Creamy Vegan Avocado Dressing with cilantro, lime, and jalapeno- a delicious addition to salads, bowls, tacos, enchiladas, and burritos that can be made in 5 minutes.
Here’s another dressing to tuck in your back pocket! Creamy Vegan Avocado Dressing with cilantro, lime and jalapeno. It’s a sinch to whip up and is packed with so much flavor! Delicious tossed with greens or drizzled over healthy bowls or tacos, I know you’ll find many uses for this! FYI: Here is the Salad Dressing Bottle I’m in love with!
If you are not a fan of cilantro, an easy variation here is to substitute basil and lemon! Equally delicious!
Why make your own Salad Dressing?
All too often, store-bought dressings are made with low-quality, inflammation-causing seed oils (canola, soy oil, sunflower, corn, grapeseed, rice bran, or safflower) because these are much less expensive to produce than high-quality olive oil.
The process by which these oils are made (heated to very high temps, then treated with chemicals to remove bad smells and dark color) is what is harmful to the body. Research shows that consuming too much of these seed oils creates inflammation in the body, damages our immune system, creates metabolic disease, type 2 diabetes, and the list goes on. Type 2 Diabetes did not exist until we introduced these “new” seed oils into our diets in the 1970s. A healthy diet consists of 2-4% of polyunsaturated fats, but now we are seeing an average of 10-20% of these oils in western diets, because of all the processed foods were consuming.
Store-bought salad dressing- even seemingly “good” brands that tout “Organic” and “non-GMO” are guilty of including these less expensive, harmful seed oils. Always check the labels. For more info on seed oils – read this and scroll all the way to the bottom.
The thought of people taking the time to create a beautiful, nourishing salad, then dousing it with seed oils makes me shudder! So please friends, check the labels or make your own.
Ingredients in Avocado Dressing:
- Avocado! Use a medium-sized perfectly ripe one.
- Olive oil (or sub avocado oil)
- Lime juice (or sub lemon juice)
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Garlic Cloves
- Cilantro (or sub Basil)
- Sweetener- Agave, honey, maple (optional)
- Salt and Pepper
- Optional Additions: Jalapeno, cumin, and coriander, yogurt or vegan yogurt
How to make Avocado Dressing:
Avocado Dressing literally takes 5 minutes of time. Place everything in a blender or food processer and blend until creamy.
For an extra creamy version, a few tablespoons of yogurt or vegan yogurt is a nice addition.
We’ve been drizzling this over Tofu Tacos and Burrito bowls….so tasty!
If using it as a condiment- store it in a squeeze bottle!
Or use this Salad Dressing Bottle!
What to serve Avocado Dressing with:
- Mexican Breakfast Bowls!
- Vegan Fajita Bowl with Cauliflower Rice ( Sheet Pan Dinner)
- Chipotle Portobello Tacos (Vegan!)
- Grilled Fish ( or TOFU) Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw (Grilled, Baked or Stovetop)
- Easy Baked Tacos
- Burrito Bowls
On the homefront: I had a lovely week at home all by myself. Brian went on a backpacking trip and so it was just me and our cat which felt quite luxurious. Sometimes it is nice to be on your own schedule, with nothing tethering you to time. Things just seem to flow and unfold in their own glorious way. Brian got back home last night, tired and hungry and covered in a layer of dirt, his spirit renewed and vibrant. Not much else happening here, just enjoying the changing of the seasons, the coolness in the air, the unexpected flash of color, the tilting of the light.
Hope you are having a good week,
xoxo
Sylvia
More Salad Dressings you may like:
- Miso Dressing
- Creamy Cashew Basil Dressing
- Mustard Seed Maple Dressing
- Creamy Pesto Dressing
- Italian Dressing
- Greek Salad Dressing
- Creamy Herby Hemp Dressing
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
Avocado Dressing
- Prep Time: 5
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 ¼ cup 1x
- Category: dressing, sauce
- Method: blended
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Avocado Dressing with cilantro, lime, and jalapeno- creamy and vegan, a delicious addition to salads, bowls, tacos, enchiladas, and burritos that can be made in 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 medium avocado, ripe (1 cup, diced)
- 1/4 cup water- plus more as needed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (or lemon juice)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon agave, maple syrup or honey (optional)
- 1/3 cup cilantro (or basil)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 garlic cloves
- cracked pepper to taste
- optional additions: 1/4 cup yogurt, 3-6 slices jalapeño
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until creamy and smooth.
For a creamier consistency, add yogurt or vegan yogurt.
Store in a squeeze bottle for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, etc. Or store in a salad dressing bottle to use as a dressing.
Notes
Two flavor profiles here: Cilantro -lime, and Lemon-Basil. If making the cilantro-lime version, add a few slices of jalapeno to add a little heat.
If adding the optional 1/4 cup yogurt, increase the salt by 1/4 teaspoon.
The Avocado Dressing will keep 4 days in the fridge (the vinegar helps preserve it a bit longer here) .
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 113
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 81 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.6 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 0.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Hi, I was just wondering, will this avocado dressing keep well in the freezer until ready to thaw for use?
Renita- I’m not sure that the color would stay green- my guess is it would turn brown after thawing.
This stuff is addictive! This has made taco salad one of our favorite meals this summer!
Glad you enjoyed this!
I use Costco’s EVOO, their most expensive one. It might be the oil. I added a bit more maple syrup & had it on a salad anyway and it was ok.
I would just taste it and see if it tastes overly bitter. The bitter flavor is actually “good for you” indicating it is high in polyphenols, but it really can affect recipes.
I just made this with the yogurt and it turned out very bite-y. A very sharp taste at the end. Is this typical?
Hi Sheryl- what type of oil did you use? Is it bitter?
Love this… it definitely calls out for pairing with Mexican inspired dishes…having said that; how would you change it up regarding spices to use alongside a pot roast or your tomato soup recipe? I used it on our salad last night alongside the tomato soup and it didn’t quite work but was still unbelievably delicious!!! 🙂
Hi Karen- I like how you think! You could use basil instead of cilantro, and lemon instead of lime?
My husband and I love this avocado cilantro sauce. I’ve used it a number of times. Today I’m making it for black bean, roasted red pepper and onion bowls. It is yummy!
Yum! Sounds good Pam- glad its coming in handy!
Love this recipe. I also like a lemon Caesar dressing. Both of these are so fresh and different from your normal choices.
Thanks so much, Martha! Glad you are liking these!
Hi Sylvia- Great recipe! One suggestion, in keeping with the latin theme of this dressing, have you tried agave syrup over maple syrup as the recipe calls for? I tried it ‘syrup-less’ and it was great as-is but, I am intrigued by a little sweetness as you suggest but a little uncomfortable with adding syrup I would normally put on my pancakes : )
Agave is a great sub!
Thank You, Sylvia. I’ll try the agave next time and advise : )
Can’t wait to make this! Would you send me the link for your salad dressing bottle?
Hi Sabra I just Linked it in the post above.