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Creamy cilantro lime dressing in a jar with a spoon.
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Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

This creamy cilantro lime dressing is vibrant and bright with garlic, lime juice and jalapeño. Greek yogurt provides creaminess (or you can use vegan mayonnaise for a dairy-free version), and a touch of honey provides sweetness. Drizzle the dressing over these Healthy Taco Salads, or over crunchy green salads, grain bowls, grilled vegetables and more (see the Tips below!).
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cilantro lime dressing recipe, creamy cilantro dressing, easy cilantro lime dressing
Servings: 1 ½ cups

Equipment

  • Food processor

Ingredients

  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • ½ medium jalapeño pepper, halved and seeds removed
  • 1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
  • 1 large scallion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt (preferably 2% fat content)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • ½ cup neutral vegetable oil (such as grapeseed or safflower)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • In a food processor with the blade running, drop the garlic clove and jalapeño through the feed tube, and process until finely chopped.
  • Scrape the sides, and add the cilantro and scallions. Process until chopped.
  • Add the yogurt, honey, lime juice, water and oil, and season with salt and pepper. Process until smooth, stopping and scraping the sides occasionally. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Transfer to a bowl or jar, and refrigerate at least 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Notes

Do Ahead: The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Tips: 
  • This cilantro lime dressing recipe gets made in a food processor, or you can use a Vitamix blender.
  • For the best flavor, I prefer to use a plain Greek yogurt with a 2% fat content. You can use nonfat yogurt, but you might need to add a bit more oil to round out the flavors.
  • Serve the dressing over these Healthy Tacos Salads!
  • The dressing is also fabulous on any crunchy green salads, as well as on grain bowls, grilled vegetables, wraps and tacos. For a healthy chickpea salad, toss the dressing with drained chickpeas.