The 2-Ingredient Salad Dressing I Can’t Stop Making

I rarely buy store-bought dressings. I often find the flavors flat and too sweet, and by the time I get halfway through a bottle, I’m already sick of it. It’s so quick and easy to make a homemade vinaigrette, I tend to keep the key ingredients stocked so I can whip up a dressing whenever I like.

My well-intentioned plans fall apart when I want a creamy, really flavorful dressing. These tend to take more time and ingredients to achieve, and sometimes I cannot be bothered. While craving green goddess dressing one day, I peered into my fridge; it was not full of the bountiful herbs required to make it. 

Instead, my eyes were drawn to a container of store-bought pesto. Next to it sat a tub of plain Greek yogurt, and a light went on in my head. Wouldn’t I have a green goddess-ish dressing if I combined the two? The process would take less than two minutes without requiring a blender, so it seemed worthwhile.

Now I make this two-ingredient dressing all the time. It’s creamy and bursting with flavor, making it ideal for a wide range of applications. It’s almost as easy as pouring dressing from a bottle.

Choose Your Pesto Wisely

Since this dressing only has two ingredients, the pesto you choose makes a big difference in the final outcome of the dish. I highly recommend you gravitate toward store-bought refrigerated pesto rather than jarred. It tends to have a more vibrant color and tastes much fresher, which is key for this dressing.

My favorite store-bought pesto is Gotham Greens Classic Pesto and Vegan Pesto—both are delicious and taste like they were freshly made. I also enjoy Trader Joe’s Kale, Cashew, and Basil Pesto. Use your favorite brand.

One reason I love making this dressing is I also like having pesto handy. I use it for marinating chicken, saucing shrimp, adding to pasta, and mixing into soup. And now I use it to make my favorite dressing.

How To Make My 2-Ingredient Salad Dressing

This recipe is so easy that you don’t need to a recipe: Simply add equal parts pesto and plain Greek yogurt to a bowl and whisk together until combined. For a single-serving salad, I use one to two tablespoons of each. You can adjust this ratio to suit your tastes.

If you find the dressing is too thick, you can thin it out with a bit of water. Add a splash at a time, whisking in between each addition.

Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, giving it another mix before using.

Ideas for Using This Dressing

I love this dressing on just about any green salad. It’s especially good with tomatoes, cucumbers, arugula, corn, and chicken. I’ve also used it to dress pasta salad, which is a real treat. Try spooning some onto a plate before topping with grilled chicken, zucchini, or roasted carrots. Or toss it with cooked shrimp for a burst of flavor.