Creamy Italian Dressing
This creamy Italian dressing recipe is the perfect way to dress up a simple salad. A delicious spin on a traditional Italian vinaigrette, it’s quick and easy dressing you can whip up from scratch in the convenience of your own home kitchen!
While getting my kids to eat there vegetables can be a struggle, they never ever complain about chowing down on salad.
Lunch, dinner- whatever the time or occasion, salad is always a win.
Because they love it so much, I serve it often. Gotta get the greens in them! However, I don’t want any of us to get burnt out on it.
While I can change up the veggies I use and the combinations, the best thing I’ve done is make sure we have plenty of options when it comes to salad dressings.
It’s totally inconvenient though when I open the fridge right before dinner only to find we’re out of one of our favorites.
Luckily, I can whip up our favorite creamy Italian dressing recipe with only a handful of ingredients in just 5 minutes.
Ingredients Needed
This creamy salad dressing only uses a handful of simple ingredients and seasonings.
To make it you’ll need:
- Vinegar – Specifically white wine vinegar
- Lemon Juice – Fresh will yield the best flavor, but the shelf stable kind will also work just as well
- Oils – You’ll need both olive oil and mayonnaise in this recipe, with mayonnaise giving it it’s signature creamy texture.
- Garlic – Minced garlic
- Seasonings – This Italian dressing is flavored with a blend of basil, oregano, parsley, and thyme.
- Honey
- Cheese – finely grated Parmesan cheese
Once you’ve gathered all you’re ingredients you’re ready to get started!
How To Make
This creamy Italian dressing recipe is quick and easy to whip up.
Start by adding all of the ingredients to a blender.
You don’t have to use a high powered blender, but the better your blender the quicker the ingredients will combine and emulsify and the smoother the overall texture will be.
Blend them all together until smooth & creamy.
Cover and refrigerate the dressing for at least 2 hours, or until completely chilled.
Whisk together or vigorously shake, if separated, and use as desired.
If the dressing thickens to much to your liking while refrigerating, thin it with a little bit of water. Not too much though!
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
TIPS & TRICKS
- For more protein and less calories, you can substitute Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise.
- The dressing will be thin when freshly made, but it will thicken as it chills in the refrigerator. You can serve it right away and it will taste just as good, but if you like it on the thicker/creamier side- then plan to allow for a couple hours of chill time before using.
- Don’t like mayo? Substitute 1/4 cup canola oil for the mayonnaise- this will yield a more traditional Italian vinaigrette style dressing.
Other Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes
Keep your salad game fresh, and whip up a batch of this easy creamy Italian dressing recipe in the convenience of your own kitchen.
It’s perfect for lunch or dinner, and even makes a great vegetable dip the whole family will love!
Looking for other homemade salad dressing recipes to enjoy?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this CREAMY ITALIAN DRESSING RECIPE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Creamy Italian Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- salt & pepper to taste
- water to thin (only if necessary for your preference)
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredient to a blender, and blend until smooth and evenly combined.1/4 - 1/3 cup white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried parsley, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 2 tsp honey, 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper
- Refrigerate for 2 hours to chill.
- Shake well. If too thick, whisk in a teaspoon or two of water to thin.water
- Serve & enjoy!
Notes
- For more protein and less calories, you can substitute Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise.
- The dressing will be thin when freshly made, but it will thicken as it chills in the refrigerator. You can serve it right away and it will taste just as good, but if you like it on the thicker/creamier side- then plan to allow for a couple hours of chill time before using.
- Don't like mayo? Substitute 1/4 cup canola oil for the mayonnaise- this will yield a more traditional Italian vinaigrette style dressing.
Nutrition
recipe originally from The Busy Baker
