Avocado Herb Dressing
Enjoy this ultra-creamy, keto-friendly salad dressing for all your salad needs. The herbaceous notes of the parsley infused with the good fats from the avocado is a healthy alternative to the store-bought varieties.
Why You’ll Love Avocado Herb Dressing
Not all salad dressing recipes are vinaigrettes and tart in flavour or filled with sugar. This avocado herb dressing is an excellent example of a homemade dressing that is so delicious yet easy to make.
You’ll love this avocado herb salad dressing recipe for its creamy texture without dairy and refreshing flavour!
The avocado provides a rich, creamy base, while the parsley adds a fresh, herbaceous note. The olive oil adds richness, the apple cider vinegar adds a tangy kick, and the salt brings everything together.
This dressing is not only delicious but also healthy, as avocados are packed with nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. Plus, it’s super easy to make—all you need is a food processor to blend everything together until smooth. It’s the perfect way to elevate any salad and add a burst of flavour!
This recipe is vegan, keto-friendly and for anyone who is lactose intolerant. It also uses pantry staple ingredients, making it accessible for anyone to create in the comfort of their own home.
It is versatile too. Add this avocado herb dressing to a variety of salads, topping for roasted vegetables of a base for a plant-base bowl.
What Herbs Can I Use?
Instead of parsley, you can use other fresh herbs like cilantro (coriander), basil, chives or dill to change the flavour profile of the dressing.
You can also create a combination of any of those herbs, perfect if you have leftover sprigs you want to use up, much like we did with our green goddess dressing.
Why is My Avocado Dressing Bitter?
There could a be a few reasons why it can taste bitter.
Too much herbs can make this bitter. It is therefore important to find a good balance for quantities. Don’t just shove herbs into the food processor. See our quantities below for a good balance.
Some olive oils taste bitter. That is of course quite subjective but olive you use to cook with may not be suitable for fresh salad dressings.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you need for avocado herb dressing:
- Avocado: Select avocado that is on the riper side without bruising. It needs to be soft so that you can create a beautiful puree-like dressing that is spreadable. You don’t want hard lumps of unripe avocado.
- Parsley: For this recipe, we use the flat leaf kind. The curly parsley is too coarse for what we need. We only need the leaves. Discard the stem.
- Olive oil: As always, select an olive oil of your liking to give the dressing an added velvety finish.
- Apple cider vinegar: Love a good vinegar with a hint of apple notes. We also prefer to use apple cider vinegar as it’s not as tart or sharp in flavour.
- Water: To dilute the consistency of the recipe as otherwise, it is too thick.
- Salt: Needs some seasoning to finish off the flavours.
Variations and Substitutions
Herb variations: Instead of parsley, you can use other fresh herbs like cilantro (coriander), basil, chives or dill to change the flavour profile of the dressing. You can also create a combination of any of those herbs, perfect if you have leftover sprigs you want to use up.
Add citrus: If you love tartness in your salad dressings, a healthy squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice will do the trick.
Apple cider vinegar substitute: If you’re happy with just fresh lemon juice, this will certainly work. Otherwise, some white wine vinegar or verjuice will be a suitable alternative.
Creamier texture: For a richer dressing, add a tablespoon of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. This will add to the luscious texture of the dressing and provide some tang.
Add some heat: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for a spicy kick.
Garlicky twist: Easy enough to ramp up the flavour profile of this avocado herb dressing by adding some garlic into the food processor. 1 clove will suffice. Or even a tsp of garlic powder would be good too. Adds depth and complexity.
If you love a super garlicky style dressing, you can’t go past our creamy garlic dressing. So good!
Sweeter option: Feel free to add a dollop of honey into the dressing if you believe it will suit your tastebuds better.
Instructions
Step by step instructions for how to make avocado dressing:
To create this luscious creamy salad dressing, start with the avocado. Cut it in half, discard the pit and peel the skin.
Roughly chop the flat leaf parsley leaves.
Using a food processor, blitz the avocado, parsley, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, water, and salt.
When it becomes smooth in consistency, set it aside, ready for assembly.
How To Make This Dressing Perfectly [Expert Tips]
Avocado ripeness: Choose a ripe avocado for the creamiest texture. It should yield slightly to gentle pressure but not be mushy. A ripe avocado will blend more easily into a smooth and creamy dressing.
Drying the parsley: After you have washed your parsley, ensure it is pat dry before adding it to the food processor. Removing excess moisture will prevent the dressing from becoming too watery.
Balancing flavour and texture: Taste the dressing as you go and adjust the seasoning as needed. This also goes for the consistency of the avocado herb dressing.
Add more salt if it needs more seasoning and add more vinegar to increase the tartness. This also helps to make the dressing runnier. Water and olive oil will also help to improve the thickness of the dressing.
Process briefly: Process the dressing until just combined. Over-processing can make the avocado turn brown and lose its fresh flavour.
How to Store
Store avocado herb dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Avocado-based dressings can oxidise and change colour, so it’s best to consume them fresh.
Best Salad for This Dressing
Low Carb Chicken Salad, No Mayo
Enjoy this hearty low carb chicken salad with avocado herb dressing that is easy to prepare with a little bit of fun. Add some plump raspberries, peppery radishes and buttery macadamia nuts for a delicious recipe!
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Avocado Herb Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 avocado
- ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- ¼ tsp salt
Click on the toggle below for conversion to US Cooking Units.
Instructions
- Discard the avocado skin and stone.
- Chop parsley leaves to yield ½ cup.
- In a food processor, add avocado, parsley, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, water and salt.
- Blitz until well combined.
Notes
- If you love tartness in your salad dressings, a healthy squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice will do the trick.
- Looking for an apple cider vinegar substitute, just add fresh lemon juice, this will certainly work. Otherwise, some white wine vinegar or verjuice will be a suitable alternative.
- For a richer dressing, add a tablespoon of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. This will add to the luscious texture of the dressing and provide some tang.
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for a spicy kick.
- Easy enough to ramp up the flavour profile of this avocado herb dressing by adding some garlic into the food processor. 1 clove will suffice. Or even a tsp of garlic powder would be good too. Adds depth and complexity.
- Feel free to add a dollop of honey into the dressing if you believe it will suit your tastebuds better for a sweeter profile.
- Choose a ripe avocado for the creamiest texture. It should yield slightly to gentle pressure but not be mushy. A ripe avocado will blend more easily into a smooth and creamy dressing.
- After you have washed your parsley, ensure it is pat dry before adding it to the food processor. Removing excess moisture will prevent the dressing from becoming too watery.
- Taste the dressing as you go and adjust the seasoning as needed. This also goes for the consistency of the avocado herb dressing. Add more salt if it needs more seasoning and add more vinegar to increase the tartness. This also helps to make the dressing runnier. Water and olive oil will also help to improve the thickness of the dressing.
- Process the dressing until just combined. Over-processing can make the avocado turn brown and lose its fresh flavour.
Nutrition
*Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided is an estimate only and generated by an online calculator.
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I made this Avocado Herb Dressing, and it’s a game changer! So creamy and fresh, perfect for salads or as a dip. Seriously, you need to try this! 🌿🥑
This avocado herb dressing was so delicious I could eat it with a spoon! I used it as a topping in my fish tacos too!
This dreessing was incredible. Super easy and tasty enough to eat with a spoon. 😉 Thanks!
Such a lovely dressing. Makes any salad stand out. Gotta love the avocado!
This salad dressing is creamy and delicious! I served it with grilled chicken and mixed salad greens and the combination was so good.