Creamy Italian Garlic Dressing Recipe
Creamy Italian Garlic Dressing made in minutes with simple pantry ingredients—smooth, herby, and full of flavor.
This creamy Italian garlic dressing has the familiar zesty, herb-packed flavor of Italian dressing, but with a richer, smoother texture. It is excellent on chopped salads, pasta salads, sandwiches, wraps, and as a marinade for chicken.
Yield
About 1 cup
Time
5 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, finely grated or minced
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, water, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard until smooth.
Add the sugar, garlic, dried parsley, oregano, dried basil, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
Whisk until the seasonings are evenly distributed and the dressing is creamy and well blended.
Slowly whisk in the olive oil until fully incorporated. If using Parmesan, stir it in at the end.
Taste and adjust. Add a splash more water if you want a thinner dressing for salads. Add a little more vinegar for extra tang, or an extra pinch of sugar if you want the flavor softened slightly.
Serve right away, or chill for 15 to 20 minutes to let the herbs hydrate and the garlic mellow slightly.
Notes
Grating the garlic instead of roughly chopping it gives the dressing a smoother texture and distributes the garlic flavor more evenly.
The Parmesan is optional, but it adds a subtle savory depth that makes the dressing feel a little more restaurant-style and full-bodied.
Storage
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir or shake well before serving.
Hitting your protein shouldn't take a spreadsheet and a small breakdown at 4pm. This is six weeks of high-protein eating, planned for you, so every day already hits your target and you never have to wonder "was that enough?" again.
What's inside:
100 high-protein recipes: breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and desserts, all real food with easy swaps
A full 6-week plan: 42 days mapped out, every day built to hit your protein
Macros already counted, so there's no tracking and no math
Weekly grocery lists, sorted by aisle and built to reuse ingredients so you waste less and spend less
A 60-minute prep rhythm plus trackers, so it actually sticks past week one
Who it's for: busy people who want more protein without powders in every meal, sad "diet" food, or eating the same three things until they hate them.
The details: Instant digital download. 157-page PDF. Print at home or read it on your phone. Yours forever.
Please note: this is a general educational meal-planning resource for adults, not medical or nutrition advice. Nutrition values are estimates and vary by brand and portion.
Keep dinner saucy.