Creamy Chipotle Lime Dressing (Vegan!)
This chipotle lime dressing is smoky, tangy, and dairy-free! It blends up in minutes and is perfect over salads, bowls, tacos, nachos, or as a dip.
Servings: 6 (2-Tbsp. servings)
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 3 Tbsp. water
- 3 Tbsp. tahini, drippy
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce*
- 1 Tbsp. adobo sauce
- 2 tsp. pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder (or fresh clove)
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. fine grain salt
- Optional: up to 1 Tbsp. lime zest
Instructions
- Handling the chipotle pepper carefully (adobo can stain and irritate), scrape out some of the seeds if you want it milder. I just use the back of a small knife.
- Place all ingredients in a small high-speed blender. (I use a NutriBullet which works great.) Include the optional lime zest for the lime flavor to really pop if that's what you want. (I enjoy it both with and without depending on the usage.) Then blend for 20-30 seconds until silky smooth.
- Add another tablespoon of water if you prefer it thinner. The flavors will bloom after sitting for a few minutes. Afterwards, taste and adjust the lime, salt, sweetness, spices, or vinegar if desired.
Notes
*Strictly oil-free: Most canned chipotles in adobo contain a small amount of oil. For a strictly oil-free version, check the ingredients and look for an oil-free brand. Or substitute with a quarter teaspoon (or less) ground chipotle powder instead. Start small because it's hot and concentrated. The flavor will be slightly different, but still smoky and delicious.
Heat level: I'd call this light-medium as written, so adjust as you like. For less heat, start with half a chipotle, or just use 1-2 tsp. adobo sauce and skip the pepper itself. For spicier, toss in an additional half a chipotle (or more).
Storing: Store dressing in a sealed jar or other airtight container in the refrigerator. I find it keeps for about 5 days. It thickens in the fridge, so add 1-2 tsp. water/lime juice to thin it out again if desired.
Yield: Recipe makes about 3/4 cup dressing.
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Calories: 64 kcal | Carbohydrates: 5 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 5 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g | Potassium: 61 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 2 g | Vitamin A: 59 IU | Vitamin C: 3 mg | Calcium: 20 mg | Iron: 1 mg
