July 13, 2021
I have given up buying salad dressing. I can whip up a batch of sweet red wine or mustard-herb vinaigrette in minutes. Sometimes I want something a little more complicated, but that doesn’t mean I need to head to the store. The additional effort it takes to prepare this creamy cilantro-lime dressing is well rewarded.
The recipe starts with cilantro, two cups loosely packed. We also need the juice and zest one one lime, one tablespoon of vegetable oil, one tablespoon simple syrup, and one clove of garlic. We add to that one jalapeno. This is optional if you don’t like heat or add two if you like more. Make sure to remove the seeds though, because they mess with the texture of the dressing. All of this goes into a food processor with a heavy pinch of salt untill well blended.
To finish the dressing, stir the mixture together with a half of a cup of plain yogurt. I like to toss this dressing with some chopped lettuce and then top it with roasted corn, sautéed poblanos, and scallions. You can add a protein of your choice, but if you are looking for something extra special, go with the chipotle chicken & lime sausage from Pig Rock Sausages. Those sausages were actually the inspiration to create this dressing, and if you stop after combining everything in the food processor, but before you add the yogurt, you have a wonderful dipping sauce for sausages.
This dressing is packed with cilantro flavor along with a strong garlic finish and a little heat from the jalapenos. The sugar, lime, and yogurt balance it out and make it downright addictive. I hope you enjoy this dressing, and I hope you will take the extra time to make dressing at home. If you don’t want salad it makes an amazing taco sauce but really, it’s a game changer for your salad. So stop buying that store bought stuff and see the difference homemade makes.
Concord Culinary Lyceum 