Creamy Thai Coconut Lemongrass Dressing
Before Alex and I started dating, I’d had VERY little exposure to Thai food—and I’d never experienced authentic Thai cuisine. Alex, on the other hand, has been a hardcore Thai enthusiast for years. He spent several years working in a Thai restaurant in LA, where he’d frequent amazing, authentic Thai restaurants in Thai Town with friends after work.
He was the person who introduced me to some of my absolute favorite Thai foods—like Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad), Pad Prik King (Thai Red Curry Green Beans), and Khao Niaow Ma Muang (Thai Mango Sticky Rice).
When I first tasted Thai cuisine, I was in complete awe of the harmonious, perfect balance of fresh, creamy, sour, and spicy flavors in the dishes I tried. It was a beautiful depth of flavor different from anything I’ve experienced before.
Since then, I’ve tried to incorporate some of my favorite elements of Thai cuisine into my home cooking. I am nowhere near being able to recreate the incredible authentic dishes I enjoy at my favorite Thai restaurants, but I love experimenting with nuanced flavors at home by combining ingredients like basil, garlic, chili, lime, and coconut.
I wanted to create an aromatic, creamy, and dairy-free salad dressing with coconut milk as the base, so I dreamed up this easy recipe with a few of my favorite Thai flavors.
This creamy and flavorful Thai-inspired salad dressing combines basil, lemongrass, and coconut milk with other aromatics and spices to create a fresh yet rich depth of flavor. It’s so easy to make—simply combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
This recipe is excellent as a dressing for salads and bowls (I love it in my Winter Nourish Bowls), as well as a sandwich spread or dip for fresh vegetables.
Watch the Creamy Thai Coconut Lemongrass Dressing Video:
Creamy Thai Coconut Lemongrass Salad Dressing
Makes about 1 cup (8 oz) of dressing
Ingredients:
1 cup of coconut milk
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tsp honey
1 tsp soy sauce
1 small garlic clove
1 tbsp grated ginger (or fresh galangal, if it’s accessible to you)
2 tbsp minced fresh lemongrass
1 large handful of basil (or fresh Thai basil, if it’s accessible to you)
juice from 1 lime
1 tsp curry powder
1 serrano chili, seeded
To make:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Enjoy!!
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