Like vinaigrettes. creamy dressings—blue cheese, Caesar, ranch, and the like—also contain oil, an acid like vinegar, and an emulsifier. Most creamy dressings use egg yolk as an emulsifier, because one of the components in egg yolk is lecithin, a particularly strong emulsifier. This allows for the thick, almost whipped texture that is desirable in creamy dressings. Although we tend to think of it as a sandwich spread, the most basic creamy dressing is mayonnaise. Mayonnaise relies on eggs to emulsify oil with lemon juice or vinegar and a few flavorings. I make Magic Mayonnaise and use that as a base for other creamy dressings, but store-bought mayonnaise will work just as well in these recipes. Some creamy dressings (Caesar, most famously) skip the intermediary of mayonnaise and rely on raw egg yolk directly for its emulsifying properties. If you are uncomfortable using raw egg in your dressings, you can substitute two T. commercial mayonnaise for each raw egg yolk in a recipe.

1/4 C. mayonnaise
2 T. plain yogurt, sour cream, or buttermilk
2 T. minced soft green herbs, such as parsley, chives, basil, or dill
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar, plus more as needed
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, herbs, vinegar, and mustard. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional apple cider vinegar, if desired. Serve immediately, or transfer the dressing to a clean jar and refrigerate. Creamy dressings made with commercial mayonnaise will last for about 1 week in the refrigerator, and those made with raw egg mayonnaise should be used within a few days.