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:

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.

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Prep Time 5

Servings: 4

To a small jar (with lid), add ½ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon dijon, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper. Seal with the lid and shake until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.

If you don't have a jar, you can make the dressing using a small bowl and a whisk.

Recipe makes ¾ cup of dressing.