Cilantro Pepita Salad Dressing …. call it a Mexican Cesar or Mexican Ranch or anything else, this dressing is just yummy. This recipe does make a lot of dressing, but since it is so good, your dinner guests will be asking you about it so it’s nice to have leftovers to give to friends to take home.
As far as substitutes go, you can sub some of the mayonnaise with plain full fat greek yogurt to get a “lighter” version; however keep in mind this will affect the overall taste so do your trial and error and find the balance you like. I would keep some portion of mayonnaise though, because I think it gives it body and creaminess that helps balance the tanginess of the yogurt. But give it a try and decide what you like.
You can substitute Cotija for parmesan or parmesan-pecorino combo, but again it will affect the end result although not in a bad way. It will just be a little different.
For pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toast them in a dry pan (dry roast) them before using for better results.
Like any creamy dressing, I like using it on a crunchy lettuce based salad like romaine. Top the salad with tortilla stripes, croutons, or more pumpkin seeds. Yummy. Enjoy!
Cilantro Pepita Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 Anaheim Chilies, roasted
- ⅓ cup pepita (pumpkin seeds), toasted
- 3 cloves garlic
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1½ cup mayonnaise, see notes
- ⅓ cup cotija cheese, grated
- ¼ cup water, if needed
- a good handful of cilantro
- pepper, to taste
How I Make It
- Roast the Anaheim chilies either on a grill, under a broiler, or air fryer until the skin is nice and charred. Peel the skin and remove the seeds.
- Put all ingredients, minus the water and the cilantro, in a blender and blend until smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in batches or by adding the ingredients slowly. If you are using a food processor, make sure you let it run long enought o pulverize all the pepita.
- Add cilantro last, and blend again. If it is too thick, add a little water. Taste and adjust for salt, pepper, and acidity. You can add a squeeze of lime or more red wine vinegar to suit your taste.
- Store in an air tight jar in a refrigerator.
