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    Home » Recipes » Sauces & Dressings

    Homemade Creamy Italian Dressing

    Published: Jan 2, 2023 by Lauren · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe  ↓
    Homemade Italian Dressing pin image

    The BEST Homemade Creamy Italian Dressing - This recipe is my family's absolute favorite dressing for any salad! It is made with healthy apple cider vinegar, and there's NO dairy or mayo.

    Salad and vegetables on a plate with dressing being poured over the top.

    A good dressing recipe is crucial to enjoying salad. Let's be honest, that's what makes it worth eating!

    If I didn't need to rotate my diet for the sake of food allergies, I would eat this dressing every day, with every salad.

    The combination of ingredients, including apple cider vinegar, Italian seasoning, and Dijon mustard, compliments just about any combination of salad ingredients.

    What's awesome is that my KIDS love this dressing as well!

    Even my picky son, who doesn't easily eat a vegetable, asked, yes ASKED me to make him salad thanks to this delicious dressing!

    Creamy salad dressing in a small mason jar.

    Ingredients needed

    You can easily scroll to the recipe to see the ingredients, but I wanted to tell you a bit why I like each ingredient.

    Apple cider vinegar - The tang factor! In lieu of red wine vinegar or lemon juice, apple cider vinegar is my favorite acid to use, and it's got a laundry list of health benefits.

    Good olive oil - Richness! I taste test all of the olive oil I buy, meaning I drink a good spoonful. My favorite is probably Bragg's Olive Oil, but it tends to be a bit pricey. The President's Reserve Olive Oil from Trader Joe's is my favorite cheap brand!

    Mustard - Flavor and emulsification (AKA, thickness). I love mustard. I eat it like I drink olive oil.

    Shallot - Flavor! I know shallot is sort of a specialized ingredient, but it really does contribute that somethin', somethin' to this. I've tried red onion as a stand in, and it just doesn't ring my bell the same way.

    Garlic - Flavor! I never make a dressing without it, what can I say?!

    Italian seasoning - Flavor! If you don't want the Italian flavor, leave it out. Good pinches of oregano and basil will suffice.

    How to make the best creamy Italian dressing

    If you watch the video below, you'll see how I measure the liquid ingredients in a small glass pitcher. I've found this to be the best way to do it!

    First photo shows the apple cider vinegar (1/4 cup), second shot shows the addition of water, which comes to 3/4 cup, and the last photo is with the 3/4 cup of olive oil for a total of 1 1/2 cups total.

    • Two cup glass measuring pitcher filled with apple cider vinegar.
    • Glass measuring cup filled with gold liquid.
    • Glass pitcher filled with oil and vinegar.

    At this point, pour the liquid into a blender. I really love my Nutribullet for this job!

    Add in everything else and blend until creamy and pale yellow.

    • Oil and liquid in a Nutribullet blender.
    • Blended salad dressing in a Nutritbullet blender.

    Recipe notes

    Don't blend beyond 15 seconds, as you risk 'breaking' the emulsification.

    The dressing tends to lose some of its creaminess the following days, so it can be re-blended to enhance the effect.

    This is a tangy dressing. If you prefer sweeter dressings, you can try adding a teaspoon of honey to the mix!

    Salad and raw vegetables in a white bowl.

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    Plate full of lettuce and raw vegetables with a dressing being poured over the top.
    Print Recipe
    4.60 from 5 votes

    The BEST Homemade Creamy Italian Dressing

    This is my absolute favorite dressing for any salad, and it's dairy-free and sugar-free.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Total Time5 mins
    Course: Dressing, Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Anti-candida, Healthy, Lyme, Sugar-free
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 168kcal

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
    • ½ cup water
    • ¾ cup olive oil
    • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 (heaping) teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon shallot
    • 2 garlic cloves

    Instructions

    • Blend all for about 10-12 seconds. It should be smooth and creamy!

    Video

    Notes

    Weight Watchers points: 6

    Nutrition

    Sugar: 0.1g | Fiber: 0.1g | Calories: 168kcal | Fat: 19.2g | Protein: 0.2g | Carbohydrates: 0.6g

    If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!

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    Filed Under: Favorites, Sauces & Dressings, Soup & Salad

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anne

      January 02, 2023 at 10:32 am

      What could I substitute for the oil as I don’t use oil?
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        January 02, 2023 at 11:33 am

        Hi Anne,

        I don't know, but you could search oil-free salad dressings to find one!

        Reply
    2. Stephanie

      June 04, 2021 at 8:48 am

      Thank you for the tip on limiting oxalates! That is something I was unaware of. (Lyme and Mold here 🙂 ) Much love!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        June 04, 2021 at 12:30 pm

        Hi Stephanie! Yes, it seems oxalates (which are in EVERYTHING, by the way!) can cause pain for a lot of people. If you're on FB, there's a group called Trying Low Oxalates that has a lot of information on it.

        Reply
        • Stephanie

          June 05, 2021 at 1:48 am

          Just requested to join! Thank you, Lauren.

          Reply

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    Hi there, I'm Lauren Goslin, and I've been a food blogger for over ten years. My goal with this blog is to show you healthy, lower sugar recipes that my family and I enjoy.

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