I added this dressing and a whole bell pepper (chopped) to my blender and it was exactly what I needed to take the edge off the vinegar and add some sweetness!

    Thank you for the first homemade dressing I can Eat! Lol

    Reply
    • Lisa

      January 08, 2020 at 3:09 pm

      Yay! I’m so glad it worked for you! The added bell pepper sounds like a great variation 🙂

      Reply

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