Should we talk about this?

I think we should talk about this.

I think you all know how much I LOVE Chop't. love, love, love that place. but in all the NYC stores I've been to lately, they got rid of my favorite: chili lime dressing. THAT is the stuff of gods.

So, when I went to work on Friday without a lunch – I decided to go get a salad from Chop't and explore their dressings. It does seem like I can't shy away from the Mexican theme, because I committed to the Mexican Goddess Dressing. HOLY CRAP. the stuff is good. it's really good…

and I knew when I was eating it that I could make it.

I did a little research and came across a tweet from Chop't that said the ingredients were: avocado, lime, jalapeño, cilantro, and tomatillo.

Sounds easy enough, right?

SOOOO I got to work and put together my version of the stuff… + garlic because…. garlic?

I have to tell you. This dressing is good on everything. EVERYTHING. I really mean it.

I've eaten it on salads, veggie noodles, quinoa, tortilla chips, even just straight up using it as a dip for some sliced bell pepper. plus it's… GOOD FOR YOU. come onnnnnn have you ever heard of such a winning combo?

Also, I used myfitnesspal to check the stats on this puppy (which btw! it's so much easier to use now?! idk when it changed but now you can just import recipes in by using a URL – which works super well with my recipes because I use a plugin to organize them, you just have to double check the servings/amounts etc. but most of the work is done for you! … WINNING). would you believe the entire thing comes in at just under 280 calories?! for the entire batch – which yields about one and a quarter cups.

Obviously most of the calories come from the avocado so the actual stats of your batch will depend on the size of your avocado, but TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY CALORIES? I've been pouring the stuff over everything this week so I'm happy to find out it's not robbing my calorie bank.

Frankie came home from North Carolina two nights ago and I was responsible for dinner – lucky me, I had a quick broccoli/cauliflower/quinoa salad already prepped with this dressing (I spiralized the stalks of the broccoli and cauliflower and dressed them with it and then mixed in quinoa for anyone who's interested). Frankie was… apprehensive at first. and then after his first bite he was like “OH. that's really yum!” next thing I know he's done with his bowl.

I think that means it's boyfriend approved…. I hope?

It comes pretty darn close to the Chop't version (if you want it to be more authentic, I'd omit the garlic and only use 1/4 the jalapeño) and will definitely be making a continuous rotation in our meals for the foreseeable future. with that calorie count, what do you have to lose?!

Mexican Green Goddess Dressing

inspired by Chop't

Author: Ashley Renee
Prep Time: 5
Total Time: 5
Yield: 1 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado
2 tomatillos
1 cup cilantro
1 lime
1 whole jalapeño (you will only use 1/4–1/2 in the dressing!)
1 clove garlic (optional: for a little added sweetness use a roasted clove)

Instructions

Peel the tomatillos and rinse off the sticky outer coating. Place them in a pot of boiling water and boil for five minutes. Remove them and let cool.
While the tomatillos are boiling, juice the lime by cutting it in half and squeezing the juice from both halves into a food processor bowl. Cut the jalapeño in half lengthwise ( if you want the dressing to be on the milder side, de-seed the half and cut it in half again and only use the quarter with no seeds). Remove the seeds and set aside, roughly chop/slice the pepper. Put the pepper into the food processor with about 1/2 tsp of the seeds ( the seeds are what actually make jalapeño spicy, so be as liberal or conservative as your taste desires).
Roughly chop the garlic and add to the food processor with the avocado, cilantro and boiled tomatillos.
Run the food processor for about two minutes or until the sauce is blended. If your sauce seems too thick, add 1 tbsp of water and blend again – continuing until it reaches your desired consistency.
Refrigerate if not using immediately. Serve on salads, nachos, tacos, fajitas, or even just with chips as a cool avocado dip!