Keep this Cilantro Lime Dressing on hand to toss with your salad or drizzle is on top of shrimp or fish tacos. Easy, zippy & versatile!
Cilantro Lime Dressing Recipe
Homemade dressings and vinaigrettes are simple to make and always worth the effort. This cilantro lime dressing recipe is no exception! Cilantro, jalapeño and garlic are pureed with olive oil and lime juice to produce a tangy, slightly spicy dressing that is fantastic on green salads, southwestern-inspired corn salads, tacos and even pasta salads.
Make up a double or even a triple batch, transfer it to a mason jar or a resealable plastic container, and store it in the refrigerator for several days. This is a great addition to your weekend meal prep routine. Chop and purée, and just 5 minutes later you'll be rewarded with a dressing that will add flavor to your meals all week long.
For other homemade dressings, try my Balsamic Vinaigrette, Maple Dijon Dressing and Greek Salad Dressing.
How to make cilantro lime dressing:
- Start by roughly chopping the cilantro leaves and stems (no need to remove the leaves from the stems!) and add to the bowl of a food processor or a blender. If you have both, I recommend opting for the food processor. It tends to handle the leaves a bit better.
- Remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeño pepper and mince the pepper. If you prefer more heat, feel free to leave in some seeds or membranes. I'll leave that up to you and your taste buds.
- Using a microplane, grate the garlic straight into the food processor and add the salt. Put on the lid and pulse until the cilantro leaves are finely chopped.
- With the motor running, pour in the olive oil, lime juice (fresh, please!) and water. The mixture will probably splatter up the sides and onto the underside of the lid. Scrape both occasionally and carry on with puréeing until the dressing is smooth.
How to serve the dressing:
- Salads: The obvious one! Drizzle this dressing over top of a salad or toss everything together. While it's fantastic with leafy lettuce, arugula or spinach salads, this dressing also works well with corn or black bean salads.
- Tacos: Shrimp tacos, steak tacos or fish tacos would all benefit from a drizzle of this dressing.
- Grilled meat or veggies: Grill some chicken breasts or thighs, shrimp kabobs, a flank steak or portobello mushrooms. When serving, spoon this dressing over top for a pop of flavor!
- Pasta salad: Ditch the mayo and toss your favorite pasta salad ingredients with this dressing for a healthier, zippier option. My favorite combo is a pasta salad with shrimp, corn, black beans and red bell pepper, all tossed with the dressing.
Other homemade dressing recipes:
Greek Salad Dressing Recipe {Cookin' Canuck}
Light Avocado Green Goddess Dressing {Cookin' Canuck}
Homemade Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing {Fit Foodie Finds}
Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette {The Harvest Kitchen}
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Cilantro Lime Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper, seeds & membranes removed
- 1 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, combine the cilantro, jalapeno, garlic and salt. Pulse until finely chopped.
- With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil, lime juice and water. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides and underside of the lid as needed.
- Serve or refrigerate in a resealable container.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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