Easy Italian Vinaigrette

By
Danilo Alfaro
Danlio Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.
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Updated on 03/8/22
Salad with Italian vinaigrette

Victoria Pearson/Getty Images

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Servings: 3 servings
Yield: 1 cup

Vinaigrettes are often distinguished by the type of vinegar used in the dressing—balsamic vinaigrette, red wine vinaigrette, etc. But they can also be differentiated by the oil used, as well as its seasonings.

In this Italian vinaigrette, for example, the main difference between it and the basic vinaigrette it closely resembles is that this recipe is made with olive oil rather than ordinary vegetable oil. And the fact that it includes oregano, parsley, and garlic, three quintessentially Italian ingredients, also contributes to its name.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 clove)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Ground white pepper, or freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix for about 10 seconds or until fully combined.

  2. Transfer to a glass bowl and let stand for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Pour into a jar or bottle, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

  3. Give the dressing a good whisk or shake immediately before serving.​

Tips

  • It is recommended that you use as good a quality of olive oil you can afford because you will taste the difference. A nice, fruity extra-virgin olive oil will add great flavor to this dressing.
  • Remember that once you've mixed the dressing, it's best to let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. You can ultimately store it in the fridge, but this initial melding time works best at room temperature, and your vinaigrette will be more flavorful.
  • This fresh-tasting vinaigrette is not only meant for a green salad. Try it drizzled over grilled vegetables, or as the dressing for a pasta salad studded with sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. It can also be a delicious marinade for grilled chicken.

Recipe Variations

  • Fresh herbs are preferred versus dried ones, but if you only have dried parsley, dried oregano, and dried garlic flakes, you can definitely use them. Just be mindful you will need to change the amounts of the herbs; dried herbs are much more potent than fresh, so for 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, you would use 1 teaspoon dried, and if you're substituting dried oregano, use 1/2 teaspoon (the idea being that you need about three times as much fresh herb as dried). For the garlic flakes, however, you can still use 1/2 teaspoon. If you're substituting garlic granules, use 1/4 teaspoon, and for garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon.
  • The caveat here is that dried herbs lose their potency within about six months, so for best results, make sure your dried herbs are fresh. You can make your own freeze-dried herbs if you like, which is ideal if you have a bunch of parsley and can't possibly use the whole thing before it goes bad. Pull off the leaves and chop them up as finely as possible. Then pour onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels and let sit out overnight. Transfer the herbs to an airtight container (like a zip-top bag) and store it in the freezer. You can also freeze the parsley stems separately—they are great for flavoring homemade stocks.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
483 Calories
54g Fat
0g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3
Amount per serving
Calories 483
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 54g 69%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 107mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 3mg 13%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 12mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)