Salad dressing, italian, low-fat is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 30 recipes to get you started.

What is salad dressing, italian, low-fat?

Low-fat Italian dressing is the bottled vinaigrette you know, with most of the oil pulled out.

A standard Italian dressing is vinegar and oil seasoned with garlic and oregano; the low-fat version keeps the tang and herbs but swaps much of the oil for water and a little sugar to hold it together.

The trade-off is real. You lose some of the rich, clingy body that oil gives, and you gain a thinner, sharper, more vinegar-forward dressing. For everyday salads and quick marinades that is a fair deal, which is why it turns up so often in lighter cooking.

It earns its place anywhere you want bright acid without a slick of fat.

How to Use It

Its first job is dressing greens, but a bottle of low-fat Italian does double duty as a fast marinade. The vinegar and herbs season meat or vegetables while the acid tenderizes the surface, so you get flavor and a head start on a juicy result.

That marinade trick is the move behind Easy Grilled Chicken, where the dressing stands in for a from-scratch marinade. Pour it over chicken breasts and let them sit 30 minutes to a few hours before they hit the grill.

It works the same on shrimp and fish. Barbecue Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta and Italian Baked Fish both lean on the dressing to season seafood that would otherwise need a separate sauce.

For cold salads, the thinner body is an advantage: it coats pasta and chopped vegetables without weighing them down. Toss it through Antipasto Pasta Salad or Chicken & Pasta Salad, or use it to dress Marinated Vegetables a few hours ahead so the flavor soaks in.

One thing to know: because there is little oil to carry it, dress a salad right before serving. Left to sit, the watery dressing pools at the bottom of the bowl.

Cooking & Pairing

The dressing leans bright and herby, so it flatters anything that wants acid to cut richness. Grilled chicken and firm white fish both welcome it, and so does a cold bowl of chickpeas.

It also plays well with sturdy raw vegetables that can take a soak, like cucumber, red onion, and bell pepper strips along with broccoli florets.

The most common mistake is reaching for low-fat when the dish truly needs the oil. A warm pasta dish or a roasting glaze wants the body that full-fat brings; the low-fat version can taste thin and harsh under heat.

The second is over-marinating. The acid is concentrated, so fish and shrimp turn mushy if they sit too long. Hold delicate seafood to 30 minutes or less, and save the multi-hour soak for chicken and beef.

Substitutes

For dressing a salad, the simplest swap is full-fat bottled Italian. It is richer and clings better, so use a little less. If you are watching fat, thin a tablespoon of full-fat dressing with a splash of water and red wine vinegar to stretch it.

You can also make a quick low-fat version from scratch: whisk red wine vinegar with a small amount of olive oil, water, crushed garlic, and Italian seasoning. Adjust the vinegar-to-oil ratio toward more vinegar for a leaner result.

For a marinade specifically, a packet of dry Italian dressing mix whisked into vinegar and a little oil gives you the same herb-and-garlic punch, with control over how much fat goes in.

A bottled low-fat Italian also stands in for most recipes calling for a basic vinaigrette, though it brings less tang than a fresh vinegar-heavy one.

Buying & Storage

Read the label, because "low-fat," "light," and "fat-free" are not the same. Fat-free versions cut the oil entirely and lean hardest on thickeners and sugar, so they taste the most different from the original; low-fat keeps a little oil and a fuller flavor.

An unopened bottle keeps in the pantry until the printed best-by date, often a year or more. Once opened, store it in the refrigerator and use it within one to two months.

The reduced oil and added water make it a bit more perishable than full-fat. Keep the cap clean and watch for any off smell or separation that will not whisk back together.

Give the bottle a hard shake before every pour. Low-fat dressings separate faster than oily ones, and the herbs and seasoning settle at the bottom where you want them on your food.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Food group: Salad dressing, italian, low-fat is a member of the Fats and Oils US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

沙拉酱，意大利，低脂肪

British (UK) term

Salad dressing, italian, low-fat

en français

vinaigrette, italien, faible en gras

en español

aderezo para ensalada, italiano, bajo en grasa

How much does salad dressing, italian, low-fat weigh?

Amount	Weight
1 tablespoon	15 grams
1 cup	240 grams

Related

Fats and Oils

Recipes using salad dressing, italian, low-fat

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