This oil-free and fat-free salad dressing is easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought low-calorie salad dressings! Aquafaba replaces the oil usually found in Italian dressing, creating a fat-free "vinaigrette." With the perfect balance of acid, salt, and herbs, you'll love the zesty Italian flavors! No preservatives or stabilizers here, just real, healthy ingredients.
With only 20 calories per serving, this oil-free dressing is perfect for salads, drizzling on sandwiches, potatoes, and grains, and for making lightened-up pasta salads!
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Why You'll Love This Low-Cal Dressing
There's no shortage of oil-free salad dressing recipes on the blog, but most of them are creamy. What I didn't have yet was a very low-calorie dressing or one more similar to vinaigrette.
I was planning a new healthy vegan pasta salad recipe and really wanted to create an oil-free Italian dressing that would capture the nostalgic aromas and flavors of the quick and easy pasta salads I grew up with.
You probably know the dish I'm talking about - the classic pasta salad that always made an appearance at potlucks and parties - with olives, pasta, a few veggies, and bottled Italian vinaigrette.
The only ingredient I could think of that would possibly make a good sub for oil in salad dressing was aquafaba. And holy moly, y'all. It works like a dream!
Aquafaba keeps the dressing perfectly emulsified without the need for gums or other thickeners you find in store-bought dressings. And it's SO perfect on pasta salad!
But before you get too excited....
Don't expect a fat-free salad dressing to taste exactly like a traditional vinaigrette because, well, that's just impossible.
Our brains and taste buds love fat, and a dressing with no fat and very low calories (less than 20 calories per serving) can't compete with biology. BUT I'm not gonna mince words, it is shockingly good! Just check out the reviews underneath the recipe.
If you enjoy healthy salad dressings and sauces as much as I do, I really think this oil-free dressing is going to win you over!
It's lemon-y, tangy, zesty, just salty enough, SO fresh, and it totally captures the classic Italian dressing vibe.
Ingredient Notes
- Aquafaba is the liquid drained from a can of chickpeas and is critical to the recipe as written. It's slightly thick and viscous and makes a great substitute for oil in salad dressing.
Tip! After straining the aquafaba, use the chickpeas to make Vegan "Tuna" Salad, Curried Chickpea Salad, or Vegan "Chicken" Salad. And if you have aquafaba leftover, use it for my popular Oil-Free Vegan Aquafaba Mayo! - White wine vinegar is a delicate vinegar perfect for Italian dressing.
- Lemon juice lends even more brightness and acidity and adds a subtle sweetness.
- Fresh garlic gives the dressing an irresistible savoriness and zip, though you can substitute garlic powder, if preferred.
- A small amount of maple syrup balances the acidity and saltiness. Agave nectar is a good swap.
- Mellow white miso provides umami and saltiness and is an excellent sub for the Parmesan cheese typically found in Italian dressing. See this post to learn more about miso.
- Dried oregano and basil give the dressing its classic Italian flavor.
- Nutritional yeast also adds to the umami, cheesy vibes. I highly recommend this non-fortified nutritional yeast by Sari Foods. The flavor is infinitely better than the average nutritional yeast.
- Fresh parsley is nutritious, flavorful, and beautiful.
Need ways to use up the rest of the parsley? Try my Parsley-Dill Pesto, Spicy Parsley Pesto, or Chickpea Patties.
Find ingredient amounts and full instructions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Fat-Free Dressing
All you need are 10 minutes, a bowl, a whisk, and a microplane zester/grater (for the clove of garlic) to make this healthy salad dressing.
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- First, whisk the miso into the aquafaba, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar until fully dissolved.
- Add the remaining ingredients and whisk again. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Hint: If you have time, allow the dressing to sit for at least an hour or two so the flavors can mingle. It tastes even better!
Substitutions
Unfortunately, I can't recommend any substitutions for the aquafaba, lemon, miso, or herbs.
If needed, garlic powder may be used instead of fresh, and red wine vinegar can be substituted for white.
It's possible you might like the dressing just fine without the nutritional yeast, but I highly recommend it for the cheesy, Parmesan-like factor.
Also, if you don't have maple syrup, agave nectar is an easy swap. Or if you strictly avoid added sugars, one reader reported that she doesn't add the maple syrup and it still tastes amazing!
Top Tip
It's rare that I don't encourage substitutions in my recipes, but that's because with most recipes there's room for a bit of experimentation.
But with this salad dressing it's important to try to follow it as closely as possible and measure accurately.
For example, 1 teaspoon means exactly 1 level teaspoon, not rounded or heaping.
Ways to Use It
This fat-free Italian dressing is delicious on salad, of course! It also makes a lovely green bean salad.
The flavors are also great with potatoes. Try it on wedges, fries, and baked potatoes.
The zestiness really cuts through heavier dishes and sandwiches. Pair it with seitan or baked or grilled tempeh and tofu. Drizzle it on pizza for even more Italian flair!
And of course, pair this oil-free dressing with penne, rotini, or farfalle for a deliciously light vegan pasta salad (pictured above).
How long does it keep?
Store your homemade salad dressing in a lidded jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Since the recipe doesn't make a huge amount I haven't tried freezing it yet. But considering the ingredients, I suspect it is freezer-friendly.
More Oil-Free Salad Dressing
Related :
Don't miss this collection of 15 popular oil-free salad dressing recipes!
Recipe
Oil-Free Italian Dressing (Fat-Free & Low-Calorie)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons aquafaba - This is the liquid drained from a can of chickpeas; see ideas above for using the chickpeas.
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons mellow white miso - or chickpea miso for soy-free.
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 clove of garlic - peeled and grated on a microplane
- 1 ½ teaspoons nutritional yeast - I recommend a non-fortified one for the best flavor.
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- NOTES: this makes a fairly small amount of dressing, about ½ cup (enough for 2 or 3 people). If preparing for a big batch of pasta salad or if you want leftovers, definitely make a double batch.Also, I recommend preparing the dressing several hours in advance to allow time for the flavors to mingle.
- In a bowl combine the aquafaba, lemon juice and vinegar. Add the miso and whisk until the miso is dissolved.
- Add the remaining ingredients and whisk very well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Christina says
I think fresh parsley would’ve brightened it up but I only had dried. It was still delicious!
Carrie says
This dressing is excellent! I've been searching for an easy oil-free dressing and this is it. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of the white wine vinegar. I only had rice wine vinegar on hand. Thanks for this versatile dressing!
Jean Andrews says
Thank you Lori! It's too cold here for pasta salads but the green bean salad sounds appealing. I have really enjoyed your posts and recipes.
Erin says
I made this tonight and just skipped the aquafaba. Otherwise followed the recipe as written and it's fantastic. The miso did a great job holding stuff in suspension on its own and I'll definitely be making this again and again.
Donna says
Julie says
Make this. It's perfectly balanced. So many oil free dressings are overly mustardy or acidic (and I love acidic things!). You don't miss the oil at all, because all the key flavors are there. Just perfect. THANK YOU ; )
Anne Paddock says
Excellent dressing. I tripled the recipe because a can of Eden garbanzo beans has 9 T of aquafaba. Turns out tripling the recipe is the perfect amount to fill the glass dressing container sold in most grocery stores (the container is usually sold with a packet of Italian seasoning which can be discarded).