Low-cal Creamy Italian Dressing (15 calories per Tbsp.)

Over the last year I've played around with many different low calorie salad dressing recipes, tweaking existing recipes and making up my own. I now have a few that I love and make regularly, and it was high past time that I share them.

I thought I would start off by posting my current favorite: Creamy Italian. Rich and tangy, this dressing packs a lot of flavor! And at only 15 calories per Tbsp. (compared to 50+ for most store brands, even the low fat varieties!), you can load up your salad and still keep it light.



(For those of you counting calories, I've added the amount for each ingredient so you can easily make tweaks without having to re-calculate everything. Anything marked with an asterisk* may vary a lot based on what you buy, so make sure to compare your label.)


Creamy Italian Dressing (15 calories/Tbsp.)

2 Tbsp. Hellman's light mayo (70)
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan (75)
2 tsp. vinegar (0)
1 tsp. lemon juice (2)

1/2 tsp. minced garlic (0)
1/2 tsp. dried parsley (0)
1/2 tsp. dried basil (1)
1/4 tsp. dried oregano (1)
1/4 tsp. black pepper (2)
1/4 tsp. salt (0)
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (1)

1/2 cup reduced fat buttermilk (56*)


Directions -
Stir together all of the ingredients except for the buttermilk. Add the buttermilk (you may want to do 1/2 at a time) and stir until well mixed.

Makes about 3/4 cup, 15 calories per Tbsp.