Cafe Rio Style Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing

By RoketJSquerl

(Makes about 2 1/2 cups of dressing, recipe adapted from a recipe for Cafe Rio Dressing, Chicken, and Rice that I got from my brother-in-law Kelly. See after the main recipe for variations I've tried.)

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Prepared Ranch Dressing (i Usually Use a Packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Mix)
• 1 Small Bunch Cilantro, large stems removed (about 1/2 cup chopped cilantro)
• 2 Large Or 4 Small Tomatillos
• 1/2 Tsp. Minced Garlic
• 2 T Fresh Lime Juice
• 1 Tsp. Green Tabasco Sauce or 1 Diced Jalapeno Pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare Ranch dressing according to directions on the package or recipe you're following and set aside.

Remove large cilantro stems, then wash leaves and spin dry or dry with paper towels. Add cilantro to food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until finely chopped. (If you don't have a food processor, I'd chop all ingredients well by hand and then blend dressing in a blender.)

Add tomatillos, garlic, lime juice, and Green Tabasco or chopped jalapeno to the food processor and pulse until ingredients are finely pureed. Add the 2 cups of prepared dressing and pulse just a few times, until ingredients are well combined. Chill dressing for an hour or two and serve.

Variations:
~To make a roasted tomatillo dressing, dice tomatillos, place on a baking sheet, and roast at 400F for 15-20 minutes before adding them to the food processor.
~If you'd like even more tomatillo flavor, use 4-5 large tomatillos and decrease the buttermilk or milk in the Ranch dressing by about 1/4 cup.