Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing

I've been wanting to make my own creamy cilantro dressing ever since we tried the one from Trader Joe's last year. Store-bought dressings are convenient, but making your own brings a whole new level of flavor and freshness that's hard to beat. Plus you can control the ingredients, leave out additives/preservatives, and tweak it so it suits your taste buds just right. Yogurt is a great alternative for achieving creaminess and it works fantastic in this dressing. (Update: avocado also works, and is my go-to now!) You can serve it right away, or make it ahead of time to chill in the fridge so it's ready to go whenever you are. It's great on salads, wraps, drizzled on tacos for an extra flavor boost, and as a fun veggie dip. We love tossing it with the Southwestern Chopped Salad - delicious! :)

Notes and variations
We love this basic, light, refreshing dressing as is, but it's also super customizable. Here are just a few ideas if you'd like to play around to please your own taste buds:

To add heat, use cayenne pepper or jalapeno.
For a different flavor combo, add cumin, more garlic, or more lime juice.
If you prefer to tone down the tartness, add a little honey/agave.
Avocado also works great! (You can also use this recipe as a guide, replacing lemon-basil with cilantro-lime.)

Vegan, gluten-free
Recipe yields 3/4 cup dressing

Ingredients
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 avocado (or 1/2 cup plain dairy-free yogurt)
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime), more to taste
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
Recommended: cumin, honey/agave

Directions
Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

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