Specially Selected House Italian Vinaigrette

Salads are a mainstay for lunch for me. They’re healthy, with lots of veggies and low carbs. They’re also versatile. I can choose from any variety of lettuces and greens as a base, and I can top my salads with a variety of fresh vegetables, cheese, nuts and seeds, and protein such as chicken, shrimp, or even hard-boiled egg. I can even make a specialty salad such as a taco salad.

And then there’s the broad selection of dressings from which to choose. Most people in my house prefer ranch much of the time. Ranch is admittedly my favorite, but I also occasionally pour Italian dressing over my salads. Aldi sells some traditional bottled Italian dressings comparable to brands like Kraft. They also sell a good Italian dressing and seasoning mix. In addition, Aldi sells a gourmet house Italian vinaigrette that I tried recently.

Specially Selected House Italian Vinaigrette is a Regular Buy, meaning you should be able to find it at Aldi all year. You’ll find it on the room-temperature shelves near the other salad dressings and condiments. It should be refrigerated after opening.

This cost $2.79 for a 12-ounce bottle. That’s about 23 cents per ounce.

Ingredients are apple cider vinegar, canola oil, cane sugar, water, garlic, salt, Dijon mustard (water, mustard seed, vinegar, salt, turmeric, spices), dried garlic, dried basil, black pepper, dried oregano, xanthan gum, and rosemary extract (to protect flavor).

The label states this is gluten free. It contains no preservatives, artificial flavors, or artificial colors.

One 2-tablespoon serving has 110 calories, 8 grams of total fat (11% DV), 0.5 grams of saturated fat (3% DV), 140 mg of sodium (6% DV), 6 grams of total sugars, and 6 grams of added sugars (11% DV).

You’ll want to give this a very good shaking before serving it to mix the vinegar and oil and all the bits of herbs, seasonings, and minced garlic that settle on the bottom of the jar.

One of the first things I noticed upon opening the bottle is the apple cider vinegar scent. It has classic vinegar and oil dressing vibes.

I like this dressing, and it’s very different from the Kraft brand styles of Italian dressings that Aldi also sells. This dressing tastes less zesty and savory, and instead it is more sweet. That owes to the fact that cane sugar is the third ingredient listed, and a 2-tablespoon serving has 6 grams of added sugar. That’s only slightly less sugar than what’s in Aldi’s other Italian dressings, but the sweet flavor is definitely more prominent in this vinaigrette.

I wish I could taste more of the other ingredients such as garlic, mustard, basil, and oregano. This is still a good dressing when I want something different on my salad, though, and I would buy this again.

The Verdict:

Specially Selected House Italian Vinaigrette features apple cider vinegar, oil, and a mix of herbs and seasonings. This is a good dressing for your salad, and we like it. It does have a dominant sweet flavor, though, so if you prefer zesty Italian dressings, this might not be for you.