Name: Southwest Salad Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup Greek yogurt; 1/4 cup water; 4 tablespoons lime juice; 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon lime zest; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon cumin; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (chopped)

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If you have been looking to eat healthier, then you will love this Southwest salad dressing recipe.

Ready in just 5 minutes, this dressing can be used to top your favorite green, pasta, and quinoa salads.

It can even be used to create a delicious marinade for tacos, stir-fries, and pasta dishes.

Packed with many flavorful elements, this Southwest salad dressing will become a new favorite for the whole family.

Table of Contents

Why This Recipe Works
Ingredients
Tips
What to Serve With Southwest Salad Dressing
FAQs
More Dressings, Dips & Sauces
Southwest Salad Dressing

Why This Recipe Works

Even if you've never made your own homemade dressing before, you will love this recipe. It's such a simple recipe that you will feel empowered to make all of your own sauces and dressings and never have to buy them again. It's a great base recipe to gain an understanding of how to make many more deliciously healthy sauces, salad dressings, and marinades.

Ingredients

Greek Yogurt:

While this recipe calls for full-fat Greek yogurt, you can use sour cream or mayo in its place if you prefer. However, if you are looking to make a dairy-free or vegan dressing, you can also choose your favorite dairy-free yogurt, coconut cream, or coconut milk to use instead.

Apple Cider Vinegar:

Using apple cider vinegar in your homemade dressing adds incredible health benefits like lower blood sugar levels, improves cholesterol levels, and even aids in fat burning. It also adds a bit of sweetness to your dressing, unlike white vinegar, which can also be used in your dressing to add some tartness.

Honey:

I love adding a bit of raw honey to my dressings to add a touch of sweetness. However, if you want to make this a vegan-friendly dressing, you can add maple syrup or agave to your dressing instead.

Seasonings:

You can impact the overall flavor of your Southwest salad dressing with a variety of seasonings. Add more or less of any of the seasonings listed in the recipe. You can even choose to add seasonings that aren't listed, such as onion powder, cayenne, or chili powder.

Tips

Add water slowly, a teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Use more or less as needed.
Whole-fat Greek yogurt can be substituted with sour cream, mayo, dairy-free yogurt, coconut cream, or coconut milk.

What to Serve With Southwest Salad Dressing

I love to think outside the box when using ingredients in my kitchen, and this Southwest salad dressing can be served in many different ways.

Not only can you use it to dress your hearty Southwest salad, but you can also use it to dress caesar salad, quinoa salad or pasta salad.

You can even choose to use it as a marinade when making tacos, tempeh, or roast beef.

FAQs

How long can southwest salad dressing leftovers be stored?

When stored in an airtight container, your Southwest salad dressing will keep in the fridge for 4 or 5 days.

Is this recipe gluten-free? Vegan?

This Southwest salad dressing recipe is completely gluten-free, but it is not vegan-friendly. With a simple swap of a few ingredients, this recipe can be made vegan. Simply swap out the yogurt for your favorite dairy-free or vegan option. You can even use coconut cream or coconut milk if you don't mind adding a touch of coconut flavor to your dressing. Next, swap out the honey for maple syrup or agave syrup, and your Southwest salad dressing will be gluten-free and vegan!

Can I use this recipe for anything other than salad dressing?

While this Southwest salad dressing recipe is, in fact, a salad dressing, it is also versatile enough to use in other ways. Add a dollop of dressing to any sauces, stir fry, or pasta dishes for a flavor boost. This recipe also makes for an excellent marinade for tofu or meat.