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    Home » Easy Vegan Dressing, Dip & Sauce Recipes » Vegan Creamy Italian Dressing - Small Batch

    Vegan Creamy Italian Dressing - Small Batch

    Published: Jun 16, 2022 · Modified: Jun 19, 2022 by Jacqueline Meldrum · 14 Comments

    Skip the ready-made salad dressing and try this vegan creamy Italian dressing. It's a small batch so no waste either.

    Creamy Italian Salad Dressing

    Ranch dressing or a balsamic vinaigrette have always been my favourite dressings, but now I'm torn as this creamy Italian dressing is so good.

    It's a small batch recipe, so enough for 2 or 3 salads and no waste.

    Of course, you can scale it up and make a bigger batch if you want to.

    Jump to:
    • 🥛 Grinder salad dressing
    • 🥛 Small batch salad dressings
    • 🍶 Storing salad dressing
    • 🥣 Add your salad dressing last
    • 🥗 Take a lot of salads to work?
    • 📖 What you need to make vegan Italian dressing
    • 🥙 Ideas for using salad dressing
    • 💭 How long will salad dressing keep?
    • ⭐ The best spot in the fridge for dressings
    • 🥬 Vegan salad recipes
    • 📋 Want new recipes delivered to your inbox?
    • ⭐ Pin it for later
    • 🥦 Living on the Veg
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Step-by-step photos
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Comments

    🥛 Grinder salad dressing

    I first made this tasty dairy-free dressing when I was recreating the famous TikTok Grinder Salad Sandwich.

    Vegan Grinder Salad Sandwich

    The salad piled high on the sandwich is tossed in this glorious creamy salad dressing.

    It needed its own recipe.

    One I could return to whenever I have the urge and share with you of course.

    🥛 Small batch salad dressings

    Small batch salad dressings are particularly good as they are fresh and there is no waste.

    Too many recipes make a big jar, sometimes two jars of salad dressing and as much as we all like salads, it's a lot to get through, so some inevitably gets thrown out.

    These smaller quantities are perfect.

    Enough for 2 or 3 salads but you can scale them up if you need to.

    🍶 Storing salad dressing

    Any airtight container will do, but here are a few ideas.

    clean jam jar
    • Clean jam jars - these are good because you can see how much is left and you can give them a good shake before dressing your salad.
    • Mini milk bottles - the ones with a screw on lid.
    • Glass cruet - the type of glass bottle with a stopper and lip that oil is often served in.

    Glass is always a better option as it doesn't discolour, washes well and can be recycled.

    I love the Bonne Maman jar jars. The jam is always so delicious and the jars are as cute as can be with the gingham lids.

    🥣 Add your salad dressing last

    You should always add your salad dressing at the last moment, so the salad will stay fresh, dressing does tend to make it soggy.

    When taking salad to work or school, look out for those little plastic dressing pots you can find in most supermarkets.

    You can just pop it in your lunchbox ready for lunchtime.

    🥗 Take a lot of salads to work?

    Then I have a little trick for you.

    Make your dressing, fill your little dressing pots (labelling the underside) and freeze them.

    In the morning just select a wee pot of dressing from the freezer and pop it in with your salad.

    It will defrost in time for lunch while keeping your salad cool.

    📖 What you need to make vegan Italian dressing

    Here are the few simple ingredients you need to make this easy Italian salad dressing.

    Small Batch Creamy Italian Salad Dressing
    • Vegan mayo - no need for oil in this simple dressing as there is oil in mayo
    • White wine vinegar - or any other clear vinegar, cider vinegar would work too
    • Oregano - I use dried oregano
    • Chilli flakes - if you don't have chilli flakes you could use chilli powder, but I would use less as it tends to have a more powerful heat
    • Salt & pepper - to season

    Simple as can be but so, so tasty.

    See printable recipe card below for full quantities.

    🥙 Ideas for using salad dressing

    Here are a few ideas for using salad dressing.

    Dill Potato Salad
    dill potato salad
    1. Salad - traditional but always good
    2. Pitta - drizzle over the salad in a pitta bread
    3. Wraps - add a drizzle to the filling of your lunchtime wrap for more flavour
    4. Pizza - use it for dunking pizza crust
    5. Potato wedges - good with spicy potato wedges
    6. Fries - chips or sweet potato fries
    7. Pasta salad - it makes the perfect dressing for a pasta salad too, try this Greek Pasta Salad
    8. Potato salad - change up your potato dressing by using salad dressing instead of mayo
    9. Colelsaw - improve your slaw with salad dressing instead of mayo
    10. Spread - use it as a spread when you are making a sandwich, this works better with creamy salad dressing

    💭 How long will salad dressing keep?

    Fresh salad dressing can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days once made.

    Vegan Creamy Italian Dressing

    Creamy dressings don't last as long as vinaigrettes.

    A vinaigrette can last for a couple of weeks.

    ⭐ The best spot in the fridge for dressings

    Many people keep dressings in the fridge door as they fit well in the compartments there.

    However, the fridge door is the warmest part of the fridge as the door is regularly opened, reducing the temperature.

    So, for the freshest dressings, keep them on a shelf inside the fridge.

    🥬 Vegan salad recipes

    Try drizzling some of this easy Italian salad dressing in these vegan salads.

    • Balsamic Beet Slaw
    • Carrot & Dill Coleslaw
    • Grinder Salad with Corn
    • Macaroni salad
    • Ploughman's Salad
    • Tex Mex Chopped Corn Salad

    🥛 And more salad dressing recipes

    Just in case you would like to try some more salad dressing recipes.

    • Creamy Russian Dressing
    • Greek Salad Dressing
    • Pomegrante & Lemon Dressing
    • Ranch Dressing

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    If you don't want to miss any of my new recipes, sign up in the green box below and I will send you my new recipes by email when they are published.

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    Check your spam folder if they don't arrive, I share a new recipe on each of my blogs every week.

    ⭐ Pin it for later

    CREAMY ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING RECIPE PIN

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    🥦 Living on the Veg

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    Such a friendly community with lots of recipes and chat. I'm in there every day chatting. It's such a nice place to spend time.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Step-by-step photos

    Step-by-step photos. Keep scrolling for the full printable recipe for the best creamy Italian dressing (with full ingredient list and nutritional info).

    Creamy Italian Dressing - Step 1

    Step 1

    1. In a clean jam jar or another airtight container, add the white wine vinegar, dried oregano and chilli flakes (full printable recipe card below).
    2. Now season with salt and pepper.
    Creamy Italian Dressing - Step 2

    Step 2

    1. Now add the mayo.
    2. Screw on the lid tightly and shake like crazy.
    3. Voila, one awesome salad dressing ready to dress a splendiferous salad (or check out one of my ideas above).

    📖 Recipe

    Creamy Italian Dressing - Step 2

    Vegan Creamy Italian Dressing - Small Batch

    Jacqueline Meldrum
    Skip the ready-made salad dressing and try this vegan creamy Italian dressing. It's a small batch so no waste either.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 3 mins
    Total Time 3 mins
    Course Easy Vegan Dressing, Dip & Sauce Recipes
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 3 servings
    Calories 155 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 5 tablespoons vegan mayo
    • 1 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
    • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoons chilli flakes more if you want it spicy
    • 1 pinch salt and pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Add all the ingredients to a clean jam jar or other airtight glass jar with lid.
    • Shake well to combine and emulsify the dressing.
    • Taste to check the seasoning and add more salt, pepper or chilli flakes to suit your tastes.
    • Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Keep the salad dressing on the shelf in the fridge, not in the fridge door to keep it fresher.
    • Keep for 3-4 days.
    • Freeze in portions in small plastic dressing tubs, then pop the frozen dressing straight into your lunchbox. it will keep your salad cool and be defrosted by lunchtime.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 155kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 0.1gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.04gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 152mgPotassium: 22mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 116IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 0.5mg
    Keyword dressing, salad, salad dressing, vegan salad dressing
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sam Burton

      June 16, 2022 at 6:20 pm

      5 stars
      I am all over this! Making it now!

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Meldrum

        June 16, 2022 at 6:23 pm

        Haha, good show! Enjoy it Sam.

        Reply
    2. Lorna

      June 16, 2022 at 6:22 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for letting me test this one. Now it is up I can say how good it is. My new fav!

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Meldrum

        June 16, 2022 at 6:22 pm

        No problem at all, it's good to get testers and I am so glad you like it.

        Reply
    3. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

      June 17, 2022 at 7:36 am

      5 stars
      This is so creamy and I love the added flavours too, especially the oregano. Easy to mix up as you need it.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Meldrum

        June 17, 2022 at 10:27 pm

        The oregano adds a lovely flavour that is so Italian. A fabulous dressing.

        Reply
    4. Mahy

      June 17, 2022 at 9:27 am

      5 stars
      I could use this dressing for so many things! Love the consistency and the ingredients that you've used!

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Meldrum

        June 17, 2022 at 10:26 pm

        Super simple but so, so tasty. I love it.

        Reply
    5. Elaine

      June 17, 2022 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      I could never say it's vegan if I didn't know the ingredients. Looks like an easy recipe, too!

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Meldrum

        June 17, 2022 at 10:26 pm

        It tastes so good, you would never tell the difference.

        Reply
    6. Rachna

      June 17, 2022 at 11:11 am

      5 stars
      This is such a handy dressing recipe. I love using mayo and vinegar in a dressing. Must try your recipe soon.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Meldrum

        June 17, 2022 at 10:25 pm

        It works so well and the vinegar cuts through the creamy mayo.

        Reply
    7. Dionne

      June 17, 2022 at 12:01 pm

      5 stars
      I've just made a salad and wondered which dressing to use with it. Well, I am not wondering anymore 🙂 This is it!

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Meldrum

        June 17, 2022 at 10:24 pm

        You couldn't go far wrong, it is so good.

        Reply

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    JACQUELINE MELDRUM

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