Plantation Salad Dressing Recipe
Some of the coolest legacies are ones with true roots that went to the grave with those involved. Here in the Quad Cities, chefs try to recreate “Plantation Salad”, a local specialty salad dressing named for the restaurant that created it. Robust with garlic flavor and thick enough to coat a large salad with minimal amounts, it’s one of those menu items that I always order. Well, I USED to always order.
A few years ago, we were celebrating Christmas Eve with my aunt and uncle and their extended family. My aunt was raving about a new beer cheddar dip that she was serving. I grabbed a cracker and tried it and agreed that it was truly fantastic. When I commented that it didn’t taste like beer or cheddar, she said I was tasting the wrong one. What I had been eating non-stop with crackers was actually Plantation Salad Dressing. She said she had recently found a new version of the recipe that she felt was closer to any other she had tried. With my mind now in the right frame, I sampled it again and agreed. It was the best I had tasted.
So we brought the recipe home with us and began to tweak it some. Everyone that has tried our new version has agreed it is wonderful. We like it so much that while we were trying to change our eating habits we ate it every single day on heaps of lettuce. It’s thick and grabs the lettuce well meaning not much is needed to coat all the leaves. Being able to fill yourself up with a LOT of greens and only a few tablespoons of really tasty dressing is pretty awesome. The fact that I no longer have to track down a local restaurant that serves it is just a bonus.
Plantation Salad Dressing
½ cup Real Mayonnaise (We recommend Hellmann’s)
½ cup Light Mayonnaise (Hellmann’s)
¼ cup Light Sweet & Spicy French Dressing
1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 Large Garlic Cloves
2 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Anchovy Paste
4 oz Filtered Tap Water
I typically measure both types of mayonnaise at the same time to ensure the total amount is correct. This is best accomplished by using a plunger-style measuring cup. Not only is it easier to get the ingredients out of the cup but it also limits the number of cups you need to use!
Add all ingredients to a large bowl mixing bowl. Use a whisk to combine evenly. Refrigerate. Serving size = 2 tbsp For a large salad, combine 1½ cups iceberg lettuce, 1½ cups green leaf lettuce and 3 tbsp Plantation dressing. Top off the salad with a handful of Melba toast, pita chips or croutons that have been crushed into smaller pieces.
All these ingredients should be available at your local Walmart. I know you want to ignore it, but don’t let the anchovy paste scare you. Be sure to include it! You’ll locate it in the same area as the canned tuna.
We have a weakness for traditional sweet tea but after making Cherry Sweet Tea earlier this summer decided that flavored sweet teas make #TEArifficPairs with some of our favorite foods. My girls are finally old enough to make some things but I’m not comfortable with letting them deal with boiling water or brewing tea in our coffee pot. Since they enjoy helping, we decided to pick up some Lipton Raspberry Sweetened Iced Tea Mix during our last trip to the store. Whether they want to make a glass for themselves or a pitcher for the family, I know they can safely do that. Mix some Lipton Raspberry Sweet Tea to serve with your Plantation Salad, brew up some Lipton iced tea or even make a unique summer drink to create a delicious lunch that fits with your tastes.
Looking for a little extra depth? Add our prior #CollectiveBias recipe, Rotisserie Chicken Salad to the menu, too! If you’re looking more #TEArifficPairs, check out the Pinterest Board!
Do you love garlic?
Looks delish! I’ve never made my own dressing, I will have to try it!
That salad dressing looks wonderful! My husband always likes trying different dressings for the sake of variety. Maybe I’ll have to try this one!
My one thought is how much of the anchovy do you taste as I know it is a very pungent fish. Otherwise I am encouraged to try this recipe!
Not much at all as there is such a small amount in it. If you don’t taste it in Caesar dressing, you won’t taste it in this!
You taste very very little of it, if any. It’s a delicious dressing. Different and impressive for company. 😉
This looks like an interesting recipe! Never had plantation salad dressing, but it looks good!
I love homemade salad dressings. This one is one that I’d love for sure — it is simple to make but I know it’d be a hit in our family. {Here in Washington it is Best Foods, which is same brand as Hellmans if I’m not mistaken.}
Thanks for sharing!
Yes, LaVonne, that’s it! West of the Rockies, it’s referred to as Best Foods. We found that out the hard waywhen we moved to Los Angeles and couldn’t find our beloved Hellmann’s but found a bottle of Best Foods that looked the same. Somewhere on the label we read “Known as Best Foods west of the Rockies” and had a huge sigh of relief. LOL Let me know if you decide to try it.
Bring out the Best Foods and bring out the best! 🙂
I am a huge garlic lovers, so this recipe is perfect for me. We eat a lot of salads in my house, and I get bored with the dressings I have in the fridge.
My husband LOVES homemade anything. When I show him this it will be our new staple. THANKS!
Kas
You’ll have to let us know if you try it out… and what you think of it! I like that it’s thick and sticks to the leaves meaning you can get away with using less.
I’m really curious how this tastes! I’m a big fan of creamy garlic dressing but over the years, my stores stopped carrying it. If this is similar, I’d love to make it.
This isn’t so much a creamy garlic as something you won’t ever find in stores. It is a local delicacy to us and we’ve never found anything remotely closes in a bottle. All the locals have tried for years to perfect it, and a number of restaurants have their own versions of it. We went for lots of taste and low calories. If I recall correctly, 2 tbls. came in at under 90 calories!
I cannot think of anything better than a good salad than a great homemade dressing. My problem? I just don’t have a recipe for more than a couple This one looks and sounds so refreshing that I cannot wait to make it. I will have to get some anchovie paste and I’ll be set. Thanks!
This sounds delicious. I am always looking for new salad dressings. I prefer to mix the lettuce and dressing together.
This one is so thick you have to. One could add more water to the recipe to be able to pour it, but once it sets in the fridge, all that Parmesan cheese thickens up and you have to scoop it out!
I love the idea of having the parmesan cheese. I like salads when they contain extra treats like this.
This does sound really good. I wonder if there would be any way to make a convincing vegan version of it. We have vegenaise, the vegan alternative to mayo. I wonder what could replace the anchovy … good to get creative and experiment. Sometimes that doesn’t turn out so well but sometimes it turns out yummy!
I am at a point in my life where I have to force myself to try new foods–new healthy alternatives to the things I ingest already. I would be up for giving this a try. It does LOOK good and looks are 90% of the battle with me and my stomach. 🙂
I will say that this is one salad dressing I would love to try. Thank you for sharing.
Oh wow that will scare off the vampires and guarantee no kisses before bed 😉 I have never used anchovy paste.. I need to see what it is. Love that you used 1/2 and 1/2 of the mayo.
I’m sure the vamps will stay back. Seems delish though! We eat a lot of salads around here. Fresh dressing is always welcomed!
I love garlic! In the Philippines, we have a staple called “fried garlic rice.” It’s steamed rice, fried with lots of garlic, giving it a very garlicky taste which goes very well with some of our viands. Yum! Aside from the pungent smell of a garlic, it does have plenty of health benefits.
I would love that recipe, Ria!
I want to try making more salad dressings. This one looks like a good one!
I’ve never heard of this dressing before, but I’m going to make it! Garlic is a major food group as far as I’m concerned, and I love zingy dressings. Thanks! Pinned and planned and drooling!
This sounds like a gourmet version of one of my old favs – to mix mayo with ketchup! I like to make some salads just for a special dressing, and this is a dressing to try – maybe even to use with crackers, too!!!
Ive never heard of this salad before but it sounds delicious thanks!
I love salads and homemade dressings and I am so happy to have found this one.It sounds so delicious! I am putting it in my favorites file and will be making it often.Thank you for posting it!
I like the recipe for the salad dressing and it looks good. I will make it to try for myself.
Yum. I’ll have to try this one!
Garlic and anchovies – YUM! I think even my daughter would like this because it’s close enough to her favorite Caesars dressing.
I love to experiment with different dressings. This sounds great! Love that I can play around with the calories too!
What a wonderful way to start spring! The Plantation Salad Dressing Recipe looks worth trying soon, it may go over well even into the summer months.
This sounds good to me love to try them all
That looks delicious!
Gonna give this a try. Looks delish!
sounds great except the Anchovy Paste
This looks really good! I like to try different dressings. Not so sure on the Anchovy paste but I will try to not think about it while I put it in there. LOL Repinned the recipe. 🙂
Dressing sounds yummy. I also use Anchovy Paste in recipes to give that little bit of extra mmmmm.
This recipe looks very tasty. Thanks for sharing!
This sounds great! I’m not sure why you need light mayo though. And to everyone freaking out about the anchovy paste. Its a key ingredient in Caesar dressing and worcestershire sauce. It wouldn’t be the same without it.