Spice up your summer condiment collection with this colorful, creamy avocado dressing. Its bright green hue and luxurious texture bring all the fresh flavors and health benefits of avocados to the table in a whole new way.
Our salad dressing recipe uses just a handful of ingredients: buttery avocado (a superfood rich in heart-healthy fats and fiber), probiotic-packed buttermilk and vibrant fresh herbs. When blended, the natural oils in avocados create a smooth, velvety sauce that perfectly clings to veggies and greens.
This versatile avocado dressing recipe can be drizzled over summer salads, used as a dip for air-fryer avocado fries or spooned over grilled chicken skewers. Simple to prepare and easily adaptable, this dressing will absolutely be one of your new go-to avocado recipes.
Ingredients for Avocado Dressing
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds a pleasant tang to this dressing, without adding much fat. No need to fret if you don’t have any buttermilk on hand: Make buttermilk from scratch using regular milk and distilled white vinegar or lemon juice, or use any of these ideas for a buttermilk substitute.
- Yogurt: When combined with buttermilk, yogurt provides creaminess and a subtle tang to this dressing. If using thick yogurt, like Greek, thin it with some water and measure out a cup. For a yogurt substitute, try sour cream or creme fraiche.
- Avocado: The best avocado for this dressing is a Hass avocado. Its creamy texture and rich, nutty flavor blend seamlessly into dressings. Hass avocados have pebbly, dark skins that turn green to purple-black as they ripen. You can use frozen avocado instead of fresh, but you will lose some of the creamy texture you get from fresh avocados.
- Fresh and dried herbs: Adding green onion, parsley and dill weed into the mix gives the avocado dressing recipe a fresh, grassy flavor and enhances its bright green shade.
- Other seasonings: Garlic powder, salt and pepper round things out. If you can, use freshly ground black pepper.
Directions
Step 1: Blend the ingredients
In a food processor, blend the buttermilk, yogurt, avocado, onions, parsley, salt, garlic powder, dill weed and pepper until well combined.
Step 2: Store the dressing
Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate it for at least one hour before serving.
Editor’s Tip: If the dressing is too thick, stir in a little water to reach a drizzle-friendly consistency. Remember to stir or shake the dressing before use to distribute the flavors and textures evenly, and to ensure the best taste with each serving.
Recipe Variations
- Spice it up: If you prefer a spicy kick, include a chopped jalapeno or a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Sweeten the deal: Add a bit of honey or agave nectar and a splash of balsamic vinegar for a sweet and tangy flavor.
- Make it Caesar-style: Combine traditional Caesar dressing ingredients like anchovy paste, Parmesan cheese and garlic to transform this into a luxurious avocado Caesar salad dressing.
- Add citrus: Add 1 teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest for a bright and citrusy twist.
- Make it dairy-free: Swap 3/4 cup plain or vanilla almond milk yogurt, 1/4 cup almond milk and 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar for the buttermilk and yogurt to make a lactose-free dressing.
How to Store Avocado Dressing
This avocado salad dressing lasts up to five days in the refrigerator. As with any homemade salad dressing, store it in an airtight container.
Can you freeze avocado dressing?
You can freeze avocado dressing, but thawing it may affect its texture and consistency. If frozen, use the dressing in cooked applications like sauces.
Avocado Dressing Tips
How do you use avocado dressing?
Use avocado salad dressing on any leafy green salad like a chef salad. Beyond salads, serve it on a crudites platter as an excellent dip for crunchy vegetables, such as carrots, celery and bell peppers. Avocado dressing also makes a wonderful spread for sandwiches, like a loaded avocado BLT or bacon avocado wraps, offering a flavorful alternative to traditional condiments like mayonnaise or mustard. Drizzle the dressing over tacos, spinach burritos or grain bowls to complement spicy flavors.
How do you keep avocado dressing from turning brown?
To ensure your avocado salad dressing stays fresh and maintains its vibrant color, store it in an airtight container to minimize exposure to air, which can lead to oxidation and browning.
Adding a bit of lemon or lime juice enhances flavor and helps preserve the dressing’s green hue. Employ the same tactics as you would to keep an avocado from turning brown, such as placing a piece of storage wrap directly on the surface of the dressing before sealing the container.
How can you tell if an avocado is ripe and ready to use?
Gauge an avocado’s ripeness by giving it a gentle squeeze. It should be firm but yield to a little pressure. If you bought an underripe fruit, you can quickly ripen an avocado: Put it in a paper bag until it’s soft enough to use. On the flip side, if you want a ripe avocado to last a little longer, store it in the fridge to slow the ripening process.
