Southwestern Cumin-Lime Dressing
Oh, man! I’ve been having way too much fun playing around with variations on my homemade mayo.
High on the success of my creamy Italian dressing experiment, I wanted to concoct something “like ranch, only better” because between you and me, I’m not a dill fan.
But you know what I do like?
Come on! You do… CUMIN
So, check it: Cumin-Lime Dressing… in a flash.
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| OK. This isn’t a photo of MY dressing, but this is a close approximation of what my dressing looked like. |
Southwestern Cumin-Lime Dressing
Makes enough for two side salads or one entree-sized salad; easily doubled or tripled, but tastes best when made fresh.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons homemade mayo
1-2 teaspoons lime juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
a few jalapeno rings, finely minced (optional)
salt & pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Place mayo in a small bowl. Add cumin, garlic, and jalapenos, if using; blend well with a fork.
2. Mix in 1 teaspoon of the lime juice, then taste and season with salt and pepper. If your dressing is too thick, add either a little more lime juice or water – a 1/4 teaspoon at a time – until it’s the right consistency. Keep in mind that it will get slightly more liquidy as you toss it with ingredients.
3. Let the flavors meld for about 10 minutes before consuming.
Now, what to do with this magic elixir?
- Cook ground beef with a little cumin and chili powder, then drizzle with cumin-lime dressing.
- Use the dressing as a dip for red pepper strips, cucumber slices, tomato wedges, and matchsticks of jicama.
- Blend with an avocado to make extra-creamy guacamole.
- Use in tuna or egg salad instead of plain mayo.
- Place on a spoon; eat. (I’m only halfway kidding.)
- Drizzle over a freshly-grilled burger or steak.
- Toss with cold steamed shrimp, cubed avocado, and tomato.
- And yes, this is really great on a regular ol’ lettuce salad, too.
Tags: dino-chow, mayo, Mexican, paleo
29 Responses to “Southwestern Cumin-Lime Dressing”
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Sounds delicious! Can't wait to try it. I've been avoiding trying the mayo recipe because I don't like mayo in the first place but now I have to because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my ranch and miss it much since starting Whole30. The lime flavor sounds particularly yummy!
Hey, Kathleen! I wholeheartedly encourage you to try the mayo because it can be used as a base for so many good dressings/sauces.
Here's a Ranch dressing recipe for you. I haven't tried this one, but it looks like it should work just fine. YOu might have to play around with the amount of lemon juice… or add some water, depending on thickness:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon of dry dill (or a teaspoon chopped fresh)
Made this last night and…hot damn! That stuff is amazing!! I'll try the ranch later when I make another batch of mayo…Don't quite have a cup left after my recipes from yesterday.
As always…love reading your stuff! You're so creative
JL Autry –> Hooray! So glad you liked it! And thanks for the compliment… those keep me going!
Melissa, I have licked my Tupperware clean at work for the last two days. I wish I were kidding, but I'm not. This is sooooo good! I ate it with raw cucumbers and carrots…and then by itself. Now I have to make more homemade mayo! Rock on!
Brittany –> I feel ya! Sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm supposed to put the dressing and mayo ON things (other than a spoon or my fingertip).
I made another batch of this, and I love it, but for some reason, the mayo emulsion has been breaking somewhere between adding cumin and cayenne and eating the dip. I like to bring it to work to use as a dip for carrots, but today, it was like slightly thicker olive oil with some emulsion. And this from a creamy, solid jar of homemade mayo. I didn't add lime juice this time, either, because I didn't have any. What's up with that?
Brittany! I really don't know the answer to your question. Hmmm… the only thing I can think of is if you're keeping it cold enough on the transport from home to work? My mayo is very firm in the fridge, but gets really liquid-ish if I leave it out on the counter too long (like when I'm stuffing my face full of tuna salad and forget to put the mayo back in the fridge).
Also, I've never made the dressing and waited to eat it. I always mix and eat immediately, so maybe it's the time lag?
Wish I could be more helpful. Maybe you can experiment — and then let me know what happens. Take the mayo in a little container and the spices/lime juice separately… see if it transports OK, then mix at work and eat?
Ah, the temp change is probably it. It probably sits out for about an hour while I'm making my lunch in the morning, driving to work, etc. I'll have to experiment with keeping it in the fridge until the last minute. I'll report back – thanks for the ideas!
first attempt at the mayo was a success– prepping for a road trip this weekend and this delicious stuff is sure to be sitting next to my huge bag of blanched veggies in the cooler!! thanks!!!
Hooray! Glad you the mayo worked out, and yeah, it’s a great base for all kinds of veggie dips. Safe driving, happy eating!
Lovin’ this one too! Surely you can come up with a type of caesar dressing, huh?? Come on…it would make my hubby so happy!
Ooooh! I love a challenge!
I will see what I can come up with… it’s tricky ’cause we can’t use parmesan, but I’ll play around and try to come up with a reasonable substitute. Stay tuned!
I made the mayo and it’s a nice consistency, but not even close to white in color. Is it supposed to be? How does that happen with yellow egg, yellow mustard powder, yellow(ish) olive oil? BTW, my 15 year old just asked for some of my tuna salad when she saw how good it looked. I slathered some of the mayo and tuna salad on…BREAD (she’s not even close to paleo) and she’s wolfing it down before swim practice. I enjoyed it without the bread for an afternoon snack that kept me going strong down the clean path I’ve been on for the past few days. Yea!
LOVE!!
Ok . . . this has basically convinced me to break down & try the mayo recipe, if only because I see how it can be such a great building block in so many other sauce recipes.
Like kathleen, I am NOT a mayo person. Not mayo, not Miracle Whip, never have been, never will be. HOWEVER, I AM a person that loves to dip things. Although most of my diet is pretty Paleo-safe anyway, my veggies & ranch/tortilla chips & dip are staples in my diet, and I really need to find a Paleo-friendly, satisfying sub for those items.
I will be giving the mayo a try, as well as other dips based on it. If I can find subs for my “downfall” foods that are just as easy & satisfying, I’ll consider myself a convert!
Honestly, I was never a mayo person either, until I made homemade. Now I think of excuses to use it!
The dressings are really awesome — and being able to make tuna salad, crab/salmon salad, etc. is so satisfying.
Hope you like it!
I must have bought the wrong kind of olive oil because my mayo is super olivey tasting still…instead of extra virgin, I bought one that was yellow and just said ‘olive oil’. BUT turn it into cumin lime dressing and I’ll probably have the whole jar gone in a few days. My boyfriend is convinced I’ll be morbidly obese soon due to my love of all things doused in mayo haha.
Usually use ‘extra light tasting olive oil’
Holy mother of pearl! I just made this for some grilled pork chops and I can’t stop dipping my finger in and tasting it. This stuff would be amazing on a taco salad.
WOOT! Glad you like it! And yes, it’s awesome drizzled on all kinds of things.
Ha!!! Couldn’t wait ten minutes to let the flavors meld…it was just to tempting and yes it tasted amazing!!!
Good things come to those who wait — but yummy things will not wait. Right?!
I am a vinaigrette fan….to make this into vinaigrette should I just use olive oil and lime juice and spices? Or would I need something else?
Thanks!
Yes! Just replace the mayo with olive oil, taste the result, and adjust with more lime juice, or oil, or seasonings as necessary. It should taste great.
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This is amazing on sweet potatoes. Tastes just like the dip that comes with sweet potatoes fries in restaurants. I wasn’t trying to paleofy anything, just a happy accident!! Thanks so much for all your recipes. They are teaching me how to combine flavours I would never have thought of on my own!
That is a sweet compliment! So glad you’re having fun playing with flavors. Happy cooking to you!
Hi Mel,
Tried the Cumin Lime Dressing last night on some beef and had more this morning at brekky. God it was good…deeeelicious.
On Day 2 of my Whole 60 (I’ve done a Whole30 before) and looking forward to branching out past my old faithful recipes. Have spinach and beef muffins and home made mayo in the fridge, chocolate chili in the freezer. MMmmmmmm.
Have a fab day.
Michelle
Hooray! So glad you like this dressing!
Best wishes for an awesome Whole60! I was *just* thinking about meat and spinach muffins this morning… might be time to make a batch!
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