You read the title right... this is a copy cat recipe for the Cafe Rio dressing that we all loveeeee! I think that the dressing is one of the reasons that I am hooked to the pork salad that Cafe Rio offers. (Stay tuned for the Copy Cat Cafe Rio Pork- My friend's recipe is to die for!)
Over the weekend we had a wedding shower- it consisted of 'make your own burrito and/or salad' with this dressing. It seemed to be a big hit, some even went back for seconds! One of our good friends Natalie is lactose intolerant and could not stop raving about the taste and the plus that it was dairy free! (shoutout to Natalie if you ever read this! You're amazing! :) )
If anyone has looked at the calories that the Cafe Rio tomatillo dressing has will feel my pain. I feel like I cannot even look at the dressing/salad without gaining a pound... But don't worry, the salads are (only) over 1000 calories. WOOF. NO, THANK YOU! :( That is why I have found a healthy copy cat recipe!
I have been searching for dressing recipes that would be low in calories but only taste amazing! I have finally found a combination of ingredients that work perfectly together to create a heaven in the mouth! This tomatillo Cafe Rio dressing is Whole 30 and Paleo approved! If you don't know what that is... Let's just say it's a LOT better than your store bought dressings, or even slathering the olive oil on the lettuce that was supposed to be healthy. This stuff is amazing! Make a big batch and use it for the week- I feel that I eat healthier when I prep foods first. I usually will always have a HUGE salad bowl in the fridge and scoop some out here and there when I am feeling hungry. I would like to say that I stay away from chips, cake and so on... but they are so inviting... and cake and popcorn are my guilty pleasures... anyway, FOOD PREP! This is key. Do it and it will seriously change your life. No more getting processed foods out of the pantry, you will already have a healthy meal waiting in the fridge. Enough with rambling, let's get into this amazing dressing!
Tomatillo Dressing:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup homemade clean mayo
(Recipe Below)- 1/2 cup almond milk- 1/2 cup coconut milk- 1 tsp lemon juice- 2 tomatillos (chopped)- juice from one lime- 1/2 or 1 jalapeño (deseeded)- 1/2 bunch of cilantro
- 1 clove garlic minced- 1 tbsp parsley- 1 tbsp dill- 1 tsp garlic powder- 1 tsp onion powder- 1 tsp dried onion flakes- 1/2 tsp pepper- 1/2 tsp dried chives- 1 tsp salt
Lets Do This:- Mix the almond milk and coconut milk together + add lemon juice- Mix everything else into a blender or food processor.- Add the milk combination slowly
Refrigerate for a few hours- I found that it worked best if it sat over night in the fridge- the flavors married and it became thicker!
Clean Mayo Recipe:This is amazing- I actually have been having a weak stomach when it comes to mayo- Not this stuff, it is clean and delish!
1 egg at room temperature1 tsp mustard ( I use honey dijon, but do whatever you prefer)1 1/4 cup olive oil1 tsp lemon juice ( I add a little salt and pepper to taste)-Mix 1/4 cup olive oil, egg, mustard and lemon juice-Slowly add in the other cup of olive oil
Refrigerate... and BAM- that was easy
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS RECIPE- IT IS DELISH!!!Comment if you try it and let me know how you like it! :)
