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    Home » Recipes » Condiments

    Southwest Salad Dressing

    Published: Dec 27, 2022 by Kristen Wood - This post may contain affiliate links.

    Skip to Recipe Pin Recipe

    This rich, flavorful, and creamy Southwest Salad Dressing is such an easy salad dressing recipe to throw together and it tastes amazing! Enjoy.

    A silver spoon filled with homemade salad dressing resting on a white table next to a red dried chile.
    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
    • 🌶️ Ingredients and Substitutes
    • 🥣 How to Make Southwest Dressing
    • 🥗 Serving Ideas
    • ❓ Frequently Asked Questions
    • 🫙 More Delicious Sauce Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe

    • This creamy southwest dressing recipe couldn't be easier to make.
    • Thanks to an amazing blend of spices, this southwestern salad dressing has BIG flavor.
    • You can use this delicious creamy sauce as a salad dressing, dipping sauce, sandwich spread, and more.
    • This recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegetarian and easily be made vegan or dairy-free with a few simple swaps.
    Southwest salad dressing dripping from a silver spoon.

    🌶️ Ingredients and Substitutes

    Mayonnaise: This is a great recipe for using good quality mayo in. Alternatively, you can use vegan or plant-based mayonnaise to make this recipe vegan. I love Follow Your Heart's Vegenaise.

    Yogurt: Use a nice creamy plain Greek yogurt or regular yogurt. To make it vegan and dairy-free, use a nice plant-based yogurt. I like Forager Project's cashew-based yogurt. If you do not have yogurt on hand, you can use regular or plant-based sour cream instead.

    Lime juice and orange juice: The combination of lime juice and orange juice is what I would consider one of the pillars of this recipe. It just works and works very well! Having said that, if you only have one or the other, or only lemon juice or apple cider vinegar on hand, it will work in a pinch.

    Special spice blend: Smoked paprika, cumin, garlic, salt, and cayenne provide a lot of the flavor in this homemade southwest salad dressing. Just be certain to use smoked paprika instead of regular Hungarian paprika, as smokiness is essential! I do not recommend any swaps here, though if you do not have garlic powder, you can use one fresh clove of garlic instead if need be.

    Close shot of glass salad dressing bottle filled with a light orange sauce.

    🥣 How to Make Southwest Dressing

    A silver mixing bowl filled with creamy white yogurt.
    A silver mixing bowl filled with white and yellow liquid ingredients.
    Red spices scattered on top of other ingredients in a silver mixing bowl.
    A purple whisk stuck in a light red sauce in a silver mixing bowl.
    A silver metal funnel juts out of a clear glass bottle.
    Top view of homemade salad dressing in a clear glass bottle.
    1. To make this delicious dressing, you simply combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
    2. Enjoy straight away or store to enjoy another day.

    🥗 Serving Ideas

    • Without stating the obvious, this delicious recipe works well on many different salads. I like to make a quick taco salad by throwing together salad greens like romaine lettuce, black beans or pinto beans, crushed tortilla chips or tortilla strips, chopped red onions, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, and chopped red bell pepper, then topping it off with this creamy dressing. Delish!
    • You can use this delicious condiment as a dipping sauce for fried foods like mozzarella sticks, french fries, or hush puppies.
    • You can use this recipe as a spread for sandwiches or my favorite, cheese quesadillas.
    Close shot of a silver spoon dripping with light orange salad dressing.

    ❓ Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Southwest salad dressing made of?

    This southwest dressing is made with mayo, yogurt, lime juice, orange juice, and a special blend of spices.

    How long can you store homemade salad dressing?

    Homemade salad dressing will keep stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator usually for up to at least one week, and sometimes longer.

    Close shot of sauce spilling from a glass bottle.
    A silver spoon dripping with homemade salad dressing resting next to a bottle of dressing and dried red chiles.

    🫙 More Delicious Sauce Recipes

    Guajillo Sauce

    Avocado Crema

    Honey Sriracha Sauce

    Peri Peri Sauce

    Lousiana Hot Sauce

    A clear glass salad dressing bottle filled with a light orange sauce.

    📖 Recipe

    Southwest Salad Dressing

    This rich, creamy, and flavorful Southwest Salad Dressing is such an easy salad dressing recipe to throw together and it tastes amazing! Enjoy.
    5 from 40 votes
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
    Course: Condiments, Dressings, Sauces
    Cuisine: American, Southwestern
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 9 servings
    Author: Kristen Wood

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups mayonnaise or vegan mayo
    • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt or plain vegan yogurt
    • 2 tablespoons lime juice
    • 2 tablespoons orange juice
    • 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt or salt to suit your tastes, I usually use 1-2 teaspoons in this recipe
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
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    Instructions

    • In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayo, yogurt, lime juice, orange juice, paprika, cumin, garlic, salt and cayenne.
    • Whisk until smooth.
    • Enjoy right away or keep it stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 502mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 231IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.3mg

    Recommended Products

    Smoked Paprika
    Have you tried this recipe?Please Rate + Comment Below!
    Mention on Instagram!@moon.and.spoon.and.yum

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jack says

      January 26, 2023 at 12:32 am

      5 stars
      This Southwest Salad Dressing recipe is sure to add a kick to your next salad! Bursting with flavor, it's the perfect way to spice up your next meal. Loved your recipe!

      Reply
    2. Jenn says

      December 29, 2022 at 9:00 am

      5 stars
      This is SO much better than anything bottled! I love the hint of orange in it, too!

      Reply
    3. Relle says

      December 29, 2022 at 8:14 am

      5 stars
      This sounds so yummy. Can't wait to give it a try. Thank you.

      Reply
    4. JD Alewine says

      December 29, 2022 at 6:48 am

      5 stars
      This dressing is incredible. I'm putting it on everything going forward!!!

      Reply
    5. Mocktail.net says

      December 29, 2022 at 6:08 am

      5 stars
      For what dishes can I preferably use this sauce?

      Reply
      • Kristen Wood says

        December 29, 2022 at 11:55 am

        Hi! You can find some of my suggestions here: https://moonandspoonandyum.com/southwest-salad-dressing/#serving-ideas. I hope this helps! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Hayley says

      December 29, 2022 at 2:47 am

      5 stars
      The most delicious dipping sauce and so creamy!

      Reply

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    kristen wood

    About Kristen Wood

    Hi, I'm Kristen! A mama, food writer, photographer, recipe developer, and cookbook author. I enjoy sharing both wildly creative and ridiculously practical gluten-free vegetarian recipes that are approachable for all. Welcome!

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