Creamy Vegan Italian Dressing Recipe (Oil Free)

Stir up a delicious, creamy vegan Italian dressing that only takes 2 minutes to prepare and contains only 24.8 calories per serving.

I like to base most of my own dressings on yogurt instead of oil.  That way I can save most of my calories for nutrient-dense foods like fruit and vegetables, and use wholesome ingredients that contain amazing flavors.  

I love creamy dressings, and this is no exception.  Just by basing a dressing on yogurt, the dressing contains a fraction of the number of calories that it would have done if you’d have used oil or mayonnaise as the base for the dressing. 

This creamy vegan Italian dressing tastes so good you could add it to almost anything. (And I do)  It has the right balance of flavors to make your palette very happy.  The secret ingredient in this delicious dressing is my homemade Italian Seasoning, which is the main ingredient and gives it so much flavor. 

This sauce is good for the entire family and makes it so easy to stick to a plant-based diet.

This Italian dressing only takes 2 minutes to prepare and has no cooking involved.  It is much quicker to make this homemade dressing than go to the store and try to find a vegan store-bought dressing.

For one serving of this simple recipe, there is only 24.8 calories, 1.4g of protein, and 56.1 mg of calcium.  

I like to pair this homemade salad dressing with my falafel hot sauce or oil free no tahini hummus with a side of pickles. My favorite pickle to serve alongside this is my easy Russian pickled tomatoes. To make a complete meal I toss it with a nice salad on the side of my easy Mediterranean yellow rice served with a creamy chickpea and lentil curry and my Middle Eastern falafel. I have a collection of delicious recipes I often pair well with this vegan Italian dressing, you can check them out in my BEST Falafel Side Dishes post. I also love to add this to my falafel gyro, falafel over rice recipe, or falafel platter.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This recipe contains 24.8 calories per serving.
• This recipe contains 1.4g of protein per serving.
• This recipe is made from a combination of vegan protein, whole food sources of carbohydrates, vegetables, essential fats, and ingredients that make the dish extremely tasty.
• This easy recipe takes 2 minutes of active preparation time and involves no cooking.
• This recipe is made extra tasty by the addition of Italian seasoning.
• I have simplified this recipe by limiting the number of ingredients and using everyday, simple ingredients such as garlic and apple cider vinegar.
• This recipe and all recipes on my website are vegan, plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, lactose-free, free from refined sugar, vegetarian, and are based on whole foods.  
• All of my recipes follow my own diet plan called the Plant Plate 400. In addition,  my recipes also adhere to the following diets, the Mediterranean diet, the 1200 Calories a Day diet, Clean eating, the Macrobiotic diet, the Alkaline diet, the Ornish diet, the Daniel Fast, and the Starch Solution diet.

Ingredients

Ingredient Substitutions

• Garlic: You can omit the garlic or replace it with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Italian seasoning: 1 tablespoon of my Homemade Italian Seasoning can be replaced with 1 teaspoon of basil, 1 teaspoon of oregano, and 1 teaspoon of parsley.
• Sea salt: You can replace it with any salt of your choice or 1 tablespoon of tamari.
• Soya yogurt: Replace the soy yogurt with any plant yogurt of your choice.
• Lemon juice: Replace this with lime juice or remove it completely.
• Apple cider vinegar: You can replace this with white vinegar and a little bit of lemon juice (or any citrus juice). Or red wine vinegar will also work.
• Maple syrup: You can substitute this with any sweetener of your choice such as agave nectar.
• Mustard powder: A pinch of turmeric can be used to substitute for mustard powder. Or you can use Dijon mustard.

The Structure Of A Plant Based Plate

Each of the recipes I create fits into my Plant Plate System.  This system incorporates 5 food groups into every meal. 

The 5 food groups are 1) Plant Protein, 2), Leaves, Fruit, And Veg, 3) Aesthetic Additions, 4) Nutrient Packed Carbohydrates, and 5) Taste

This recipe adds flavor to any dish.  It falls under the “Taste” category on the Plant Based Plate and is not a complete meal.

The diagram below helps you visually see how this element features on a Plant-Based Plate.

Click here to discover more about my Plant Plate System and some of the benefits of eating this way.

Here’s how this recipe is structured according to the Plant Plate System.  

Adding each ingredient to the following categories helps you to easily see how to make substitutions.  It also lets you know the exact reason why the ingredient is in the recipe. 

Plant-Based Protein

• Vegan yogurt

Leaves, Fruit & Veg 

• n/a

Aesthetic Additions

• n/a

Nutrient Packed Carbohydrates

• n/a

Taste 

• Garlic
• Lemon juice
• Salt
• Apple cider vinegar
• Italian seasoning
• Maple syrup
• Mustard powder or Dijon mustard

How To Make This Recipe

Here is a brief summary of the steps needed to make the recipe.  See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full detailed instructions.

• Mix all of the ingredients together and serve.

How To Serve

To serve, toss this dressing with your favorite veggies to make a salad and serve as a side dish. 

Serving Sizes

This recipe serves 4 people so you can double the quantity of the ingredients to make a large batch and store the leftovers in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

How To Store Leftovers

This recipe keeps for up to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.  Defrost it before using it.

Ways To Use This Recipe

Here are some of my favorite ways to use this recipe: 

• Russian Pickled Tomatoes Recipe (EASY)
• No Oil No Tahini Hummus Recipe (48 Calories Per Serving)
• Easy Mediterranean Yellow Rice (Vegan)
• Middle East Falafel Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)
• Falafel Gyro Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)
• Creamy Chickpea And Lentil Curry Recipe
• Falafel Over Rice Recipe (Vegan Buddha Bowl)
• Falafel Platter Recipe (Vegan Mezze Plate)
• The BEST Falafel Side Dishes
• Serve it with some pasta salads, green salads, or fresh vegetables

Vegan Carbohydrate Side Dishes

Serve this recipe with any of the following carb side dishes which are all around 100 calories per serving: 

• Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Vegan Cornbread
• Easy Boiled Baby Potatoes
• Easy Skin On Boiled Potato
• Crispy Homemade Baked French Fries
• Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
• Most Crispy Vegan Jacket Potato
• Easy Whole Baked Sweet Potato
• Perfect Long Grain White Rice

For more options, see all of my best vegan, gluten-free carbs side dishes.

Vegan Vegetable Side Dishes

Here are some vegetable side dishes that go very nicely with this recipe which are all under 100 calories per serving.

• Easy Vegan Cheesy Broccoli
• Vegan Zucchini Fritters
• Spicy Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
• Nacho Cheese Baked Kale Chips
• Easy Baked Mushroom Bacon

For more options, see all of my best gluten-free vegan vegetable side dishes.

Plant-Based Protein Side Dishes

Here are some plant-based protein side dishes that go very nicely with this recipe.  They are all under 150 calories per serving and are based on the highest sources of vegan protein.

• Vegan Zucchini Fritters
• Smoky Tempeh Bacon
• Spicy Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
• Creamy Edamame Guacamole
• Vegan Tofu ‘Egg’ Scramble
• Easy Baked Mushroom Bacon

For more options, see all of my best gluten-free vegan protein recipes.

Vegan Meat Side Dishes

Here are some vegan meat side dishes that go very nicely with this recipe, and are great substitutes for regular meat.  These are all under 150 calories per serving.

• Vegan Gluten Free Black Bean Meatballs
• 10 Minute Plant Based Black Bean Burger
• Easy Vegan Meatloaf
• Smoky Tempeh Bacon
• Spicy Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
• Vegan Jackfruit Shredded Chicken
• Easy Baked Mushroom Bacon

For more options, see all of my best gluten-free vegan meat recipes.

More Tasty Vegan Dips And Dressing Recipes

Here are some vegan dips or vegan sauces that go very nicely with this recipe, and are very quick to make.  These are all under 50 calories per serving.

• No Cook Marinara Sauce (this makes a great salsa or tomato sauce dip)
• Quick Gluten Free Vegan Gravy Recipe
• Vegan Ranch Dip Recipe
• Creamy Edamame Guacamole
• Easy Vegan Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
• Creamy Hummus Recipe Without Garlic
• Creamy Vegan Poppy Seed Dressing

For more options, see all of my best gluten-free vegan dips recipes.

Recipe

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