I'm not sure about anywhere else, since Texas is the only place that I've lived in my adult life, but here... we go through an awful lot of cilantro. It's all that amazing Tex-Mex we have here, so you won't find me complaining. Cilantro and I definitely have a love-hate relationship though.

I've come to the realization that I don't tend to like it much in it's raw form. That is... it needs to be added to something; guacamole, fajita meat, etc. I do, however, love cilantro when it's done right by being used as an ingredient to brighten up a dish. And what better way to do that than with a nice fresh spring produce salad?

I got these lovely local beets this week, and knew right away that I wanted to roast them in the oven. They are truly one of my favorite additions to a salad. And can I tell you that my first time to have a beet was just about a year ago? Crazy, I know!

The sweetness of the beets and my creamy avocado were the perfect partner for this bright and citrusy vinaigrette. And you should know that this vinaigrette is on the thinner side of dressings too. I didn't find it as an issue for myself, but if you want to thicken it up I would suggest adding maybe a teaspoon of chia seeds - they are a great natural thickener for dressings. Just let them sit for about an hour in the vinaigrette to swell and work their thickening magic.

I love that this vinaigrette takes hardly any time at all and gives you a guiltless dressing that's good to go for about three days of lunches.

This vinaigrette would also make for a really great marinade or sauce for a sweeter cut of meat such as pork tenderloin. The citrus and vinegar in there will help to tenderize naturally while the cilantro adds flavor. Yum!

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 8 • Size: 2 Tbsp. • Calories: 49 • Fat: 5.3 g • Carb: 0.6 g • Fiber: 0.1 g • Protein: 0.1 g • Sugar: 0.1 g • Sodium: 0.2 mg

Ingredients:
1 C. Loosely Packed Cilantro
1 Garlic Clove
1/2 Jalapeno, Seeded
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Fresh Lime Juice (About 1 lime.)
2 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Water
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Toss everything together into a food processor, blender, or use a handheld immersion blender.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

This will 'thicken' as it sits in the cold fridge so you will want to take it out a few minutes to warm up before using.