Creamy Pesto Dressing : Ugly Duckling Bakery

Name: Creamy Pesto Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup basil pesto; 2 tablespoons sour cream; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons buttermilk; 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

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This creamy pesto dressing is super simple to make with store-bought or homemade basil pesto. Reach for it when you want a tangy salad dressing or spread for your favorite sandwich.

The inspiration

The inspiration for this pesto dressing was my pesto alla genovese, which is a classic basil pesto. During summer, when basil is at its peak, I make pesto every week because it’s so easy and delicious.

a small bowl of pesto dressing alongside a bowl of pesto, salad bowl, utensils, and two tomatoes.

Tips and tricks for this recipe

Storing the pesto dressing

With the sour cream, mayonnaise, and buttermilk, this dressing needs to stay in the fridge. It’s not the salad dressing to bring to a family picnic when it’s hot outside!

If you’re unlikely to eat all of it in a few days, you can store pesto for longer, and just make the dressing as you need it. Two tablespoons or teaspoons of pesto for one of all the rest of the ingredients.

Make it healthier

Occasionally, life deserves creamy. But if you want to make a pesto vinaigrette instead of this creamy dressing, try 1 tablespoon of pesto, 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, and a quarter cup of olive oil.

My pesto vinaigrette needed a pinch of sugar to balance out the acid. But taste yours and see what you think.

FAQs about this creamy pesto dressing

Is this the same as green goddess dressing?

No. While green goddess dressing is a also creamy and herb-based like this pesto dressing , green goddess dressing includes anchovies, lemon juice, and different greens like chervil, chives, and tarragon.

How would you use this pesto dressing?

The obvious answer would be on a green salad or perhaps this rainbow salad bowl. Or it’s thick and creamy enough to go on your favorite deli sandwich. That bread, by the way, is my sweet brown bread, and it is AMAZING.

creamy pesto dressing on a slice of sandwich bread with the loaf, cheese and turkey slices.

Related recipes

If you love pesto, check out these other recipes using pesto including this orzo pesto salad, tuna pesto pasta with arugula spinach pesto, .

Or, if you’re looking for salads or other salad dressings, how about this creamy lemon herb tahini dressing, maple Dijon vinaigrette, a watermelon panzanella with white wine vinaigrette, or this spinach caprese with cherry vinaigrette.

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