A creamy tomatillo avocado dressing that’s just like the Mexican Goddess dressing you can find at the Chopt Creative Salad Co. restaurant chain! It’s perfect as a dip, sauce or dressing. Vegan, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly.
Raise your hand if you’re intimidated by tomatillos… just me? Didn’t think so! Before this recipe, I had never purchased or cooked with tomatillos. I don’t know why but they’ve always intimidated me. I’d always see them sitting next to the jalapeños and think I should pick one or two up, but never did… until recently.
In case you’re new to tomatillos like me, I thought I would share a little more info about them.
“Tomatillo” means “little tomato” in Spanish but don’t let the translation fool you – that’s not what it is. Compared to tomatoes, tomatillos taste more like a vegetable, are more acidic and less sweet and are more dense, less watery. They have dry leafy husks wrapped around that you simply remove and then rinse. Prepped and ready to go, you can use tomatillos raw, boiled or roasted in a huge variety of dishes. You’ll have to share your favorite tomatillo recipes now that I’m not afraid anymore. 😉
This recipe for is a copycat recipe for the Mexican Goddess Dressing at Chopt Creative Salad Co. I tested this recipe at least 6-7 times trying to get it to taste as close as possible to the Chopt dressing and I think it’s pretty spot on. The secret ingredient is the white balsamic vinegar — it adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the dressing that balances with heat from the jalapeño perfectly.
It’s like a creamy salsa (and it packs a bit of heat) so it’s perfect as a dip for veggies and chips or as a dressing for Mexican-themed salads. (Hint hint: I’ll be sharing a shrimp salad that pairs amazingly with this dressing later this week!).
A few notes about the ingredients:
This dressing is super creamy. I thought it had dairy in it the first time I tried it at Chopt Creative Salad Co., but instead of being loaded with cheese or another form of dairy, it gets its creaminess from the avocado!
If you like some heat, start with 1/2 of the jalapeño (with the seeds) and taste. Then if you want it spicier, add more!
Have you ever made anything with tomatillos? What foods are you intimidated by or want me to cover in future recipes?
A creamy tomatillo avocado dressing that’s just like the Mexican Goddess dressing you can find at the Chopt Creative Salad Co. restaurant chain! It’s perfect as a dip, sauce or dressing. Vegan, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly.
Ingredients
4 tomatillos
1/2 avocado
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeño with seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 cup cilantro leaves
Instructions
Remove husk from tomatillos and rinse to remove any sticky residue. Bring water to boil in a pot, add tomatillos and boil for 4-5 minutes. Remove from boiling water, rinse with cold water and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Add cooled tomatillos, avocado, garlic, jalapeño, salt, white balsamic vinegar and lime juice into a high-powered blender or food processor(affiliate link) and blend until everything is incorporated and dressing is relatively smooth. Add cilantro leaves and process a few seconds more.
If you try this tomatillo avocado dressing please leave a comment and star rating below. I’d love to hear if you think it tastes like Chopt’s Mexican Goddess Dressing!
This looks great, my husband will love it for mexican inspired salads to take to work! I love tomatillos! I make chili verde all the time – either with chicken or it’s a great way to use up leftover pork roast (I’ll make a big one on purpose!) , onions, garlic, green chilies, jalapeno, cilantro, cumin, coriander, and tomatillos – canned, raw (best in slow cooker) or roasted in the oven before adding. serve with tortillas and cheese! So good and lasts for days, even better the next day for lunch. 🙂
I have been searching and searching for a Chopt copycat recipe!! I tried one before but it didnt have the white balsamic. I am so excited to try this! You should do a Chopt Spicy Tahini copycat (pretty please 🙂 )
I made this dressing last night for a shrimp salad and it was amazing! I even think it tastes better today after the flavors have had more time to set in. Thanks for sharing Brittany! This is definitely going to be a summer staple in my house.
I’ve always cooked with tomatillos, but maybe that’s because I’m in Texas 🙂 The only thing I would do differently on the prep is to carve out the stem at the top of the tomatillo.
I’m interested to know how long this will last in the refrigerator. There is some lime juice in the recipe which should help the avocado last a little longer.
I would really love to try this. I think it would work great for salads and it would be a great pair with homemade whole wheat tortilla. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Can’t wait to try this! How long would you recommend keeping in the fridge? Thinking forward to meal prepping for lunches! Thanks for continuing to provide us with awesome recipe ideas! You help keep me on track.
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How long is this recipe good for in the fridge or feeezer?
It should be kept in the fridge and will last 3-4 days. Hope this helps!
Just made this dip/dressing and it’s amazing!! Was wondering though, how long can I keep it in the fridge?
★★★★★
This looks great, my husband will love it for mexican inspired salads to take to work! I love tomatillos! I make chili verde all the time – either with chicken or it’s a great way to use up leftover pork roast (I’ll make a big one on purpose!) , onions, garlic, green chilies, jalapeno, cilantro, cumin, coriander, and tomatillos – canned, raw (best in slow cooker) or roasted in the oven before adding. serve with tortillas and cheese! So good and lasts for days, even better the next day for lunch. 🙂
Yes, it’s perfect for Mexican-inspired salads! Mmm your chili verde sounds delicious!
Looks great. Can this be frozen if you only use a little at a time?
I have been searching and searching for a Chopt copycat recipe!! I tried one before but it didnt have the white balsamic. I am so excited to try this! You should do a Chopt Spicy Tahini copycat (pretty please 🙂 )
★★★★★
I made this dressing last night for a shrimp salad and it was amazing! I even think it tastes better today after the flavors have had more time to set in. Thanks for sharing Brittany! This is definitely going to be a summer staple in my house.
I’ve tried to find tomatillos and was unsuccessful, what would you recommend instead? I have all other ingredients and would love to make this….
I’ve always cooked with tomatillos, but maybe that’s because I’m in Texas 🙂 The only thing I would do differently on the prep is to carve out the stem at the top of the tomatillo.
I’m interested to know how long this will last in the refrigerator. There is some lime juice in the recipe which should help the avocado last a little longer.
Perfect! I had some tomatillos and no clue what to do with them. The dressing is so simple and absolutely divine!
★★★★★
Ahh!! It’s so awesome that you already made it. So glad you like it. 🙂
I would really love to try this. I think it would work great for salads and it would be a great pair with homemade whole wheat tortilla. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Too funny…tomatillos have always intimidated me too! haha.
Glad I’m not the only one. Maybe it’s the husk? haha
Can’t wait to try this! How long would you recommend keeping in the fridge? Thinking forward to meal prepping for lunches! Thanks for continuing to provide us with awesome recipe ideas! You help keep me on track.