Vegan Italian Dressing (Oil-Free)

A tangy Vegan Italian Salad Dressing recipe that's ready in just 5 minutes! Made with bold flavors and a creamy hummus base (optional). Drizzle it over your favorite leafy green salads, pasta salads, or grain salads! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

This bold & zesty Italian salad dressing is quick and simple.

It's oil-free, vegan, gluten-free, and also naturally sweetened. Plus full of bright, tangy flavor with a hint of fresh herbs.

Homemade salad dressings are wonderful because you can customize them exactly how you want. They're so much more fresh than store-bought alternatives.

Ingredients for Vegan Italian Dressing

For this recipe you will blend together in a small high-speed blender or food processor:

• Red wine vinegar
• Hummus: I use my easy homemade Oil-Free Hummus for this recipe, but you can use plain store-bought hummus instead. This creates the luscious base for a creamy Italian dressing.
• Nutritional yeast: This adds a slightly cheesy, savory flavor to the dressing. Classic Italian dressing often includes parmesan cheese, so I use this instead for a dairy-free cheesy taste.
• Pure maple syrup: Or you can substitute agave nectar or vegan honey for sweetness. Simply add more if you prefer yours sweeter.
• White miso: This fermented soybean paste has mild umami flavor. It's delicious in dressings to give it a deeper, more complex flavor. I highly recommend including it, but if you don't have any then simply salt to taste. (And add black pepper if desired.)
• Dijon mustard
• Dried Italian seasoning
• Dried garlic powder: Or you can substitute one clove fresh garlic for a stronger flavor if desired.
• Fresh parsley: We'll pulse in just a little of this fresh herb right at the end. Either flat leaf parsley or curly parsley works great. I enjoy the added freshness, but if you don't have it on hand, simply omit.

Customizing

Vinegar: White wine vinegar is generally the more classic choice for Italian dressing, so you can substitute that if desired. Red wine vinegar has a stronger flavor, but I enjoy it.

Italian seasoning: If you don't have this in your spice cabinet, simply replace with a combination of dried herbs like basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, or marjoram. A small amount of onion powder can be added as well.

Flavors: Fresh lemon juice can also be added in place of some of the vinegar. Or add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a little heat.

Adding oil: If you prefer to include oil in your diet, then you can add 1-2 tablespoons high quality extra-virgin olive oil to turn it into an Italian vinaigrette.

Don't have a small blender? Add all ingredients to a jar, seal it well, then shake vigorously to combine. Or you can also whisk it together in a bowl. But if you have a blender, I recommend using it so the ingredients & herbs are fully broken down and incorporated.

Serving

Leafy green salad: Drizzle this homemade Italian dressing over your favorite greens like a spring mix, kale, arugula, or romaine lettuce.

Wraps: Add it to sandwiches + wraps for a flavor boost! I love it on this Roasted Veggie Wrap.

Pasta salad: Toss it with an Italian-style pasta salad (like this Arugula Pasta Salad or Vegan Italian Pasta Salad). Or create your own with ingredients like onion, green bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh arugula, olives, artichoke hearts, etc.

Grain salad: Try it as a dressing for various grain and bean salads like quinoa, lentil, rice, etc.

Storing

Store leftover dressing in a sealed glass mason jar with lid (or other airtight container) in the refrigerator. I find it keeps for about 5-6 days.

For more inspiration, also browse all oil-free salad dressing recipes.

Vegan Italian Dressing (Oil-Free)

A bold, tangy Italian-inspired dressing that's quick & easy! Hummus adds a beautiful, creamy texture but you can leave it out if preferred.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Course: Dressing

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Italian-Inspired, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings: 4

US CustomaryMetric

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• 1/4 cup hummus*
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp. pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp. white miso
• 1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning (or more to taste)
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder (or 1 clove fresh garlic)
• 1-2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

• Add all ingredients (except fresh parsley) to a small high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust flavors if desired.
• Add parsley and pulse once or twice. (Blending too much will turn the dressing green.)

Notes

*Non-creamy version: Omit hummus. Instead blend in 2 Tbsp. water and 1-2 tsp. chia seeds. It will slightly thicken as it sits. (Though I much prefer the creamy hummus version!)

Yield: Recipe makes about 1/2 cup dressing (just over).

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Italian Dressing (Oil-Free)

Amount per Serving

Calories

58

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

2

g

3

%

Saturated Fat

 

0.3

g

2

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Potassium

 

128

mg

4

%

Carbohydrates

 

7

g

2

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

2

g

2

%

Protein

 

3

g

6

%

Vitamin A

 

101

IU

2

%

Vitamin C

 

1

mg

1

%

Calcium

 

23

mg

2

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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If you're enjoying this oil-free Vegan Italian Salad Dressing recipe, also check out:

• Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
• Vegan French Dressing

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