Creamy Gorgonzola dressing ~ because while salads come and salads go, it’s a great dressing that makes them memorable.
If you’re accustomed to grabbing a bottle of dressing off the supermarket shelf, homemade dressing can be a real revelation. Creamy Gorgonzola dressing can literally turn plain lettuce into a gourmet experience.
Gorgonzola is Italy’s most famous blue cheese (and one of the world’s oldest) with a history going back to the 9th century. It’s also my personal favorite blue cheese. But while the cheese is Italian, the concept of a Gorgonzola salad dressing is American. I bought a chunk the other day for my Antipasto Platter and it brought back memories of the gorgonzola salad I loved from Manero’s restaurant, an old school mecca of East Coast Italian-American food since the 1940s, and home of the original gorgonzola salad.
My creamy Gorgonzola dressing is inspired by the unforgettable flavors of Manero’s famous salad!
creamy Gorgonzola dressing ingredient notes
Gorgonzola cheese ~ Gorgonzola with its distinctive blue-green veins* is milder, creamier, and less pungent than most blue cheeses. There are two primary types of Gorgonzola:
Gorgonzola Dolce (Sweet Gorgonzola): This variety is aged for a shorter period, resulting in a soft, creamy texture and a mild flavor. This is the one I use in my salad.
Gorgonzola Piccante (Spicy Gorgonzola): Aged longer, this type has a firmer, crumbly texture with a sharper, more robust taste.
sour cream – buttermilk – mayo
this is the trio that puts the creamy in creamy Gorgonzola dressing. Mix and match as you please.
shallot
instead of the more common dried onion and garlic, this recipe calls for a bit of fresh shallot, and it makes all the difference. I mince it as finely as I can.
lemon juice
lemon juice is a critical pop of acidity to balance out all the richness in this dressing.
salt and fresh cracked black pepper
*Ever wonder what those straight sharp lines are in the cheese? The sharp, straight lines of mold in Gorgonzola are air channels created by needling (thin metal rods that pierce the cheese) which distributes the mold through the young Gorgonzola. The mold then grows in distinctive lines along those channels.
I think you’ll love this dressing, it’s thick, rich, and so full of flavor. Blue cheeses like Gorgonzola, Roquefort, etc., are great in salad dressings because their distinctive sharp and tangy flavors add depth and complexity to salads. And you don’t need a lot to make a big flavor impact ~ a little blue cheese goes a long way. If you have any trouble introducing more leafy greens into your diet, try Gorgonzola dressing!
Yes, just finely crumble the cheese into a classic Italian vinaigrette: blend 3 parts oil to 1 or 2 parts vinegar, add some seasonings like Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Can I use another blue cheese?
Absolutely, different blue cheeses such a Roquefort, Stilton, or Maytag will each give your dressing a distinctive flavor.
I would like my dressing to be thinner, what should I change?
Use a little less sour cream and mayo, and more buttermilk for a thinner dressing. Using less cheese will also help thin it out.
My Gorgonzola is soft and it’s hard to crumble!
At Italian/American Manero’s restaurant, home of the original Gorgonzola salad, they would actually freeze a block of Gorgonzola cheese and grate it onto their iceberg lettuce salads which, come to think of it is a genius method for distributing the strongly flavored cheese in a salad ~ the large crumbles can be quite pungent. If you use Gorgonzola dolce, which is soft, not crumbly, this method would be helpful if you want to garnish your salad with more cheese.
1/2tspfresh cracked pepper is optional, add to taste
5-6ouncesGorgonzola cheese, divided
Instructions
Blend or process the sour cream, buttermilk, mayo, lemon juice, shallot, salt, and half of the blue cheese until creamy. (Break the cheese up before adding it to the blender or processor.)
Add the rest of the cheese to the processor, breaking it up into chunks first. Just pulse a few times to mix it in while still retaining some texture.
Taste the dressing to adjust any of the flavorings. You might want more salt, or more lemon juice.
Transfer the dressing to a clean jar with a lid. Refrigerate until needed. Gorgonzola dressing will last up to 10 days in the fridge.
Notes
At Italian/American Manero’s restaurant, home of the original Gorgonzola salad, they would actually freeze a block of Gorgonzola cheese and grate it onto their iceberg lettuce salads which, come to think of it is a genius method for distributing the strongly flavored cheese in a salad ~ the large crumbles can be quite pungent. If you use Gorgonzola dolce, which is soft, not crumbly, this method would be helpful if you want to garnish your salad with more cheese.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Hey there ~ I'm Sue. I love to make delicious food, photograph it, and write about it, but mostly, I just love to EAT. Isn't that what it's all about? My recipes are creative, vibrant, and totally approachable no matter what your skill level. Let's grab a bite together!
