How To Make Ultra Creamy Cilantro Garlic Salad Dressing

Creamy, herby, garlicy, lemony, cilantro-y… dreamy!

When I was a young teenager, I used to frequent a restaurant with my family in the Rio Grande
Valley that made the BEST chicken salad sandwiches you can imagine. Along with the sandwich,
you could select either a bag of chips or a side salad. I was (and still am) a salad lover, so that’s
what I always chose. It was a yummy fresh mixed green salad that you could add pineapple and
cottage cheese to… Ooooh, was it good. But what really made the salad so irresistible was their
creamy cilantro dressing. It was a beautiful speckled green; smooth and creamy; rich and herby
from cilantro; with a bright lemony, garlicky, slightly spicy finish. Boy, was I hooked.

Since moving away from the valley several years ago, I have been on the hunt for a similar salad
dressing but have been disappointed far too many times. That is, until I finally cracked the salad
dressing code one evening while prepping dinner. I was elated! This ultra-craveable dressing is
a star over a mixed green salad, as a dipping sauce for a crudites platter, or even on a sandwich.
Let me introduce you to my seven-ingredient, quick and easy, Creamy Cilantro Garlic dressing:

🎉 Let’s Get Mixing!

Ingredients:

Mayonnaise: I always try to use a high-quality mayo that is free from soybean and/or canola oil. For this recipe, I used my homemade mayo which is a snap to put together, uses no unnecessary ingredients or preservatives, and has a great flavor. This gives the dressing its creamy richness.

Cilantro: I purchase organic cilantro by the bunch from the grocery store. This gives an incredible savory flavor that is hard to replicate with any other herb. I recommend starting with a half to three-fourths of the bunch and adding more as needed. Cut off about a half inch or so from the stems and rinse well.

Garlic: Everyone has preferences about the strength of garlic in their food, so I could suggest starting with one medium-sized clove and adding more if you wish. I used one medium and one small clove in this recipe, but feel free to adjust as you like.

Shallot/Onion: I used three small shallots from the garden (each on the thinner side and about the length of my thumb). I recommend opting for shallots if you can, if not, sweet onion will do just fine. The savoriness is delectable in a salad dressing.

Serrano Pepper: This can absolutely be adjusted to suit different spice preferences. Feel free to forgo the seeds as well, if you prefer less heat. The serrano was fresh from the garden, and I couldn’t wait to use it. Little did I know it was the ingredient I was missing that, to me, makes this dressing so unique.

Lemon: I used a large organic lemon from the store. I recommend starting with a tablespoon and adding more as needed since lemons can vary so much in size.

Salt and Pepper: I used Pink Himalayan Sea Salt and freshly cracked black pepper for the best flavor. Be generous with the pepper, it adds a warmness that is hard to describe.

Try to always use organic ingredients when possible. Avoiding the chemicals, added hormones, and pesticides that get put into our food supply is oh so important. 

I hope you love my super easy Creamy Cilantro Garlic Dressing as much as I do. Enjoy, friends!

May God bless you and those you love!
<3 K&J