Creamy Citrus Salad Dressing

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This creamy citrus salad dressing is made from scratch with a shortlist of bold, tasty ingredients. You’ll blend bright citrus juices, vibrant ginger, and tangy yogurt into a smooth salad dressing, dip and sauce.

Love this creamy citrus salad dressing? Try my Low-Calorie Taco Salad and my Gluten-Free Italian Pasta Salad for more delicious recipes!

Whenever I shift in the opposite direction of my health and wellness goals, coming up with a fresh and flavorful salad dressing is one of my tricks to get back on track. Now that we’re past the holidays, I’m in salad dressing recipe mode, and this creamy citrus dressing is the BEST.

This creamy citrus dressing is wonderful to have on hand for all of my salad dressing and veggie dipping needs. It’s the perfect balance of peppery, tart, tangy, savory, sweet, and creamy. This dressing goes from an ordinary vinaigrette to a luscious lemon ginger dressing by adding Greek yogurt.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s the perfect dip for fresh sliced vegetables and snacks.
• It doubles as a fantastic meat marinade.
• You’ll add some excitement to your everyday salads.
• It’s quick, easy, and ready in minutes.
• You can make it with low-fat ingredients and without refined sugar.

Benefits of Raw Ginger

I added ginger to this dressing for two reasons. One, lemon and ginger compliment each other beautifully -and two, ginger is one of the most nourishing fresh roots to incorporate into your diet. Ginger is a flowering plant native to Southeast Asia and is loaded with bioactive compounds.

In short, ginger is a nourishing anti-inflammatory food loaded with antioxidants. Ready to make a creamy and dreamy citrus ginger dressing from scratch? Let’s do it.

Ingredients You’ll Need

A few things to note about what you’ll need:

• Oil – I used vegetable oil, but canola oil, olive oil, and avocado oil are quality options.
• Citrus Juices – You’ll need fresh lemon juice and orange juice to achieve a balance of sweet and tart citrus flavors. Juice from fresh lemons is non-negotiable, but the juice from fresh oranges can be storebought if it’s 100% fruit juice. Feel free to squeeze some lime juice in as well.
• Ginger – The best way to describe fresh ginger is equal parts sweet and heat. It’s a flavor like no other and fantastic in salad dressing. So it doesn’t go to waste, you can freeze gingerroot whole and cut off pieces as needed.
• Sugar – Granulated sugar works.To keep things natural, sweeten your dressing with monk fruit or honey. For a sugar-free option, omit the sugar.
• Salt & Pepper – To balance out the complex flavors. Fresh ground pepper is best here.
• Greek Yogurt – This is the creamy part. Feel free to use regular Greek yogurt or nonfat.

How To Make This Recipe

Step 1: Whisk ingredients.

Combine oil, lemon juice, ginger, sugar, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk well.

Step 2: Add yogurt and juice.

Then, add Greek yogurt and orange juice to the bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth and thoroughly combined. Likewise, you can throw everything into a high-speed blender to blend the ingredients.

Step 3: Store.

Pour the mixture into a mason jar or a salad dressing container with a secure lid and store it in the fridge. Give the container a shake to re-emulsify the ingredients before each use.

Recipe Tips

• To get the citrus juices flowing, gently press on the lemon and roll it back and forth on a hard surface. You can also pop it into the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds.
• Zest the lemons before juicing and add some of the zest for an even bolder lemony flavor.
• For a thinner consistency, whisk in a tablespoon of water at a time until it’s the density you prefer.

Variations

Add herbs – If you have any fresh herbs on hand, chop up a few tablespoons and add them. Dill, tarragon, Thai basil, parsley, and cilantro are great options.

No yogurt? No problem. You aren’t limited to Greek yogurt here. Mayo and sour cream are commonly whisked into salad dressings to achieve a smooth, silky texture.

Serving

As a dressing or dip, this dressing can transform the blandest of veggies into a mouthwatering meal. The best part? It doubles as a sauce and marinade. Check out the list below for more ways to use this dressing:

• Make sheet pan creamy garlic herb chicken and add a layer of this sauce to each piece of chicken before baking. Serve more on the side for dipping.
• Serve on the side of air fryer parmesan zucchini chips for a tasty snack or app.
• Drizzle it inside Thai-inspired lettuce wraps.
• Use it as a marinade for chicken, fish, and pork tenderloin. The added fat from Greek yogurt helps make tender, juicy meat.

Storing

Pour your dressing into a mason jar or glass container with a tight-fitting lid and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Shake the container before each use. Do not freeze.

FAQ

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