658447 Sat Oct 10 06:13:11 -0700 2009 18 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 5093028 Any great bottled Italian dressings out there that are oil based and can be used on salads and for marinade? Sat Oct 10 06:13:11 -0700 2009 288072 CyndiA 1 5093150 The best oil type Italian salad dressing is the one that you make yourself. Good olive oil based vinaigrette dressing is dead simple to make. You whip up only what you need for the moment and you leave out the 16-syllable chemical additives. Commercial salad dressings are generally pretty lame and Italian dressings are absolutely the worst of the bad: oversalted, bitter, strange aftertastes. Sat Oct 10 07:35:05 -0700 2009 5093028 1102097 mandycat 2 5093990 Yes. I like homemade best, but I like to keep a back up bottle on hand for busy nights. Sat Oct 10 16:21:51 -0700 2009 5093150 288072 CyndiA 2 5097091 But that was not the question. The question was for a bottled dressing. Mon Oct 12 09:56:59 -0700 2009 5093150 113176 jmckee 1 5093176 My go-to is Kraft Zesty Italian. I use it for marinades, drizzle it on sandwiches, etc.... Having said that, Paul Newman's Family Recipe Italian is pretty good, too. Sat Oct 10 07:49:06 -0700 2009 5093028 124908 jeanmarieok 1 5093181 I got a great Light Italian from TJ's. I think it was the house brand. No additives or hard-to-define ingredients. It was light simply because it had less oil. Sat Oct 10 07:52:39 -0700 2009 5093028 76025 mojoeater 1 5093684 Mandy's comment notwithstanding, if you have access to the President's Choice brand, their Balsamic dressing is very good. The ingredients are oil, including extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and various natural flavourings. The only ingredient I wouldn't add to a dressing I'd make at home is "xanthan gum", which is described in Wikipedia thusly: "A practical use would be in salad dressing: the xanthan gum makes it thick enough at rest in the bottle to keep the mixture fairly homogeneous, but the shear forces generated by shaking and pouring thins it, so it can be easily poured. When it exits the bottle, the shear forces are removed and it thickens back up, so it clings to the salad." No sixteen letter weird tasting artificial ingredients in this Balsamic dressing. I use it all the time when I'm in a hurry. Sat Oct 10 13:13:48 -0700 2009 5093028 1104506 FrankD 1 5093707 Since you asked for recommendations on bottled dressings and not a recipe to make your own, here's another vote for the various Newman's own varieties. Like FrankD said, the only ingredient besides oil, vinegar, water and seasonings is xanthan gum. Sat Oct 10 13:25:42 -0700 2009 5093028 14819 cookie monster 2 5097096 My wife, an inveterate Italian dressing lover, adores my homemade; but Newman's Own dressings are a good second, she says. She's very fond of the original and the balsamic. Plus, profits go to do good. Mon Oct 12 09:58:15 -0700 2009 5093707 113176 jmckee 2 5097672 I like all of these as well. The raspberry and walnut (light) is particularly nice, as is the balsamic one. Mon Oct 12 13:39:29 -0700 2009 5093707 26699 cackalackie 1 5093728 It's been years since I bought bottled vinaigrette - homemade is cheaper, it tastes better, and it's bonehead simple to make. But before I developed confidence in my own dressing-making skills, we'd often have a bottle of La Martinique in the fridge. Good flavor, and the only ingredients were oil, vinegar, salt, garlic, and spices. Sat Oct 10 13:37:48 -0700 2009 5093028 58743 alanbarnes 1 5093745 I like my Italian dressing to be robust with flavor so I use the Good Seasons dry mixes and then play with all my vinegars and oils, adding some things like lemon juice, mustard, and herbs. The mix seems to give it that stick-ability to the greens that I need. I used to buy Wishbone Robusto or Paul Newman's Balsamic. My taste buds must be dying b/c a regular recipe Italian dressing isn't tasty enough for me and my family. Sat Oct 10 13:45:13 -0700 2009 5093028 253735 bayoucook 1 5093887 I think this brand might only be available on the West Coast, but I've liked every Bernstein's dressing I've tried, and I love their Light Cheese Fantastico (the only light dressing I've ever thought was worth buying again). There's a "regular" version, too: http://www.birdseyefoods.com/scripts/products/view.asp?product_id=392 Sat Oct 10 15:21:44 -0700 2009 5093028 10159 Ruth Lafler 1 5097183 Another vote for Paul Newman's. I like the light balsamic vinaigrette or the balsamic with roasted garlic. Mon Oct 12 10:32:22 -0700 2009 5093028 40284 AmyH 1 5097202 I make my own too. However, Wishbone Italian is my sentimental favorite, although it may not be the “best”. Mon Oct 12 10:39:27 -0700 2009 5093028 233294 cuccubear 1 5097724 My new favorite is Kraft sundried tomato vinaigrette made w/ extra virgin olive oil. It's very zesty! Mon Oct 12 13:55:15 -0700 2009 5093028 56183 soypower 1 5097744 It's not ready made but I like Good Seasons Italin that you mix yourself. All you need is oil and vinegar and your done. Mon Oct 12 14:14:55 -0700 2009 5093028 77397 Eric in NJ 1 5097894 I like Ken's Italian dressing and so does my daughter. Other than that I also recommend the Good Seasonings, but you do have to mix it yourself. It is not bottled. Mon Oct 12 15:10:22 -0700 2009 5093028 80937 danhole 1 5097921 I use Good Seasons for some things, but for salad I really like Kraft's Roasted Red Pepper Italian - very nice flavor when I want a prepared dressing. Also use the Zesty Italian in a pinch for marinades & salads. Mon Oct 12 15:18:32 -0700 2009 5093028 249405 elfcook