Sensation Salad Dressing is a classic Louisiana recipe (as is the Sensation Salad–if you want to try that out, check the recipe notes!). Bright and lemony, it’s a garlicky vinaigrette loaded with Romano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper that’s not quite Italian or Caesar. Toss your favorite greens in it or use it as a marinade for chicken or shrimp! Read more about this after the recipe.
Print
Sensation Salad Dressing
Description
Sensation Salad Dressing is a classic Louisiana recipe (as is the Sensation Salad–if you want to try that out, check the recipe notes!). Bright and lemony, it’s a garlicky vinaigrette loaded with Romano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper that’s not quite Italian or Caesar. Toss your favorite greens in it or use it as a marinade for chicken or shrimp!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 small lemon)
4 cloves garlic
1/4 generous teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 generous teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup flavorless vegetable oil (like peanut or canola)
1 cup grated Romano cheese (I like it grated straight off the block, but the powdery stuff in a can also works)
Instructions
In the jar of your blender (see note below), combine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic. Blend until the garlic starts to break down. While the blender is running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream. When blended, transfer to a serving or storage container and whisk in grated cheese. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
recipe note
The jury is out on whether the oil should be emulsified (blended) with the vinegar and lemon juice. Traditionally, this dressing is shaken in a jar, and you can do it that way if you want, but I find it to be very oily and hard to eat. I also feel like emulsifying amplifies the garlic and lemon flavors.
Also. You didn’t hear it from me and I definitely don’t know from firsthand experience, but it is not a terrible idea to have a little of this dressing on your salad and a little homemade Ranch dressing.
This salad dressing is incredible on your favorite greens, but if you want to make a traditional Louisiana Sensation salad, simply toss some Romaine lettuce, freshly chopped parsley, and Sensation dressing together.
So I’ve lived in Louisiana for 12 1/2 years now and have only recently discovered Sensation salad dressing. I think part of it is that I’m not super crazy about the word “sensation,” and to me, it felt like a salad dressing that was awfully full of itself in a Frasier Crane kind of way. But I was at an event where that was the only salad dressing available and I discovered I had an unknown and abiding deep love for Sensation dressing.
But Kate, what is it??
Sensation dressing is a little bit Italian (minus the herbs) and a little bit Caesar (minus the anchovies and other such complications). It is also pretty delicious mixed with homemade Ranch–sometimes I’ll get a little Ranch and a little Sensation and then drizzle a little of each over my salad and I kinda feel bad about myself, but also feel like what I was meant to do in this life.
Let’s make it!
You’ll need a lemon (which ends up being about 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice), some white wine vinegar, 4 cloves of garlic, some olive oil, some neutral vegetable oil (like peanut or canola), kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and Romano cheese. Simple ingredients, which is kind of what I feel salad dressing should be.
In the jar of your blender (see note at the bottom of the recipe if you’d prefer a more rustic dressing that is separated), combine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Blend until the garlic starts to break down. While the blender is running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream. When blended, transfer to a serving or storage container,
add grated cheese,
and whisk until the cheese is evenly incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Questions & Reviews
This is my favorite salad dressing! I make it every year for the family’s Thanksgiving dinner.
Having been raised and lived in both Mississippi and Louisiana where everything is fried, stuffed, grilled, but sinfully delicious. Sensation salad dressing is a staple and when the boys come home they expect that dressing to be made so they can take it home with them. Your recipe is very “spot on”
This sounds very good, and may give it a try.
How many servings are there and what is the serving size? Also, a nutritional breakdown would be most benefical.
It sounds so yum 😮 Thank you for the nice recipe! I will definitely try this.
Just made this yesterday. I used it as a marinade for chicken breast first. Then, I grilled the chicken and added it to a salad of Romaine, tomatoes, strawberries, avocado and topped with the homemade dressing. It was absolutely delicious!!
I’m not a fan of Romano. Would Parmesan be a good substitute?
Yep!
I will give this a try! I wish that there was a photo or recommendations as to what kind of salad ingredients are good with this dressing. Or just greens?
It can really be put on any salad you like. It’s similar to an Italian or Caesar, so anything you would use those on would be great with this as well. It’s also a great marinade!
Looks good! I never used cheese as an ingredient for salad dressing. I love the name so surely going to try it soon 😉
???? And yes, the cheese basically becomes part of the salad instead of an afterthought. Cheese salad. I’ll take it.
This dressing looks amazing and, super quick and easy to whip up! I am going to make it today :-). Here in Wisconsin, mixing French and Blue Cheese dressing is the thing to do. Pretty naughty but, crazy good over that ol’ Iceburg!