Name: Creamy Mango Lime Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 jalapeño; 2 cups (approximately) chopped fresh mango, or thawed frozen mango pieces; 2 tbsp full-fat vanilla yogurt (*See note); 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar (*See note); 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1/4 cup chopped shallot; 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (more to taste); 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 - 2 tsp grated fresh ginger (to taste); 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp ground black pepper

Creamy Mango Lime Dressing with Yogurt, Ginger and Jalapeño

A little bit sweet, a little bit savory, a little bit spicy, and a little bit sour, this mango lime dressing can make the most basic salad feel tropical, care free, and worthy of tropical umbrella embellished cocktails.

Not only is this mango-lime dressing delicious, it’s as simple as tossing all the ingredients in a blender and flipping the switch. As is the case with all salad dressings, think of the recipe as a guideline, not something that needs to be followed exactly.

Use any other pepper, dried or fresh, in place of the jalapeño.

Just know the heat level of the pepper you’re using and use whatever amount you like to achieve the right amount of heat. A small red Thai chili or just a pinch of crushed red pepper would be fabulous in there.

Or, leave the pepper out altogether. Including a little bit of heat in this dressing balances out the sweet and sour flavors, but it’s not 100% necessary.

Use plain, unsweetened yogurt instead of sweetened vanilla.

A couple spoonfuls of sweetened vanilla yogurt adds just the right amount of sweetness to this dressing. Also, the little bit of vanilla has a softening effect on the sharpness of the lime and jalapeño. However, vanilla yogurt isn’t something I always have on hand.

What I DO almost always have in my refrigerator is plain, unsweetened greek yogurt. That’ll work too. Just add a touch of honey for that little bit of sweetness.

Also, perhaps it goes without saying, but you could certainly use a couple spoonfuls of mango yogurt.

Use another kind of vinegar.

I LOVE using rice vinegar in salad dressings because it’s so mild that it doesn’t take over the other flavors. If you’re dressing a salad with a simple mix of oil and vinegar, you want to use a vinegar with strong assertive flavors. But, when making a dressing in which the other ingredients are the star, a mild vinegar will add that nice acidic tang without taking over.

Having said that, white wine vinegar, white balsamic, champagne vinegar, or apple cider vinegar also work beautifully in this dressing. I have also used roasted garlic infused rice vinegar in this dressing and it was delicious.

Many of the ingredients in this dressing should be added “to taste”.

When a recipe calls for an ingredient “to taste”, I recommend starting with a small amount and adjusting upward, tasting as you go, until it’s the right amount for you. In this recipe, the ingredients that should be added “to taste” are jalapeño, ginger, salt, pepper, cilantro, and lime.

Start with small amounts of each, blend it up, taste it and add as much more of anything you like until it tastes great to you. There are no right answers here except whether you like it or not.

Salads that include Mango-Lime Dressing:

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If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.

Yield: 2 1/2 cups