For a bottled dressing, try Newman's Own. We like the Tuscan recipe, (and HATED the one with lime in it).

I always use EVOO, but you might try 1/2 EVOO and half canola oil, and just use less oil than your recipes call for.

This is my basic "Italian" dressing, but I really love Good Seasons Italian (powder that you mix with oil & vinegar) too. It has a certain sweetness and tang that you can't get from the recipe below. Both are very good IMHO but they are different and sometimes i want one and sometimes the other....

Alexa

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ tsp minced garlic
½ tsp dried oregano
Â1 Tbsp chopped parsley
ÂKosher salt and ground white pepper (or freshly ground black pepper), to taste

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until emulsified.

Here is the Italian dressing recipe I use.
I package of Good Seasons Salad dressing mix
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs. water
Shake these together
Add 1/2 cup olive oil.
Shake, refrigerate and serve.

No packaged mixes for me....
I think the secret of a good salad dressing is some sweetness.
I always use EVOO and a dark colored, fruity one....and I keep my oil in the refrigerator but for a very small bottle I use for cooking on the counter near the cooktop. If you find an oily taste unpleasant, likely the oil is past it's prime. And I find that I like a rice vinegar better than any white wine vinegar I have found, it's less "biting" for want of a better word. And you can omit the mustard, but that acts as an emulsifier and keeps if longer without separating out.....and you can add a tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese to stablize it somewhat.
As for finding ingredients in the mid-west....you can't find anything more "mid-west" than where I am, and I find everything in this dressing at the supermarket.

Here's the dressing I use most of the time:
Basic vinaigrette
1T Dijon mustard
1 T honey or brown sugarÂor splenda ( not as good as honey)
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1/3 cup rice vinegarÂor 1 /4 cup cider vinegar and 2 T balsamic
1 tsp crushed dried oreganoÂor 2 tsps fresh.
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Whisk all but the oil and slowly add the oil while whisking

Thank you, thank you everyone. Boy, learned something here. Did not know that it had to be refrigerated. Use EVOO for all of my cooking. Love the rice vinegar. I stumbled onto that--don't know exactly why I especially like that one. Is there a specific brand of EVOO? Does the taste have to do with the brand? I always buy the extra-virgin. Is the garlic necessary? I know it is good for you, but I hate to smell the breath of anyone that has eaten a lot of garlic (and you don't have to be extremely close either). I know lots of people love it--just me for not liking it. This is the best forum for getting early replies. Thanks so much again. -Barb

If you want a good Italian dressing, garlic is necessary...if you want another kind of dressing, skip the garlic.
The amount of garlic in the above dressing, spread out over 8 or more servings of salad is really very little.
What defines "Italian Dressing" is garlic, oregano and olive oil instead of Wesson oil, as well as balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.
I buy Bertoli Olive oil, but Colavita works too.
Linda C

There are big differences in EVOO brands. These can be better appreciated if you can find a "tasting room" for olive oil. Also, make sure your source of olive oil is providing fresh and not last year's or two years ago. I always refrigerate my supply and keep a small bottle in a dark cupboard for quick availability.

Big difference in what country the EVOO comes from as well.

I haven't found a Spanish one I really like but there are a couple of Greek ones that are good. If there is no country of origin on the label I'll bet it is a blend of tanker car oils from everywhere, including Bulgaria.

I look for my usual brand first, failing that then Italy, then Greece.

I was 14 years old before I knew there was something other than vinegar & oil. It's very simple:

Lettuce and chunked tomatoes in a bowl big enough to toss the lettuce.
A few swirls of EVOO around the lettuce, a clove or two of garlic, crushed, a small palm full of dried oregano that you rub and crush as you drop it on the greens, a decent sprinkle of red wine vinegar, and salt. In that order. Then toss and enjoy. Simple as that. Night after night after night, unless I make Blue Cheese dressing.

If you don't have a clove of garlic, sprinkle garlic salt on it. It's almost as good.

And crumbled blue cheese goes in that what I call "toss and dump" very well.
But I want a pinch of sugar in that bowl...unless the vinegar is a good balsamic.
Linda C

If you don't like garlic, then just leave it out and call it a french dressing! No sugar.
You don't have to use olive oil if you find it too strong. Here, it is recommended to use a mix of different oils as it's better for your health. A standard mix is something like olive, sunflower, rapeseed and grape seed. They all have different benefits for your health.
Different herbs make all the difference. Try out some too see which you like best with which foods. E.G. dill with fish.

Here's my go-to Italian dressing.

1 c oil
1/3 c white or red wine vinegar
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t dry mustard
1/4 t paprika
1 garlic clove, minced

Well, I don't have a favorite recipe because I don't care for viniagrette dressings, but I can tell you that olive oils are very much different in taste.

I have an olive oil from Texas that Brenda gave me last summer and it's very nice but my all time favorite comes from a small olive orchard in California called Sciabica's. Their Marsala is wonderful, fruity and light, it just tastes and smells GOOD. It is slightly sweet. They do sell on-line and their business is run by three generations now. I get a call occasionally from "Nick" or "Joe" Sciabica, wanting to make sure I don't run out of olive oil.

dlundin sent me an assortment as a gift several years ago and I've been using it ever since, love the stuff.

Yeah, you knew I was going to put in a plug for a small American farmer, didn't you? (grin)
Annie

Good Seasons Italian dressing has been my favorite for years. It often receives good comments from guests.

Jim

I will share mine...been making it for years and everyone seems to enjoy it but I don't have quantities because I make what I need and don't mesure amounts. I try to stay with the norm for the oil/vinager ratio but everything can be adjusted to your taste

EVOO
Balsamic vinegar
garlic - fresh
shallot - fresh and finely chopped
oregano - fresh from garden or dried
salt & pepper

mix and enjoy

Annie, I've been buying Sciabica's olive oils lately too. I remembered you praising them.

A while back I got some other brand from the grocery store and it was horribly bitter. It took me a while before I figured out why everything I was cooking had such a bitter aftertaste. When I finally took a swig of the oil, I spat it out. It was that bad tasting.

So the next time I was shopping at my favorite grocery store, I carefully studied the display of Sciabica products. I got a lemon olive oil and a Fall Harvest that were on sale. They were more expensive than the regular grocery store offerings, but I'm very pleased with their taste. As others have said, the flavor of the olive oil really can make or break a dish or a salad dressing.

A lot of which olive oil tastes better is in the taster.

For example I like most of Sciabica's oils that I have tasted, but don't like the Marsala that Annie likes. I really do not like much taste in my olive oil, especially in a salad dressing. I've never bought one from the grocry store shelf that I liked.

I like the Good Season's as well with red wine vinegar. I have tried to make my own but I never like them as well. Guess I am just used to it.

Beverly, you're right, it's all in what you like. Elery loved their habanero infused olive oil and I thought it was not that good, not just too hot, but different in basic flavor.

Annie