Creamy Salad Dressing Recipe with Arugula & Tarragon
This Creamy Salad Dressing recipe blends arugula and tarragon into a rich, mayo-and-sour-cream base for a smooth, flavorful dressing with a subtle peppery bite and a splash of lemon. It’s thick, versatile, and perfect for making ahead - and is delicious on salads, roasted vegetables, and more.
Servings: 20 Makes around 1 1/4 cups
Calories: 54kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups baby arugula about 1 1/2 to 2 ounces packed
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped green onion white, light green and some dark green part
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste in a tube – see Note below
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the arugula, green onion, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, anchovy paste and tarragon; process until well blended.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, to allow flavors to blend and the arugula to mellow.
- Bring to room temperature and season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
Notes
Make ahead: Dressing can be prepared, covered and refrigerated 4-5 days ahead.
Substitutions & Variations
- No anchovy paste? You can substitute anchovy fillets instead (the same way they’re used in Caesar salad dressing). Keep in mind that mashed anchovies have a stronger flavor than anchovy paste from a tube, which contains vinegar and spices that mellow the fishiness. If you make this swap, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon of mashed anchovies.
- Lighten it up: Swap nonfat Greek yogurt for up to half of the sour cream and/or mayonnaise. The dressing will be a little tangier but still creamy and delicious.
- Make it extra lemony: Add an extra squeeze of lemon juice for an even brighter, more citrus-forward dressing.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Chop your own garlic. The prepackaged stuff includes additives that negatively affect the flavor.
- Blend until very creamy to fully combine all the ingredients and get the best texture.
- Let dressing sit for 2 hours before serving. Takes longer - need to allow time for the arugula to mellow; otherwise its pepperiness can dominate the dressing.
- Use full fat mayo and sour cream, for the creamiest, most flavorful dressing.
- Use a light hand when dressing salads. This is a thick dressing; thin with 1 tablespoon of milk at a time if needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 121IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.3mg