Creamy Cilantro Dressing – A bright and creamy cilantro dressing bolden by poblano peppers, warm spices, and tangy lime.I’ve been having a few cravings lately. It appears my penchant for all things Asian is giving way to all things Mexican. I haven’t experienced cravings of this magnitude since I was pregnant…and that is NOT an announcement. But thick moles, smothered burritos, tamales, rice & beans, all of these are calling out to me.
To reign in these cravings (and the calories) I have made a Mexican salad hoping to take the edge off! I also have an appetizer coming soon. Both dishes just needed a dressing or dipping sauce. Enter Creamy Cilantro Dressing!
Since I wanted to keep the fat and calories down, I started with all Greek yogurt, but as I have learned in the past, I would want some fat. I toggled back and forth between sour cream and mayo. In the end, I added both. I am not scientific enough to tell you why I added both, I will save that to the likes of Alton Brown (who I saw live on Friday night!). I added the sour cream first and the flavor was perfect but the texture was slightly off, and that is where the mayo came it, it buoyed it up a bit; making it still thin enough to pour like a dressing, but thick enough to cling to my appetizer like a dip.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cilantro; roughly chopped
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 lime; juiced
- 1 poblano; roughly chopped (remove seeds for milder flavor)
- 1 clove garlic; roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/16 tsp cumin
- 1/16 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
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Add the cilantro, poblano and garlic to a blender and pulse a few times to start breaking them down. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
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Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
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Will last about a week but will need to be stirred as it will separate slightly.

25 Comments
lizzy
March 2, 2015 at 6:51 amOMG this dressing looks amazing – the awesome thing about it is, it would prob be amazing on beef, wraps, sandwiches…. anything. I will def. be making this one!
Michelle
March 2, 2015 at 2:11 pmYou are right, amazing on beef wraps, pork, you name it. It is really versatile.
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
March 2, 2015 at 10:42 amOh does this sound good! I love cilantro, and I love that this sounds fabulous, even without a “scientific” backing! Nice!
Michelle
March 2, 2015 at 2:12 pmI appreciate the support despite the lack of scientific knowledge. 🙂
Melanie | Melanie Makes
March 2, 2015 at 10:57 amSuch a versatile dressing – can’t wait to give it a try!
Michelle
March 2, 2015 at 2:12 pmThank you Melanie!
Sandi Gaertner (@sandigtweets)
March 2, 2015 at 11:18 amI love cilantro and we have just enough in our garden to make this delish dressing!
Michelle
March 2, 2015 at 2:12 pmI cannot begin to express how jealous I am that you can grow cilantro…My plant fails EVERY SINGLE YEAR
Healing Tomato
March 2, 2015 at 2:07 pmLove your recipe and pics. The Cilantro dressing is very unique. We have a creamy cilantro chutney recipe that is close to what you have made here. I can’t wait to try your version.
Michelle
March 2, 2015 at 2:13 pmOooo, I want to try your chutney! Thank you HT
susan @ the wimpy vegetarian
March 2, 2015 at 3:05 pmI can get a lot of use from a dressing like this! I love it and pinned and stumbled it too! Thanks for a great recipe!
Michelle
March 2, 2015 at 10:53 pmThank you Susan, I hope you get to make it or your own inspired version soon.
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March 2, 2015 at 3:34 pm[…] Creamy Cilantro Dressing […]
Des @ Life's Ambrosia
March 2, 2015 at 4:26 pmI have been finding lately that my cilantro turns way before I have a chance to use it. this is the perfect way to use it up!
Michelle
March 2, 2015 at 10:54 pmYes, turn it into a dressing…how do you think a cilantro pesto would taste? I’m toying with that.
Susan | LunaCafe
March 2, 2015 at 10:49 pmLove all things Mexican and cilantro in particular. Always looking for ways to use it and this dressing sounds heavenly.
Michelle
March 2, 2015 at 10:54 pmThank you Susan, and I am with you, love all things Mexican and cilantro.
christine
March 4, 2015 at 8:42 amI love the beautiful color of this dressing. I bet it gives any dish a bright fresh tasting flavor!
Michelle
March 4, 2015 at 2:06 pmThank you Christine, the dressing is very versatile and does give a brightened flavor.
Joy @ Joy Love Food
March 4, 2015 at 2:28 pmLooks delicious I love cilantro and making my own dressings, so this is right up my alley! Your little glass pitcher is adorable too 🙂
Michelle
March 4, 2015 at 7:13 pmAh thank you Joy, and I picked up the pitcher at World Market.
Sandra - The Foodie Affair
March 4, 2015 at 7:56 pmI absolutely love the flavor of cilantro and pairing it with a poblano chili sounds so tasty!! Substituting some Greek yogurt is an excellent way to cut out some fat. I use it in recipes a lot.
Michelle
March 4, 2015 at 10:20 pmThank you Sandra, I really enjoyed the addition of the poblano.
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March 5, 2015 at 1:51 pm[…] Creamy Cilantro Dressing […]
Mexican Quinoa Dinner
April 20, 2015 at 11:06 pm[…] mixture was fairly ‘wet’ from the seasoned tomato sauce. I bet ranch or a creamy cilantro dressing would be amazing too, if you needed a […]