We use to enjoy going to a popular Tex-Mex restaurant in Texas called Chuy’s. I always felt like I was in a secret club when I went to Chuy’s. Only if you knew about it could get their Creamy Jalapeño dressing served with your chips. They normally serve this delicious Creamy Jalapeno dressing with their salads. Either way, it is delicious and a nice change from tomato salsa. I’ve been on a huge salad kick lately and since there aren’t any Chuy’s here, I decided to create my own Jalapeño Ranch Salad Dressing…
Jalapeños
Peppers are a good source of Vitamin C and A. These little peppers are rich in a phytonutrients called capsaicinoids.
Capsaicin is what makes peppers hot and has been studied quite a bit. Capsaicin has been known to be used as a topical analgesic because it can temporarily desensitize nerve endings. It is also believed that the capsaicin in pepper can increase your metabolism and possibly decrease your appetite to aid in weight loss.
Jalapeño Nutrition
(1 pepper)
Calories 4
Potassium 35 mg
Vitamin C 17 mg
Vitamin A 151 IU
How to Pick
Firm peppers with glossy, unwrinkled skin would be the best choice. You will notice that most peppers are waxed to increase their shelf life. It’s best to store them in the refrigerator and use them within five days.
This Jalapeno Ranch dressing gets its beautiful green color from the cilantro! Lately, I have seen crazy huge jalapeños in the grocery store. I love the flavor of peppers, but I’m pretty much a spice wimp. So, once I slice the pepper in half if I can smell it’s spice, for me it is probably pretty darn spicy. If that’s the case, I usually seed the pepper before dicing to help control the heat.
- 1 tbsp jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1 small tomatillo, rinsed and quartered
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsp buttermilk
- 1 cup 0% fat plain greek yogurt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Place jalapeño, tomatillo, cilantro and buttermilk in a bowl. Using an emulsion blender, pulse until smooth.
- Add the yogurt and seasoning, pulse just until blended.
If you like ranch dressing and a little spice, you will love this Jalapeno Ranch Salad Dressing. It is a creamy, zesty combination of jalapeño, cilantro, tomatillo, and yogurt. I love using yogurt for making salad dressings and dips, you get the creaminess of mayonnaise without the fat. I use this dressing for salads, as a dip, and have found it is scrumptious on these fish tacos.
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