Italian Dressing Mix is an easy homemade zesty salad dressing mix with pantry seasonings like garlic salt, oregano, thyme, basil, and parsley.
The next time you are making Cucumber Tomato Salad or Greek Pasta Salad , why not take it up a notch with a homemade dressing? Homemade Dressings and Sauces make all your recipes even better!
One of the easiest ways to switch up a favorite salad recipe is to raid your pantry and make a new vinaigrette with spices you have on hand. Not only is it easy to make your own dressing from scratch, you can keep the spice mix as a base for other recipes too. There’s something awesome about being able to tell your dinner guests that you made everything from scratch, even the salad dressing!
Italian Dressing Mix is incredibly helpful for your recipes and easy to make. All you need are a handful of spices that you probably already have in your pantry. You can make your own dressing as you need it, which means that you won’t have a ton left over taking up space or going to waste. This homemade Italian Dressing Mix is really zesty and is healthier for you than ranch dressing. It’s great to have when you have a recipe that calls for seasoning packets or mixed dressing, too.
A great reason to make homemade Italian Dressing Mix is you know exactly what goes in it. No need to worry about preservatives or other random chemicals. You can customize this mix to taste however you would like by adding, subtracting, or replacing ingredients. If you really like garlic salt but absolutely hate celery salt, or visa versa, you can adjust the levels to taste.
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How to Make
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic salt, onion powder, sugar, oregano, pepper, thyme, basil, parsley, celery salt and regular salt.
- Store in a tightly sealed container in the pantry.
- To prepare dressing, whisk together ¼ cup white vinegar, 2/3 cup canola oil or olive oil, 2 tablespoons water, and 2 tablespoons of the dry mix.
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Variations
- Red Pepper Flakes: Do you like a little spice in your salad? Add some red pepper flakes to give it a little crunch and a little bit of a tang. Don’t worry if you aren’t a fan of spice that melts your face off, the red pepper flakes aren’t hot enough to make you regret your decision.
- Celery Seed: Celery seed is surprisingly good for you and also packs a ton of flavor for being so tiny. The flavor is similar to celery itself, but much stronger with just a hint of bitterness that goes really well with the rest of the spices in the seasoning.
- Marinade: If you don’t want to use this Italian Dressing Mix as a salad dressing you can actually use it as a marinade. It works best with lighter meat, like chicken, and the salt in the dressing mix will actually tenderize the meat while infusing it with flavor. Take the chicken and put it in a seal-able bag with the Italian Dressing Mix. Shake it well so that the chicken is coated and put it in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Once it’s had a chance to sit, take the meat out and cook it up. Don’t be tempted to skip a step and take the meat out of the marinade before the 4 hours are up or you won’t get the best results.
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How to Store
- Store: Keep Italian Dressing Mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Once you have made it into vinaigrette, store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks before it’s time to make a new batch. Don’t store the dry Italian Dressing Mix in the fridge, it can make the spices soggy.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 2 tablespoons salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic salt, onion powder, sugar, oregano, pepper, thyme, basil, parsley, celery salt and regular salt.
- Store in a tightly sealed container.
Salad Dressing:
- To prepare dressing, whisk together ¼ cup white vinegar, 2/3 cup canola oil or olive oil, 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons of the dry mix.
- Serve with lettuce, thinly sliced red onion, tomatoes, croutons, cucumbers and pepperoncini peppers.