Creamy Cilantro Dressing

This Creamy Cilantro Dressing recipe is made with roasted Anaheim chilies, pepitas, garlic, light olive oil, red wine vinegar, Cojita cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, and cilantro.  It’s deliciously creamy and has an amazing flavor! Your whole family will love it!

If you love a good creamy dressing, you will love the taste of this cilantro dressing!

Next to ranch dressing, this cilantro dressing was my mom’s favorite homemade dressing! She liked to toss grilled chicken together with chopped Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and this dressing for a light and easy meal during warm summer months. 

Creamy Cilantro Salad Dressing Recipe

This Creamy Cilantro Salad Dressing comes together in about 15 minutes start to finish. It takes a few minutes longer to make because we roast the chiles first before blending them together with the other ingredients. 

• Anaheim Chiles. We use 2 medium Anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped.
• Pepitas. We blend roasted pepitas into the mix giving this dressing a rich flavor.
• Garlic. A little garlic adds a lot of flavor.
• Cheese. We use Cojita cheese, but you can also use Parmesan cheese for this recipe.
• Oil. I like to use a light olive oil for this recipe, but you could use another mild flavored oil if you like. 
• Vinegar. We use red wine vinegar for this recipe.
• Mayonnaise. Use a good mayonnaise like Best Foods or Hellman’s.
• Sour Cream. Sour cream makes this dressing delicious, rich and creamy.
• Cilantro. 1-1/2 bunches of cilantro, rinsed and stems removed
• Seasoning. We season the dressing with a little salt and pepper.

How To Make Creamy Cilantro Dressing

1. Roast Anaheim Chiles. Roast the chiles over an open flame (using tongs), on a grill or broil them in the oven.
2. Blend Ingredients. Place all of the ingredients except the cilantro in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth (about 30-60 seconds)
3. Add Cilantro. Add the cilantro in batches and blend until well incorporated (another 30-60 seconds).
4. Season. Adjust seasoning (salt and pepper) to taste.
5. Chill. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 hour before serving.

How To Store It

Store dressing in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. If stored properly it should last up to one week.

Serving Suggestions

• Romaine Salad
• Spring Mix Salad
• BLT Salad
• Turkey Cobb Salad
• Mexican Salad Recipe

What Are Anaheim Chile Peppers?

Anaheim chile peppers are named after Anaheim which is a city in California. They are also called California chile, New Mexico pepper and Magdalena. Anaheim chili peppers are mild chiles that add a smokey flavor, rather than spicy heat, to a dish.

How Do You Roast Anaheim Chiles?

There’s a few ways you can roast chiles. You can broil them, or place the chiles on a non-stick grill. You can also roast them over an open flame by holding the chiles with a pair of tongs.

1. To broil the chile peppers, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the chile peppers on the sheet pan and place in the oven. Broil for 5 minutes then turn the chiles over and broil for another 5 minutes or until both sides are good and charred and blackened.
2. Transfer the chiles to a bag to rest for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the chiles from the bag and peel away and discard the blackened charred layer on the chiles.
3. Slice the chiles open and scrape away the seeds using a spoon.

Looking For More Salad Dressing Recipes?

• Creamy Lemon Salad Dressing
• Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
• Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
• Chipotle Ranch Dressing
• Buffalo Ranch Dressing
• Lemon Olive Oil Dressing
• Fruit Salad Dressing
• Parmesan Dressing
• Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing
• Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
• Maple Vinaigrette
• Red Wine Vinaigrette
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Ginger Salad Dressing
• Greek Salad Dressing
• Avocado Salad Dressing
• Honey Lime Dressing
• Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

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Yield: 8 Servings

Creamy Cilantro Dressing

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

This Creamy Cilantro Dressing recipe is made with roasted Anaheim chilies, pepitas, garlic, light olive oil, red wine vinegar, Cojita cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, and cilantro.  It's deliciously creamy and has an amazing flavor! Your whole family will love it!

Ingredients

• 2 medium Anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/3 cup roasted pepitas
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled 
• 3/4 cup light olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup Cojita (or Parmesan) cheese
• 3/4 cup real mayonnaise (like Best Foods or Hellman's)
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1-1/2 bunches of cilantro, rinsed and stems removed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Roast the chiles over an open flame (using tongs), on a grill or broil them in the oven
2. Place all of the ingredients except the cilantro in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth (about 30-60 seconds.
3. Add the cilantro in batches and blend until well incorporated (another 30-60 seconds).
4. Adjust seasoning (salt and pepper) to taste.
5. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 hour before serving.

Notes

How To Roast Anaheim Chile Peppers

There's a few ways you can roast chiles. You can broil them, or place the chiles on a non-stick grill, and you can also an open flame by holding the chiles with a pair of tongs.

1. To broil the chile peppers, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the chile peppers on the sheet pan and place in the oven. Broil for 5 minutes then turn the chiles over and broil for another 5 minutes or until both sides are good and charred.
2. Transfer the chiles to a bag to rest for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the chiles from the bag and peel away and discard the blackened charred layer on the chiles.
3. Slice the chiles open and scrape away the seeds using a spoon.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 399Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 276mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.