Gorgonzola
By Cat, June 9, 2018 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
This is probably my favorite salad dressing. My mom taught me to love a creamy Danish blue cheese dressing (made with sour cream, homemade mayo, and the cheese), so when I first ate at a real Italian restaurant after moving to Portland, Oregon, I just had to try the gorgonzola (once the waitress explained it is a type of blue cheese). Like regular blue cheese dressing, it was very creamy with a slightly different ‘blue’ flavor. I was hooked.
Years later, I had dinner at a restaurant on the Oregon coast. They didn’t have an Italian menu, but one of their dressing choices was gorgonzola (and I later learned the owner was part Italian). When my salad came with the dressing on the side, it was not white and creamy, but rather like a blue vinaigrette. And it was amazing! That type of gorgonzola dressing has been my preference ever since, but is harder to find here in rural Bigfork Montana. I include my version here (and may add the more American-style creamy version later).
Our Old Bridge Pub’s chef makes a creamy gorgonzola dressing by simply mixing gorgonzola cheese with sour cream and mayonnaise. He pours it over the salad then adds crumbles of gorgonzola on top. Delicious, and keto too! [Old Bridge Pub in Bigfork MT]
- Included: 1. Gorgonzola Dressing with Olive Oil; 2. Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing (Based on Old Bridge Pub recipe)
- See also: 1. Dressings Menu; 2. Herbs & Spices: Individual G – Z (About)
Gorgonzola Dressing, Vinaigrette-Style
This recipe is more creamy than a vinaigrette, but not as thick and creamy as American blue cheese dressing. I’ve adapted this from Nourishing Traditions (1), using hints from Genius Kitchen (2) and Cooks.com (3). Makes about 1 cup dressing.
You many not be familiar with the herb, tarragon. It is a member of the artemisia family that includes the more famous, potentially psychedelic herb used to make absinth liquor popular in France in the 1800s. Tarragon has a slight licorice flavor. If you don’t have tarragon, or don’t like it, use oregano or marjoram. See Herbs & Spices: Individual G – Z (About) for more about these herbs.
Ingredients & Equipment
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 Tbsp fresh or 2 tsp dried tarragon, or to taste
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp white wine or rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ tsp cane sugar (optional)
- ½ cup Organic extra virgin olive oil or Organic avocado oil (to avoid soy, corn or canola oils)
- 2 – 4 oz gorgonzola, crumbled
- Unrefined sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- Equipment:
- small jar with lid (for rehydrating dried herbs)
- small bowl
Method:
- Mince garlic, then press to a pulp with ⅛ – ¼ tsp Unrefined sea salt
- Rehydrate dried tarragon or oregano, if using: Place the dried herbs in a small jar with lid; add enough filtered water to cover the herbs, screw on lid, and let rest about 10 minutes; strain off the remaining water.
- Stir the vinegar into the dijon in the small bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients (except salt and pepper) into bowl. I recommend starting with 2 oz gorgonzola. Stir until mixed, then season to taste with salt and pepper, and add more gorgonzola, if desired. The more you add, the creamier the result.
- Transfer to jar or bottle with lid. If not using right away, give it a good shake before using.
- Store in fridge in a covered container.
Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing
This simple version is based on the Old Bridge’s dressing described in the intro, with ideas from blogs: Pinch and Swirl (3), and Genius Kitchen (4).
For the optional flavors, I prefer garlic, salt and pepper. I don’t generally add Dijon. For an Italian dinner, I use gorgonzola with tarragon; for a Scandinavian dinner, I use Danish Blue Cheese with parsley. In a pinch, you can use regular blue cheese. Today I mistakenly bought an American blue cheese smoked with apple-wood, so I gave that a try and it was quite delicious!
Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cream or buttermilk (use sour cream for a thicker dressing, or buttermilk for a more liquid dressing)
- ½ cup mayonnaise (soy & canola-free; preferably home-made)
- 2 oz gorgonzola (chunks) or other blue cheese (or more, to taste)
- Optional ingredients to thin the dressing; start with ½ Tbsp of desired option, and add more as needed:
- ½ – 1 Tbsp dry white wine such as vermouth (instead of milk)
- ½ – 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Optional flavors:
- Minced, fresh garlic or dried, granulated garlic
- Chives
- Herbs, like parsley, basil or tarragon
- Pinch of Dijon mustard
- Unrefined sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Equipment:
- Small mixing bowl
- Hand-whip for mixing (or an immersion blender)
- Small jar with lid for storage
Method
- Make a batch of homemade mayonnaise;
- Mix sour cream (or buttermilk) and mayonnaise until well combined.
- Stir-in gorgonzola; you can leave the gorgonzola chunky, or whip the mix to blend-in the gorgonzola (using a hand-whip or an immersion blender.
- Optional: If you whipped the mix, stir in some crumbled gorgonzola after blending. Store in the refrigerator.
NOTE: The dressing thickens during storage, so you may need to add more vinegar, lemon juice or wine, if it has been in the fridge for more than a day.
References
- Nourishing Traditions Blue Cheese Dressing, by Sally Fallon
- Genius Kitchen Gorgonzola Dressing: .geniuskitchen.com/recipe/gorgonzola-dressing-360118
- Cooks.com Gorgonzola Dressing: cooks.com/recipe/kq0fe23i/italian-greens-with-gorgonzola-dressing.html
- Pinch and Swirl: pinchandswirl.com/creamy-basil-and-gorgonzola-dressing
- Genius Kitchen: geniuskitchen.com/recipe/creamy-gorgonzola-dressing-269063
