Vegan Italian Dressing

This vegan Italian dressing is bursting with zesty flavor! So much better than store-bought dressing, and it can be made in minutes with just a handful of pantry staples.

Spoon drizzling Vegan Italian Dressing into a jar.

You really can’t go wrong with Italian dressing. It’s delicious, a classic, and always a crowd pleaser!

It’s one of my favorite dressings (among others like balsamic vinaigrette, Caesar, and ranch), but learned the hard way not to blindly grab a bottle of it at the store and assume it’s vegan. Italian salad dressing can contain all kinds of non-vegan ingredients from honey to Parmesan cheese to random milk-based additives (why??).

I don’t even bother scanning ingredient labels anymore. I found a better way: I make my own vegan Italian salad dressing! It’s almost as easy as grabbing a bottle at the store, tastes better, and I know exactly what went into it!

Jump to:

Ingredients You’ll Need

Olive oil. Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. It will give your dressing the most amazing flavor!
Red wine vinegar. You can experiment with other types of vinegar if you’d like, such as white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar. Each will alter the flavor of the dressing slightly.
Dijon mustard. Stick with a creamy Dijon mustard (not whole grain) to give your dressing a smooth consistency.
Italian seasoning. Italian seasoning is a blend of dried herbs that might include thyme, basil, oregano, marjoram, sage and rosemary. Feel free to mix up your including each of these spices, or buy a premixed one at the store.
Onion powder.
Garlic powder. We’re keeping things simple by using garlic powder, but feel free to use a finely minced clove of fresh garlic for extra bite if you’d like.
Salt & pepper.

How It’s Made

This dressing is incredibly easy to make! Grab a mason jar with a lid.

Ingredients for making Vegan Italian Dressing in a mason jar.

Step 1: Place all of your ingredients into the jar.

Jar of Vegan Italian Dressing just after being mixed.

Step 2: Place the lid on the jar and seal it up tightly. Grab that jar and shake it up! After a few seconds it should be nicely blended and golden in color.

Step 3: Open the jar and taste-test your dressing. You can adjust any seasonings to suit your taste at this point — maybe adding more salt, pepper or Italian seasoning. Close and shake it again briefly if you add anything.

White wooden surface set with vegetables and a jar of Vegan Italian Dressing.

Your vegan Italian salad dressing is ready to go. Grab a salad and pour it all over that bad boy!

Variations

For an extra spicy Italian dressing, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
For a touch of sweetness add a dash of maple syrup.
For creamy Italian dressing, add a tablespoon or two of vegan mayonnaise.
For some cheesy flavor, add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast flakes.

Shelf-Life & Storage

Homemade vegan Italian dressing will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for at least a month. I like to store mine right it the jar I mixed it in!

Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

This vegan Italian dressing is bursting with zesty flavor! So much better than store-bought dressing, and it can be made in minutes with just a handful of pantry staples.

Ingredients

½
cup
olive oil
¼
cup
red wine vinegar
1
tablespoon
Dijon mustard
1
teaspoon
Italian seasoning
½
teaspoon
onion powder
½
teaspoon
garlic powder
¼
teaspoon
salt,
plus more to taste
⅛
teaspoon
black pepper,
plus more to taste

Instructions

Place all ingredients into a mason jar with a lid. (Note 1)
Tightly close the jar and shake it vigorously.
Open the jar and taste-test the dressing. Adjust any seasonings to suit your taste, then close the jar and shake it again.