This is the only salad dressing recipe you will ever need. It can be easily customised with whatever herbs you have or are already using in other dishes. Make a jar full and use for lunches the next day.
I believe the dressing is the most important part of a salad. I make this creamy herb dressing all the time when I am making a side salad. In this serving suggestion I have just tossed it through some cos lettuce, but you can use it with any fresh salad greens; add some cucumber, tomato, olives or whatever you like! It can also be served as a sauce on the side of grilled or crumbed chicken, or as a dipping sauce. The recipe below will explain how to make it from scratch, including making homemade mayonnaise, however you can use premade mayonnaise if you don’t have time/can’t be bothered.
In this Post
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Variations & Substitutes
- Storing & Reheating Leftovers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Recipe
Ingredients
Sour cream: Along with the mayonnaise, the sour cream will give this dressing its rich creaminess, and also provides some acidity. You can substitute crème fraîche if you prefer, although sour cream is usually cheaper!
Lemon: Acidity is key in salad dressings. This recipe uses the zest and the juice to brighten up the dressing and cut through the richness.
Egg yolk: The egg yolk is the base of the mayonnaise component of this dressing. I use size 7 eggs.
Oil: Use a neutral oil like canola or sunflower oil to make your mayonnaise.
Garlic & herbs: This is where the flavour of your creamy herb dressing will come from. You can use whatever soft herbs you have available. I like to use the same herbs I have used in the rest of my dishes, especially if I have a surplus.
How to make creamy herb dressing
ONE: Finely chop your herbs. You can keep some chunkier if you like.
TWO: To make the mayonnaise base, place the egg yolk in a mixing bowl then very slowly add the oil while whisking vigorously to emulsify.
THREE: Add the sour cream, chopped herbs, crushed garlic and the zest and juice of the lemon.
FOUR: Whisk all the ingredients together until they are all incorporated and there are no lumps. Taste and season with salt as you like.
Variations & Substitutions
As I have mentioned, you can use whatever herbs you like. I have used basil, mint, chives and dill that I have growing in my garden. If you want to only use one herb, go for it! You can also increase the amount of garlic if you want a more garlicky flavoured dressing.
If you don’t want to make the mayonnaise from scratch, you can use a plain store bought mayonnaise. To do this, substitute the egg yolk and oil for half a cup of mayonnaise. Most store bought mayonnaises will already be well seasoned and have acidity. Therefore, add the lemon juice at the end after whisking the ingredients together only as needed.
Storing Leftovers
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. As this recipe contains raw egg yolk it cannot be kept for longer than a few days. If you use store bought mayonnaise instead, it will keep for longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
No – this recipe requires fresh herbs. Dried herbs will not have a nice texture in this dressing and won’t give you the flavour the fresh herbs will.
You can definitely make the dressing ahead of time. In fact I would make it a few hours ahead and keep it refrigerated. This will allow the flavours of the herbs to infuse with the dressing.
The Recipe
I’d love to hear how you get on with making this recipe if you try it and how much you enjoyed eating it! Leave a review below for me to read, or tag me on Instagram if you share a photo.
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Creamy Herb Dressing
This is the only salad dressing recipe you will ever need. It can be easily customised with whatever herbs you have or are already using in other dishes.
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
Ingredients
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 20 grams fresh herbs
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 lemon (juice and zest)
Instructions
- Finely chop your fresh herbs. You can leave some chunkier if you like.
- Place the egg yolk into a large mixing bowl. If you have a bowl with a rubber bottom use that, otherwise place it on a damp tea towel or another surface that will stop the bowl slipping.
- Very slowly add the oil to the egg yolk while whisking vigorously with a whisk to emulsify. The mixture should begin to thicken. Once all the oil is added and emulsified you should have a basic mayonnaise.
- Add the sour cream, the chopped herbs, crushed/finely chopped garlic clove, the zest and juice of the lemon to the mayonnaise. Whisk all the ingredients together until fully incorporated and there are no lumps.
- Taste and add salt as you like. I usually don’t season my salad before dressing, so I make my dressings a bit saltier.
Notes
- If substituting store bought mayonnaise, use 1/2 a cup of mayonnaise to make this recipe; if doubling the recipe, use 1 cup, and if tripling use 1 1/2 cups.
- Prep Time: 10
Ben Walls says
I literally make this dressing at least once a week. I just use whatever fresh herbs I have to use up or are growing in my garden. Super easy! Hope it becomes a staple for you too.