Cilantro-Lime Crema

I love fresh, creamy, herby sauces like this one. I love them even more when they are this simple and easy to make. And I love them even more-more when the paleo version tastes just as good as the real thing.

I make versions of this Cilantro-Lime Crema fairly regularly, so I thought I'd share a little more about this awesome and versatile Mexican condiment.

What is crema?

Crema is a Mexican dairy product made with heavy cream and buttermilk. It has the liquidy consistency of crème fraîche, but it tastes more like sour cream. It's drizzled on top of tacos, sopes, really anything, and it's also used as a base for different sauces. It goes with everything, and even doubles as an excellent salad dressing.

The cremas that you find in the grocery store sometimes come with some strange ingredients, so I cheat and make my own "crema" by starting with sour cream and adding a bit of water, lime juice and salt.

And then sometimes I cheat even more if I'm doing a Whole30 and make a paleo version of this "crema" where I use mayo instead of sour cream. So that's totally not crema at all, but it I just wanted to let you know you can easily adapt the recipe in that way and it'll still be super delicious. The last time I made it was for this Poblano & Chorizo Breakfast Hash, and all my friends asked me for the recipe.

Cilantro-Lime Crema

gluten-free recipe (Whole30-approved & paleo with substitutions)

Ingredients

one bunch of cilantro
two stalks of green onions, trimmed
1 lime, zest and juice
1/2 cup sour cream (or mayo)
salt, to taste

Instructions

Put the cilantro, green onions into the food processor and blend until everything is chopped very finely.
Add the lime zest, lime juice and sour cream (or mayo).
Blend again until everything is smooth.
Add a tablespoon or two of water to thin it out and blend again until it's the consistency you want.
Taste and add salt if needed.
This'll keep for a few days in the fridge and tastes amazing on everything.

Notes

Paleo pals and Whole30 participants should stick to a paleo-friendly mayo rather than sour cream.
You can amp up the flavor even more by adding a few shakes of green hot sauce or a pinch of ground cayenne pepper.