Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Creamy cilantro lime dressing is perfect to jazz up your salad. Fresh cilantro, avocado, garlic and lime make this so much better than store-bought! Vegan, gluten-free and paleo, plus a video to show you just how to make it.

A good salad dressing brings life to a salad! From the classics like balsamic vinaigrette and Italian dressing to more adventurous like raspberry basil vinaigrette or green goddess dressing, they have a way of making each ingredient in the salad taste even better.

This recipe is one of my all-time favorite dressings! It is fresh and citrussy, tangy, and with just enough cilantro flavor. You can make it creamy by blending in half an avocado, or keep it thinner without.

Perfect enjoyed on a taco salad, spread onto burgers or wraps, or drizzled over burrito bowls.

Recipe video

Watch this 1-minute video to see how easy it is to prep this dressing! You can find more recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

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Fresh ingredients for big flavor

This dressing uses the a delicious combination of fresh ingredients to give a unique blend of citrussy, herbaceous, tangy, savory and sweet flavors.

• olive oil to help disperse the dressing
• white wine vinegar to add tanginess
• dijon to help emulsify the dressing (helps keep the oil and vinegar from separating)
• lime for acid and bright, citrussy flavor
• honey or maple syrup to balance the sourness of the lime and the tanginess of the vinegar
• garlic to add flavor dimension to the dressing
• cilantro for that classic fresh, herbaceous and slightly citrussy flavor
• salt to enhance the flavors and bring them all together
• avocado (optional) to make the dressing creamy

Prepping the dressing

For this recipe, you will need a blender (stand or immersion), or a food processor. Place all ingredients into the cup that comes with the immersion blender, or into the stand mixer, and blend for 30 seconds. You may need to scrape the sides down to get the cilantro properly pureed. Your dressing will be thin like a vinaigrette without the avocado, but will be thick and creamy with half an avocado added.

If you add the avocado and find the consistency too thick, add water by the tablespoon to thin out. If you find it not creamy enough, you can try adding an extra ¼ to ½ of the avocado.

Using the dressing

This dressing goes really well with Mexican flavors, or paired with anything spicy. Here are some suggestions to use the dressing

• use it on a chopped green, pasta or southwestern inspired salad
• pair it with something spicy like chipotle chicken or chipotle shrimp
• use it as a dip for vegetables
• use it as a dip for these baked beef taquitos
• spread it on a sandwich, wrap or turkey burger
• drizzle it over a burrito bowl or on your tacos

Variations + ingredient swaps

Consider this as a great base recipe that you can put your own twist on!

• swap the honey for maple syrup to make it vegan
• omit the cilantro to make a creamy avocado dressing (it's still very tasty!)
• add a jalapeno for a spicy kick
• swap the avocado for ¼ to ½ cup of plain yogurt

Storage and prep ahead tips

This dressing can be prepared ahead! Thanks to the lime in the dressing, it keeps the avocado from browning for several days.

• Dressing tastes best when it is fresh but is still tasty after a few days in the fridge
• Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days
• Shake or stir back up to serve
• Do not freeze

More salad dressings

• 7 Basic Vinaigrette Recipes
• 5 Minute Asian Salad Dressing
• Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette
• Healthier Caesar Dressing
• Classic Greek Salad Dressing

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

5 from 9 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

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Creamy cilantro lime dressing is perfect to jazz up your salad. Fresh cilantro, avocado, garlic and lime make this so much better than store-bought! Vegan, gluten-free and paleo, plus a video to show you just how to make it.

6

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup cilantro leaves (loosely packed)
• ▢ ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ 1 clove garlic (minced)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lime juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons honey (swap with maple syrup to make this vegan)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ avocado (optional)

Instructions 

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend with an immersion blender.
• If adding the avocado, you may wish to thin the dressing out with some water.

Tips:

*This recipe is super tangy! If you prefer a milder dressing, reduce the white wine vinegar by 1-2 tablespoons

Nutritional information includes the avocado.

Storage

This dressing is best served fresh, but it can keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Variations

• swap the honey for maple syrup 
• omit the cilantro to make a creamy avocado dressing 
• add a jalapeno for a kick of spice
• swap the avocado for ¼ to ½ cup of plain yogurt

 

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/6 of batch, Calories: 141kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 104mg, Potassium: 88mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 115IU, Vitamin C: 2.7mg, Calcium: 2mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mexican

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.