Did you grow up eating from a salad bar buffet that only had runny french dressing and ranch dressing for options? Yes, so did we! You have choices when it comes to salad dressing and this avocado cilantro lime dressing has a short ingredient list of fresh and whole ingredients. You can use it on fresh green salads, pasta salads, and you can use it as a veggie dip, too. Say goodbye to salad bar dressing and hello to this amazing avocado cilantro lime dressing.

Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing- Heaven in a Jar

I grew up in the midwest. I love fish fry on Fridays and I grew up on salad bar salads. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good hole in the wall bar experience. Give me all the pasta salad that has been sitting out for far too long and all the french dressing. There is a time and a place. However, when it comes to eating and preparing salads at home, I have standards. #ijustdo I am a salad girl. I love breakfast salads, lunch salads, and salads for dinner. My ideal salad has arugula, red onion, seeds, and cheese or I could eat our Butternut Squash Kale Salad with Farro and Goat Cheese Salad for every meal. No matter what salad it is, I believe that dressing is what can make or break a good salad! This Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing is the perfect combination of creamy, tangy, sweet, and fresh! I know, this salad has a lot going on. What makes a good salad dressing? Let’s take a moment to chat about it.

Salad Dressing Tips + Tricks

When you are making salad dressing at home, there are a couple of things we always mind! We thought we share some of the secrets with all of you so you know how it was that we created this tasty avocado dressing. It’s all about the…

• Oil. The base of every salad dressing needs oil. It is the ingredient that binds everything together! Generally, we like to use extra virgin olive oil because we’re obsessed with the flavor and it is a good source of healthy fats. However, feel free to use avocado oil, grapeseed oil,  coconut oil, etc. Just remember, that every oil tastes a little bit different. Another fun trick is to infuse your favorite oil by throwing some herbs into your olive oil jar or quick infusing your oil like in The Best Balsamic Vinegarette Dressing on FFF!
• Vinegar. The tanginess of vinegar is a must in a salad dressing. We used rice vinegar in this cilantro lime dressing because it was subtle and we really just needed a little tang to the dressing. We often use balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, or just plain old white vinegar. Find your staple vinegar and always have it in your pantry!
• Sweetness. It’s all about the yin and yang when it comes to salad dressing. Balance out your tangy vinegar with something sweet. We tend to go for something a little more natural like honey or maple syrup. Not too much, because then you’re salad will taste like a bowl of fruity pebbles, so know a little goes a long way. If you are out of honey and maple syrup, try a pinch of coconut sugar or brown sugar. It usually does the trick!
• Spices. Don’t be scared of flavor, my fellow midwesterners. We love adding fresh chopped herbs to our salad dressing- like a lot of herbs! We tend to under season here in the US of A, but I’m here to tell you not to be afraid! Add a handful of chopped herbs to any salad dressing or feel free to add a teaspoon or two of your favorite spice mix to your next dressing!

It takes some trial and error to figure out what you like the most in your salad dressings, but when you figure it out it makes like a heck of a lot easier! Until then, follow this recipe for our creamy cilantro lime dressing and slather it all over your favorite salad ASAP.

Healthy Salad Options

• Best Kale Salad Recipes
• Massaged Kale and Fennel Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
• Grilled Kale and Watermelon Salad
• Pomegranate and Pear Kale Salad
• Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Salad with Farro and Goat Cheese
• Harvest Blackberry and Butternut squash Massage Kale Salad
• Spring Citrus Kale Salad
• Crunchy Asian Kale Salad
• Superfood Detox Salad
• Winter Pomegranate Salad
• Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Salad

Healthy Salad Dressings 

• The Best Balsamic Vinegarette Dressing
• How to Make Healthy Homemade Ranch Dressing 
• Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing
• All Purpose Creamy Green Goddess Dressing and Dip