Making your own Homemade Vegan Italian Salad Dressing couldn't be easier. This recipe is better than store-bought and adds a zesty, tangy flavor to salads, cold pasta salad, veggies and more!
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This zesty, fresh and flavorful Vegan Italian Dressing recipe is quick and easy to whip up! It contains simple ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and Italian seasonings. You're not going to want to buy store-bought after trying this easy vegan dressing.
This is the perfect homemade dressing for any of your favorite salads! I particularly love loading up some mixed greens with cucumber, red onion, chickpeas and homemade croutons and a healthy drizzle of this zesty salad dressing.
This is the best homemade salad dressing and it's so easy - you just shake up the ingredients in a jar and serve!
Is Italian Dressing Vegan?
Sometimes, but it really depends on the variety and brand. Certain brands will sneak in eggs or cheese to achieve a creamy texture. I've even seen some with fish and anchovies.
But honestly, the ingredient list for salad dressings can get pretty long and to save me the trouble of reading through labels- I usually just make my own salad dressing.
The beauty of this delicious vegan salad dressing is that it’s super simple and contains ingredients that you more than likely have in your fridge and pantry. Making your own dressings is surprisingly easy, tastes way better and you can customize it to your own preferences!
Recipe Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
- Maple Syrup
- Italian Seasonings
Ingredient Notes
This delicious dressing is made up of wholesome ingredients and the best part is that it adds so much flavor to so many dishes- but is so simple to whip up! You're going to love this zesty dressing that is vegan, gluten-free and free of dairy products!
- Olive Oil: I prefer to use Extra-Virgin Olive Oil for this salad dressing recipe as it adds a rich flavor and overall is much more flavorful. Neutral oils will work as well but you’ll be lacking the richness of the olive oil.
- Red Wine Vinegar: I opted to use red wine vinegar because it’s flavorful and adds such a wonderful zesty tangy flavor. You can also use white wine vinegar if you don’t have red.
- Lemon Juice: Just a bit of fresh lemon juice for balance and adds a nice citrus flavor where the vinegar adds tang.
- Maple Syrup: Just touch for balance.
- Italian Seasonings: I used my homemade Italian Seasoning Blend but you can use store-bought or a mix of Italian herbs.
- Garlic Powder & Onion Powder: You can also use fresh garlic but I opted for garlic powder and onion powder and they added amazing flavors.
- Salt & Black Pepper: Flavor!
- Red Chili Flakes: Just a hint of spice.
How to Make This Recipe
This homemade Italian dressing is incredibly easy! You don't need a food processor or blender- just a jar with a lid or bowl and a whisk!
Add all the salad dressing ingredients into a jar and shake vigorously or simply add all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk vigorously.
If you want a creamy salad dressing, add vegan heavy cream or vegan mayo when you shake the rest of the ingredients together- it should incorporate well. If not, simply blend together.
That’s it! Making homemade Italian dressing couldn’t be easier.
Substitutions:
- Olive Oil: Extra Virgin Olive Oil is best but any neutral oil will work just fine.
- Red Wine Vinegar: I love the zesty, tangy flavor of this vinegar but white wine vinegar will work as well.
- Italian Seasoning: Check out my blog post on Italian Seasoning Substitutes to find variations.
Additions:
- Make it creamy: To make a creamy Italian salad dressing simply a spoonful of Vegan Heavy Cream, Vegan Mayo, or Vegan Sour Cream.
- Make it cheesy: Sometimes Italian dressings have parmesan cheese. Add nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan to make it cheesy.
Serving Ideas
This easy vegan Italian salad dressing is delicious drizzled over green salads with your favorite toppings and some croutons! I love adding cucumbers, red onion, and vegan bacon bits. Chickpeas or baked tofu would be delicious as well. This dressing would be wonderful on an Olive Garden copycat salad or any type of salad.
Toss a bit of vegan Italian dressing with some pasta and some fresh vegetables to make a vegan pasta salad. You could even drizzle this over a grain bowl with tofu and roasted veggies.
This easy recipe would be great in a wrap as well. Toss some romaine with Italian dressing, add some red onion, tomato, and vegan chicken and wrap in a tortilla!
Storage
Store the leftover Italian Salad Dressing in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks. It will separate and the olive oil might harden a bit but just leave at room temperature for a few minutes and give it a good shake and it's ready to go!
Frequently Asked Questions
Red Wine Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar is preferred. Apple Cider Vinegar could also work.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is by far the best oil to use for this dressing.
Unfortunately, no. This salad dressing cannot be made oil-free.
More Salad Dressing Recipes You’ll Love
Recipe
Homemade Vegan Italian Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Maple Syrup
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning homemade blend or store-bought
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Add all the salad dressing ingredients in to a jar and shake vigorously or whisk vigorously! The salad dressing separates when it starts to settle so be sure to shake each time you use it.
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