Pesto salad dressing is a flavorful and versatile condiment that can elevate any salad to new heights. Made with fresh basil, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and pine nuts, this dressing is packed with savory and aromatic flavors. It is commonly used in Italian cuisine, particularly in Liguria, where it originated. This dressing is simple to prepare and can be made in just a few minutes using a food processor or blender. It is also highly customizable, allowing you to adjust the ingredients to suit your personal preferences. Whether you prefer a classic pesto dressing or one with a twist, there are many variations to explore. This article provides a collection of pesto salad dressing recipes, each offering a unique take on this classic condiment. From classic pesto to variations featuring sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and arugula, there is a dressing here to suit every taste. With detailed instructions and helpful tips, these recipes will guide you through the process of creating delicious and flavorful pesto salad dressings that will transform your salads into culinary delights.
Let's cook with our recipes!
BLACK BEAN-CHICKEN SALAD WITH CREAMY CILANTRO PESTO DRESSING
Main-dish salad ready in 20 minutes! Serve this tossed chicken mixed with pasta, creamy cilantro pesto dressing, tomato and beans.
Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Entree
Time 20m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Prepare Creamy Cilantro Pesto Dressing. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium- high heat. Cook chicken in oil 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink in center. Toss chicken, chili powder and garlic salt; set aside.
- Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain. Mix pasta, chicken, dressing, tomato and beans.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 545, Carbohydrate 54 g, Cholesterol 60 mg, Fiber 7 g, Protein 31 g, SaturatedFat 6 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 370 mg
CREAMY PESTO SALAD DRESSING
I needed a salad dressing for an Italian dinner one night, and I wasn't in the mood for a vinaigrette. At our house, anything with pesto is a winner! :) This is a very thick salad dressing (especially if you use regular mayo), so you don't have to get your salad greens scrupulously dry - the excess water will loosen up the dressing.
Provided by CraftScout
Categories Salad Dressings
Time 2m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Whisk to combine. Dress salad! :).
PASTA SALAD WITH LEMON-PESTO DRESSING
Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network
Categories side-dish
Time 20m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
- Place pesto, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, tomatoes, scallions and cheese in a large bowl.
- Cook pasta to al dente then cold shock it and chill it down under cold running water. Drain well. Add to mixing bowl. Combine salad and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
THAI SPICES SHRIMP SALAD WITH ASIAN GREENS AND PESTO DRESSING
Categories Salad Food Processor Pasta Coconut Basil Macadamia Nut Shrimp Curry Chill Cabbage Cilantro Simmer Boil Bon Appétit
Yield Makes 6 first-course or 4 main-course servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Make dressing:
- Blend basil, nuts and vinegar in processor until nuts are finely ground. With machine running, gradually add oil and blend well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl. (Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)
- Make shrimp:
- Whisk coconut milk and curry paste in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until blended; bring to simmer. Add shrimp and simmer until shrimp are almost opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Refrigerate shrimp in curry liquid, uncovered, until very cold, about 2 hours.
- Place rice sticks in medium bowl. Cover with very hot water. Let stand until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain rice sticks. (If using pasta, cook in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain well; rinse pasta with cold water and drain again.) Using knife or poultry shears, cut rice sticks or pasta into shorter (about 6-inch) lengths. Place noodles in medium bowl and toss with enough dressing to coat.
- Combine cabbage, bok choy, green onions and chopped cilantro in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide greens among plates. Top with noodles. Drain shrimp; place atop noodles, dividing equally. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Pass any remaining dressing separately.
VEGGIE RIBBON SALAD WITH ANY NUT PESTO DRESSING
Steps:
- Put the nuts in a small dry skillet and cook over medium heat until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate to cool.
- Combine the nuts, basil, parsley, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor and pulse until very finely ground. With the motor running, gradually add the olive oil and process until well combined.
- Use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler to slice the vegetables into ribbons. With the yellow squash and zucchini, it is easiest to slice the sides, working around the core (and then discarding the core). Toss the vegetable ribbons together in a bowl. Add just enough pesto to lightly coat, then add the lemon juice and Parmesan and toss to combine. Serve immediately (any remaining pesto can be kept refrigerated for up to 1 week).
ARTICHOKE AND ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH PESTO-MAYONNAISE DRESSING
Steps:
- Trim artichokes, taking off all but 1 inch of stem, chopping off top inch of leaves. Trim any pointy leaves with scissors. Place artichokes in a pot of boiling water with a few squirts of lemon juice. Boil for about 30-45 minutes, until outer leaves are easily removed and the meat on them is tender and easily scraped off with teeth. Remove from water, cover and refridgerate. Break woody ends off of asparagus. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and boil for about 5 minutes, until tender but still relatively firm. Remove from hot water and plunge into ice water. Wrap in a towel and keep chilled Wash endive, removing whole leaves. For dressing, mix pesto and mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Assemble salad. Divide asparagus spears and endive among plates. Cut each artichoke in half, and scoop out choke with a spoon. Arrange a half on each plate. Spoon dressing into the well left after removing the choke. serve.
THE OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY'S CREAMY PESTO SALAD DRESSING RECIPE
Provided by á-170456
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Whisk together oil and mayonnaise. Add buttermilk, cheese, basil, salt, garlic and hot sauce, to taste. Mix thoroughly. Cover and let flavors meld overnight in refrigerator. This also makes an excellent chicken marinade. This recipe yields ?? servings.
TOMATO AND CUCUMBER SALAD WITH A PESTO LIKE DRESSING.
Fresh out of the garden. What a nice way to serve those summer hierloom, Polish, Yellow, and Red tomatoes.
Provided by Rita1652
Categories Greens
Time 15m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and process till smooth and creamy.
- Place all the lettuce on a large platter.
- Arrange tomatoes and cucumbers on lettuce.
- Pour some dressing on arrangement and serve some on the side for those that want it.
STETSON SALAD WITH PESTO BUTTERMILK DRESSING RECIPE - (4.2/5)
Provided by johnwhorfin
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- While couscous is cooking, heat up olive oil in a medium pan on medium high heat. Add asparagus pieces, and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender crisp. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine couscous, asparagus, arugula, hazelnuts, and feta. Toss with dressing to coat. You will likely have some dressing leftover. Just before serving, add dried corn. For the Dressing Add the ingredients except olive oil to a blender. Run the blender, slowly drizzling the olive oil as it blends into the dressing so it will emulsify. Add salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon of each).
LEMON PESTO BUTTERMILK SALAD DRESSING
A great use for leftover buttermilk, this delicious dressing is from May 2010's Canadian Living. No buttermilk on hand? No problem. Add 1 tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice per cup of milk and microwave just long enough to curdle, about 10 seconds.
Provided by Katzen
Categories < 15 Mins
Time 5m
Yield 1 1/3 Cups, 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Mix all ingredients together in an airtight container in the fridge, up to one week.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 130.7, Fat 10.5, SaturatedFat 1.9, Cholesterol 12.1, Sodium 325.3, Carbohydrate 7.5, Fiber 2.3, Sugar 3.3, Protein 2.9
PESTO SALAD DRESSING
Make and share this Pesto Salad Dressing recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Toby Jermain
Categories Salad Dressings
Time 10m
Yield 1 1/2 cups
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In bowl of food processor, pulse the dried basil with the fresh basil (preferred) or parley.
- Add walnuts, garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese, snd pulse 4-5 times.
- Add olive oil and optional walnut oil, and process for about 10 seconds, until mixture is finely chopped but not pureed.
- Excellent with a hearty salad, freshly cooked pasta, cold cooked rice, or cold cooked chicken or turkey.
PESTO ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING
In this recipe I use my own pesto which I make in the summer, freeze in ice cube trays, then store in a freezer zip top bag. I use about half a cube for this recipe.
Provided by Donna Matthews
Categories Sauces
Time 10m
Yield 3 cups
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Measure all ingredients into a glass jar.
- (I use the 3 cup canning jar that my favorite spaghetti sauce comes in.).
- note: you may substitute 2 teaspoons dry mustard for the Dijon style mustard.
- Shake well.
- Store in refrigerator.
- After several days, you may wish to remove the garlic cloves.
Tips:
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients for the best flavor.
- If you don't have a food processor, you can chop the basil, pine nuts, and garlic by hand.
- Taste the dressing before serving and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Pesto salad dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Serve pesto salad dressing over your favorite salad greens, roasted vegetables, or grilled meat or fish.
Conclusion:
Pesto salad dressing is a versatile and delicious way to add flavor to your favorite salads. It's easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. With a few simple ingredients, you can create a flavorful dressing that will elevate any salad. So next time you're looking for a new way to dress up your salad, give pesto salad dressing a try. You won't be disappointed!
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