This Dill Dressing is a silky, creamy sauce perfect for salads, roasted or raw vegetables, sandwiches, wraps, and more. It works as both a dressing and a dip, and gets bright flavor from fresh dill, lemon, garlic, and a creamy cashew-butter base.
Why You’ll Love This Dill Dressing
I tend to experiment more with dressings than with entirely new salads — a great dressing can transform simple ingredients into a memorable meal. While vinaigrettes are quick to shake up, creamy dressings are worth the extra step. This Creamy Dill Salad Dressing is bright, herb-forward, and versatile: it dresses greens, doubles as a crudité dip, and makes a wonderful sandwich spread.
Dill is a light, fresh herb that pairs especially well with spring and summer produce, both raw and cooked. In this recipe dill features in the dressing, but you can also use chopped dill directly in the salad. Dill complements parsley, chives, mint, and tarragon — try mixing herbs from your garden for new flavor combinations. Homemade dressings are easy to make and taste fresher than store-bought versions.
This dressing stands on its own as a creamy sauce for salads, dips, and spreads. Below is a printable Spring Salad recipe that pairs beautifully with the dill dressing — the mix of fresh dill with seasonal fruits and tender greens makes a light, flavorful meal.
Ingredient Notes
This dressing uses a few simple ingredients and blends quickly in a blender. It’s great with simple greens, a composed spring salad (see the recipe card below), or as a dipping sauce or spread.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: the base for the dressing, providing richness and body.
- Raw cashew butter: adds creaminess without a strong nutty flavor; substitute mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt for a nut-free option.
- Shallot or green onions: mild aromatics that add subtle bite.
- Fresh garlic: optional if you avoid garlic, but it brightens the dressing; garlic powder (about ¼ teaspoon) can be used in a pinch.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest: zest adds concentrated lemon flavor while juice provides necessary acidity; always use fresh lemons for best flavor.
- Fresh dill: the star herb here. You can swap or blend other herbs like basil or tarragon for a different profile.
- Sea salt and black pepper: to taste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Blend all dressing ingredients except the dill in a blender until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Stir in the chopped dill. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. Drizzle over salad greens or use as a dip or spread.
Recipe Tips
- For a nut-free dressing, use mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt, or sour cream instead of cashew butter.
- A high-speed blender yields the creamiest texture; a food processor will work but may be slightly less smooth.
What Works Well with Creamy Dill Sauce
- Salad greens: choose sturdier leaves like romaine, green leaf, iceberg, or butter lettuce so the dressing clings well. Mixing a bitter green like radicchio with mild lettuces is a nice contrast.
- Fruit: dill pairs surprisingly well with citrus and bright fruits — kumquats, oranges, or even strawberries.
- Raw vegetables: snap peas, carrots, radishes, and red cabbage are fresh and crunchy with this dressing.
- Cooked vegetables: asparagus, green beans, or pickled onions are delicious with dill dressing.
- Other herbs: chives, basil, tarragon, and mint complement dill or can be added to the salad.
- Creamy elements: feta, goat cheese, or avocado add richness and balance the herbiness.
- Crunch: toasted nuts or seeds — pistachios, almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds — add texture.
Make-Ahead & Storage
- Wash and dry salad greens as soon as you get home; store them in breathable bags or wrapped in a damp towel to keep them crisp.
- Hearty vegetables like cabbage and radish can be prepped a day ahead.
- The dressing keeps in the refrigerator for about a week in an airtight container. It does not freeze well.
More Homemade Salad Dressings
- Sumac Dressing
- Lemon Parmesan Dressing
- Avocado Dressing
- Lemon-Mustard Dressing
- Spicy Cashew Dressing
- Lemon Yogurt Dressing
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Spring Salad with Dill Dressing
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Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 small heads butter lettuce, washed, spun dry and leaves torn into bite size pieces
- 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
- 4 small radishes, sliced as thin as possible or 1 medium watermelon radish sliced thinly
- 2 small carrots, scrubbed clean and julienned or sliced super thin (purple or yellow would be pretty)
- 1 bunch fresh chives, chopped
- A few kumquats sliced crosswise
- A few edible flowers
- Flaky sea salt, if desired
- Dressing:
- 6 Tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ½ Tablespoons raw cashew butter, sub mayo for nut-free
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 1 small garlic clove
- ½ shallot or 2 scallions
- Zest of half a lemon, optional – gives it more lemon punch than just juice
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
- Few grinds of black pepper
- 1 box, .75 ounce fresh dill, tough stems removed, fronds chopped
Instructions
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Place the butter lettuce in a large bowl and layer the remaining salad ingredients on top.
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Blend all dressing ingredients except the dill until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning, then stir in the chopped dill.
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Drizzle just enough dressing to coat the salad, toss gently, and finish with flaky sea salt if desired.
Notes
Substitute mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt, or sour cream for cashew butter to make the dressing nut-free. A high-speed blender produces the creamiest texture.
Pairings
Sturdy greens like romaine or butter lettuce work well. Dill also plays nicely with citrus or berries. Raw vegetables such as snap peas, carrots, radishes, and red cabbage are great, and cooked vegetables like asparagus or green beans also complement the dressing. Add other herbs, creamy cheese, or toasted nuts/seeds for extra flavor and texture.
Storage
Wash and dry greens promptly after purchase and store properly. Hearty vegetables can be prepped a day ahead. The dressing keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container and should not be frozen.
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