This is easily one of my favourite salad dressings. It’s great on salads and slaws, but also makes a delicious marinade for chicken, pork or beef.
Equipment
Here’s everything you need to make my Italian dressing at home:
- Small jar with lid or small bowl and whisk
- zester/ fine grater
You can find the full ingredients list and instructions below!
Cooking Tips
- Reach for good quality olive oil and vinegar. I like using single-source, extra virgin olive oil that has been cold pressed and stored in a dark glass bottle. And, when I can afford it, I like using organic vinegars that have been naturally fermented for more depth of flavour.
- Want to make your own dressing, but not sure how? My favourite salad dressing ratio is 3:1, that’s three parts oil to 1 part vinegar/acid. Start there, then add emulsifiers like mayonnaise and mustard to help bind the dressing. You can also add sugars, like honey and maple syrup, for a touch of sweetness that will help balance out the salt and acidity. Finally, think about what spices that would go well with the other elements you’ve already added. For the emulsifiers, sugars and spices, start with small quantities and build up by tasting and adjusting as you go until the flavours are balanced.
- Serve it with…Grilled chicken with tomato and peach salad, Niçoise-ish potato salad, or Italian green bean salad.
Ingredients
Method
- To a small jar (with lid), add 1/2 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tbsp dijon, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp red chili flakes, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper. Seal with the lid and shake until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Notes
If you don’t have a jar, you can make the dressing using a small bowl and a whisk.
Recipe makes 3/4 cup of dressing.