Ah, honey chipotle salad dressing—what a delightful contradiction! It’s like a sweet summer breeze with a spicy kick, a salsa dance on your taste buds. I stumbled upon this gem while attempting to recreate a salad from my favorite bistro, and let me tell you, it’s been a wild ride ever since.
The balance of flavors is so unexpectedly perfect that it feels almost poetic—like a duet between honey’s gentle melody and chipotle’s fiery rhythm. Who would’ve thought salad dressing could spark such culinary drama?
Steps
- Gather your ingredients: chipotles in adobo, your choice of mild oil like avocado or olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, honey, garlic, and seasonings such as oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Place all the ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend them until you achieve a smooth consistency.
- Taste the dressing and adjust the flavors as desired. Add more chipotles for smokiness, honey for sweetness, or water to thin it out.
- Use the dressing immediately or store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy it on salads, as a marinade, or on your favorite Mexican dishes.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1–2 chipotles in adobo, plus an extra teaspoon of the adobo sauce
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
FAQ
- What ingredients are needed for the Honey Chipotle Salad Dressing?
- To make this dressing, you will need chipotles in adobo, oil (such as avocado or extra-virgin olive oil), red wine vinegar, lime juice, honey, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Can I make the dressing without a blender or food processor?
- Yes, you can make the dressing by mincing the chipotles and garlic by hand and whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl.
- How can I adjust the flavor of the dressing?
- You can customize the dressing by adding more chipotles for a smokier taste, more honey for added sweetness, or some water to thin it out.
- What are some uses for this Honey Chipotle Salad Dressing?
- This versatile dressing can be used on salads, as a marinade or sauce for proteins, tossed with roasted vegetables, drizzled on tacos and burritos, simmered with beans, or stirred into pico de gallo.
- How long can the dressing be stored?
- The dressing can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Tips
- Adjust the Spice and Sweetness: Taste the dressing before serving and consider adding extra chipotles for a smokier flavor or more honey for increased sweetness to suit your preference.
- Versatile Usage: Don’t limit this dressing to just salads. Use it as a marinade for proteins like chicken, pork, or shrimp, or drizzle it over tacos and roasted vegetables for an added flavor boost.
- Blending Options: While a blender or food processor makes the process quick and easy, you can also whisk the ingredients by hand if you prefer a chunkier texture and don’t mind mincing the chipotles and garlic manually.
- Storage Tip: Store any leftover dressing in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week, ensuring you can enjoy its flavors with multiple meals.
Equipment
- Blender or food processor – Necessary for pureeing all the ingredients together to achieve a smooth dressing.
