Amy's Cilantro Cream Sauce

I really, really wanted to like this based on 500+ reviews, but the recipe is written to loosely.... 1 bunch of fresh cilantro is overpowering. I had to experiment to find a balance that didn't end up tasting like straight cilantro. 1/2 a small bunch would be a good estimate. Otherwise, this was a good base to build on for personal taste.

Cream cheese,cilantro and spices. How can you go wrong? I had no idea what a "bunch" of cilantro was precisely though; so I used about 1/2 cup (loosely packed)of fresh chopped; probably 20 pieces) Cilantro is a very strong, distinctive flavor and I probably could of used less. But, I love cilantro and I love med spicy salsas, so this is a dip that I will make again and again. I am just not sure if I like it best on "Southwestern Eggrolls" or for "Black Bean Pinwheels" best though... or maybe... on steak fajitas... or maybe on spicy-mesquite chicken tacos... Truly a fresh tasting, delicious dip for MANY different things! Just make sure you like the flavor of cilantro. Oh, FYI;this will be slightly "lumpy" if you do not have your cream cheese at room temperature. And, it will be AS spicy HOT AS THE BRAND YOU USE of tomatilla salsa (there are hundreds of different kinds;hot med, mild etc. just like any other salsa) Hope this helps you make it "5 star" for you... :)

Excellent recipe! We added 1 Tbsp. chopped jalapenos for some extra spice. Great with everything-- as a dip, spread, filling, sauce, etc. BTW, "tomatillo salsa" is also known as "Salsa Verde"-- definitely use the whole 7 oz. can to get the creamy consistency and delicious "green" taste.

I love this dip! I served it at our 4th of July party and everyone loved it. I made it again today and used only 1/4 tsp of cumin but added more sour cream and cream cheese and it was much better. Will be perfect on grilled chicken, fish and much more.

This sauce is great! I catered an office party and had so many requests for this recipe. Served with fresh vegetables & pita crisps as a dip. It will also be fantastic as a sauce for fresh fish & chicken.

Oh my God, this is so good! I use it as a dip for lime tortilla chips and everyone loves it! The first time I made it, I couldn't find tomatillo salsa, so I used Pace Chipotle and it turned out great! Later, I did find the tomatillo salsa and it was just as great!

very good, but it makes too much, I think...my guests ate only about half...from the reviews i thought it would all be gone. will make again though, it's perfect with Southwest Eggrolls. I use salsa verde most of the time, because I've never been able to find tomatillo sauce.

Wonderful! We are having a pool party as we speak and I just had to run in a drop a thank you line to Amykins! Thank you! I also used a food processor and did not have any trouble with it blending or not being creamy. Thank you again Amykins for giving us this wonderful recipe!

Easy to make and very delicious! Versatile sauce - can be a bread dip or a taco or burger sauce! I substituted garlic salt instead of powder - big mistake - too salty. It might be good if you substituted basil & sun-dried tomatoes for the cilantro also.

FANTASTICO! I softened my cream cheese in the microwave on "defrost/fish" for 1.5 minutes. Also cut back on the cilantro this first time because I didn't want to be overwhelmed. A jar of LaVictoria salsa verde (medium) fit the bill. Make it a day in advance so the flavors can get happy together. Fresh, unique and so very tasty!! I foresee many uses for this!

absolutely LOVED this delish sauce. my hubby, who doesn't care much for cilantro, couldn't stop raving. only tweek i made was to add a bit more lime juice. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!

I made this to go with Southwestern Egg Rolls. The bowl was scraped clean at the end of the night! I could not find a can of tomatillo salsa so I used salsa verde instead. I also olnly used 1/2 a bunch of cilantro as recommended from other reviewers. This recipe makes allot so I would recommend cutting it in 1/2 unless you want left overs (you wont have a problem using it up!) This would taste great on a burger!

This is great! It is even better if it sits for a day to let the flavors combine - but it usually doesn't last that long!

Pretty good! I love lime and cilantro. I would add a little jalapeno next time too. Ate with southwestern egg rolls from Allrecipes, YUM!

We like it as a dip.

Amy, Amy, Amy ......... I am BEYOND picky about the recipes which I consider great on this website. I don't do bland. I don't do average. I want my calories in food to be worth the pounds I might add to my frame. I never just take a recipe and make it as is. I read pages upon pages of ratings to make a determination about taste 'worthiness.' Your wonderful, simple cream sauce is THE taste I've been trying to find for years. I love doing southwestern style egg rolls, but have been trying to make the key dipping sauce for them without success (i.e., has to complement the egg roll, not overpower it). YOU, Amy, are THE woman! Excellent flavor, consistancy, color as submitted. I bow to you!

I've made this many times and just realized I've never rated! It is excellent! I have used it on everything from fish tacos to lamb kabobs. Thanks!

Made this as written and it was delicious when served with Southwestern Egg Rolls from this site. Very likely will use again with fish or shrimp tacos.

No sure why everyone rated this so high. I like cilantro but not many would eat it. Not very impressed.

I just got done making this for our family/come-one-come-all Christmas Eve tomorrow and if it gets any better after sitting a day I don't know if I can stand it! The only thing I did differently from the recipe was to add minced garlic from a jar instead of garlic powder. I only did that because when I grabbed the bottle of powder I realized I only had about 1/2 tsp and I was making a double batch; so I had to do some quick math! This is so very good and I'm thinking of all sorts of things it can go on. It's limitless! My only error was in doubling the batch because I just didn't think it would make very much. But I found that one batch made a full three cups. No bother. I like it so much I don't think it will be a problem! Thank you Amy!

Made exactly as written. We enjoyed this very much as a dip with the Southwestern Egg Rolls recipe from this website. (Also, tomatilla salsa and salsa verde are one and the same product, if you're on a hunt at the grocery store as I was; the #1 ingredient on the ingredient list of salsa verde is tomatillas.) Thank you for sharing your recipe, Amykins!

Delicious! My husband and I like our sauces just a bit spicier so I added two large jalapeno's. Wonderful flavor combination. Served this with melon/manchego cheese skewers for a party. Very popular! Way to go Amy!

Used this as a dip, as a sandwich spread, and on grilled fish. Wow! Fast & easy to make, great taste, and the crowd loved it.

I used this as a sauce for swordfish and rice, delicious. Just used a sprinkle of garlic.

This is great! You really can't mess this one up. I sometimes omit the cream cheese and add avocado. I tossed a version of this recipe with slaw to put on shrimp tacos. They were awesome!!

This is AWESOME!!! It saved my dinner tonight. I used it with fish, but it was tasty as a chip dip (frito scoops) as well. I couldn't find any tomatillo sauce, so I once again turned to allrecipes and found "salsa de tomatillo" & used a very hot pepper, great sauce! Thanks Amy!!

I used a verde (green) salsa because I couldn't find tomatillo salsa and served it warmed over lightly sauteed chicken breast tenders and it was a huge hit! Can't wait to make it again; very easy. THX Amykins!

Excellent! Do not wait to try it, or you will be missing out. I am not the biggest fan of cilantro, so only put in about 1/2 a bunch and it was fine. As someone else mentioned, it does thicken in the refrigeration. When you first make it, it is pourable, more like a sauce, but after chilling, it is more "dip like." Either way, very good.

Works great as a dip for tortilla chips or smothered over chicken. Either way your sure to enjoy this yummy yet unique recipe. Good job Amykins.

I made this to go with Margarita Chicken for dipping and EVERYBODY loved it!! Will definetly make it again!

i gotta give this 5 stars, because i HATE cilantro ( tastes like soap to me.) but i did some minor changes to the recipe...i used half the fresh cilantro called for. it tasted like a fancy ranch dressing to me. i do hate cilantro, but this, after a cilantro challenge was issued...yep it's dang good!

This was a delicious sauce. I served this with black bean pinwheels and the combination was great. Was also a good veggie dip. Obviously this is a green (think minty!)dip due to the cilantro. This could be a turn off to some. I put a sign on the dish with the name so people knew what it was. You either love or hate cilantro - if you love cilantro this sauce is for you!

cream cheese came out very chunky when mixed with other ingredients. wasnt spicy enough for me.

Very good refreshing Dip, what else can it be used with besides tacos?

Mine wasn't as green as Amy's but it was OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD. GOOD. Oh, my goodness. This was a big hit at a party I went to. I took the suggestion of other users and didn't add a whole bunch of cilantro. I used maybe half of a bunch (maybe a little more than half) and it was perfect. I served this with tortilla chips and crackers and it was off the chain. I will definitely make this again.

I made it as stated and had to double the cream cheese and put in half a cup of sour cream just to make it edible. It was SO salty and so garlicy. I do want to try it again with the cream cheese, tomitillo, sour creem, lime, and cilantro the same. I'll use celery seed or celery leaves instead, omit the garlic, and lessen the cumin and pepper. I think it'll be delightful then.

OUTSTANDING!!! I've been using this recipe for almost a year (I know I'm late posting a review) and I always get great compliments. Almost everyone asks for the recipe, and I direct them here. My favorite thing to do with this sauce is to add olive (or veggie) oil to make it into a salad dressing. ** Think El Torito Caesar Salad dressing** this is pretty much a replica if you add the oil. Thanks for sharing - My husband, kids, and I enjoy this often!

Ok! I'm ashamed of myself but I ate this with a spoon. I don't smoke or drink or do drugs. Point is I don't have an addictive personality but this stuff could change that. Awwwwsome!

This was so awesome! I used this sauce to dip southwestern eggrolls in from this site. It didn't look very good at first unti I blended it. Very tasty dip :)

I couldn't find tomatillo sauce so I used El tapatio hotsauce and it still turned out soooo good.

This is a great dip, even my 2 year old liked it. Very easy to make too, just throw everything in the food processor and your done. I used low fat cream cheese and it worked well too.

I used this as an enchilada sauce and it turned out great! I added it to cooked, shredded chicken inside the tortilla and then smothered the top of the tortillas/casserole with the rest of the sauce before baking. Yum!

This is Great!!!! I served it over pan seared tilapia fish. Also we ate the remaining sauce with chips and that was good also.

I got this recipe from my Auntie Denise and it has quickly become a family regular. Thanks!

Yum! This was really good and very spicy. I served it over grilled chicken. I used a little more than 1/3 cup chopped cilantro and it was just a bit strong, but still quite good. Next time, I will cut it back to 1/3 cup or slightly less. To save on sodium, I used 1/2 tsp. of celery salt and 1/2 tsp. of celery seed. Also ate it with tortilla chips. This is thick like a dip, not really a sauce.

Absolutely delicious!! I used 1/2 cup salsa verde and 1/3 cup lime and garlic salsa instead of the tomatillo salsa. I have been eating it with tortilla chips! I may have the worst breath in town, but I have a happy tummy! My kids are loving it too!

ALL I CAN SAY IS YUMMMMMM!!! IF YOU LIKE CILANTRO AND CREAM CHEESE YOU WILL LOVE THIS.

OMG!!! This sauce is TO DIE FOR!! If you LOVE cilantro (and I do!!) give this a try- Amy's hubby is right- It's great over EVERYTHING!!

This was just OK for me. Not bad but not KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF either. I couldn't find tomatillo salsa in my grocery store, so I used regular and I omitted the celery salt because I don't care for the taste. It turned out to be a pretty dish and somewhat tasty. It helps to microwave your limes or lemons for 10 seconds before you squeeze them. You will get a TON more juice out of them. I might experiment with this and add fresh garlic next time instead of the powder. That might make this a 4 star recipe. I will make again though. Thanks for the recipe, Amykins!

Fabulous recipe! I've made this about 5 times now, it's always a crowd pleaser. We use it as a dip for tortilla chips mostly, but today also served it as a sauce/dip for little beef empanadas. I recommend using the blender instead of the food processor, it mixes up better and smoother, and enhances the flavor.

This recipe is wonderful!! I made it for a mexican dinner party as an appetizer with chips and it vanished! Very addicting. Definitely a keeper in my recipe box.

Forgot to put in the sour cream and used dried cilantro instead of fresh. Still very yummy! A keeper!

spectacular as is. would not change a thing

Amy, you are Amazing! OMGosh. This sauce has soo may wonderful uses,dip, taco sauce, as a topping for chicken I made tonight. I accidentally added smoked paprika to it and it, (if possible) gave it More flavor!! I make my own salsa, it was perfect in here. My kids were eating it with chips while I was fixing dinner. 12 thumbs up in my house:)

This turned out WAY too hot for my family to eat. I even added an extra block of cream cheese to try and cool it down but wound up throwing the whole thing away. I must have gotten some really spicy tomillia salsa. I'll try this again with regular salsa.

I did not care for this recipe.

Excellent. After tasting it as is, I did add just a 1/2 tsp. more cumin. We had this on enchiladas and it really took it over the top. My husband especially raved about this.

This sauce is awesome. As with most any recipe, one can adjust the ingredients to suit your own personal tastes, but we like it as is. Since cumin and cilantro can both be a tad overwhelming for some, those are the only 2 ingredients that I would suggest folks add slowly. This stuff is good alongside a good guacamole dip served with warm tortilla chips. Also good with pork-filled tortillas. YUM!

This was the most *awesome* recipe ever! I made it to bring to a family get together, and everyone demanded that I send them the recipe. Even though we had a reservation at an all-you-can-eat restaurant, we still gorged ourselves with tortilla chips and this dip/sauce! Didn't have any tomatillo salsa, so I chopped up some marinated jalapenos, which gave it just the right "bite". So fabulous...I can't wait to make it again and try it over some white fish fillets (ie orange roughy, tilapia) or with pita triangles.

This dip is good with anything, we tried it with pretzels and loved it. Will be using it with everything. The fresh taste of the cilantro and lime juice really stands out. We all loved this one.

Seriously - this is an excellent dip! Very creative! I used very chunky homemade salsa, and added half to blend with the other ingredients, then added the other half at the end. The result was still chunky, and turned out perfect! I am very impressed with this recipe - it will be great for a potluck, since it's inexpensive to make a large batch. Thank you again!!

Wow Amykins... you have come up with a great recipe. I made some for about ten friends or so and they all loved it. I also had some left for the next day and when I took the remaining portion to a family dinner they loved it as well. Everyone has been asking me for the recipe. Thanks a bunch, Michi in Miami

This was great! I made this for company, and I barely got the chance to try it myself because it disappeared so quickly. I will definitely make this again.

We love cilantro and we LOVE this dip! It is great on chips, wraps and we love to put it on grilled out hamburgers (for a little kick). It is sooooo good! Thanks a bunch!

Very tastie! However, I only used about 1/2 of bunch of cilantro a full bunch was stronger then my liking. Have already made twice. Made the Southwest Eggs from this site and dipped them in this.... sooooo yummy!

Ate it with chicken fajitas. And then as a dip. Very similar to some dip i have had at a mexican place close to here. I like it. Going to make southwest eggrolls tonight and use it for that too. Might even work as a salad dressing. Made 2 cups.

YUM!

New. Favorite. 2/6/11 - Added about a 1/4 cup of mayo to get a creamier texture. Family loved it for superbowl. I couldn't get enough.

Oh my gosh how YUMMY. I made this and omitted the salsa and had as a side sauce for halibut. It was my first time cooking for my boyfriend. He was very impressed. Made me look good! Next morning I added salsa and ate with chips. This recipe is the best.

This was tasty. I added a little extra sour cream to make it more the consistency I was looking for.

I made this sauce today to serve with fish tacos. Yum! It was great on the fish tacos and also with tortilla chips. It was moderately spicy when I first made it but after refrigerating it for a few hours, it was not spicy to us. Not sure why???

Made this with all fat free ingredients and used a blender. It came out perfect and was amazing with grilled redfish and trout.

A wonderful sauce, great for most mexican, especially good on fish tacos

I made this to serve with fish. Very good.

New. Favorite. 2/6/11 - Added about a 1/4 cup of mayo to get a creamier texture. Family loved it for superbowl. I couldn't get enough.

This was tasty on shredded pork (leftover from a baked pork tenderloin) tacos with lettuce and monterrey jack cheese. I halved the recipe, but followed it exactly. Since it was January when I made it, the cilantro I bought at the grocery wasn't quite as 'powerful' as the cilantro we grow in our backyard in the summertime. I'll try this again then!

The sour cream, cream cheese, cilantro and lime where a perfect base to add what ever else you have on hand. Love the consistancy, I't can be used for so many different applications.

wow...wow...ummmm...WOW! This recipie is phenomenal! What's even better than the taste is that it makes A LOT! I made this to compliment a mexican dish and it was great. However I had so much left over I devised a way to use the remainder later in the week. I spread it over tilapia filets and pan fried in olive oil...oh my was it good! The cilantro cut the fishy taste of the tilapia and the fish cut the strong cilantro taste for a perfect blending of flavors. In my opinion this sauce was even better as a sauce for fish than its original use. You just gotta try it! Thank you so much Amy for such a wonderful and versatile recipie!

Wow! Make this Cilantro Cream Sauce! We had it with Cornmeal Crusted Trout for dinner! YUM!!!!

UPDATED REVIEW: I've made this several times as a dip, but made it recently with Salmon. I seared the Salmon in some Olive Oil and salt/pepper. Then, the last few minutes of cooking, I put the sauce on, just to get cooked through. EXCELLENT! Such a great combination! Thanks!!

This was really good, I thought it was going to be a lot of cilantro but I used the whole bunch. More is better with this one.

Every time I make this everyone raves about it, eats it all, then begs me for the recipe! Thank you thank you thank you! Been using it for years!

I was a bit leary because the tomatillo salsa I bought was a bit spicy, so I started just adding about half. Ended up adding all of it and it turned out wonderful.

This is absolutely amazing! I use it with everything now!! Thank you so much for sharing! No alterations followed as is!!

Fabulous! I only made one change. I didn't have talmitillo salsa, so I used Wal-Mart's brand of black bean and corn salsa. This ended up tasting EXACTLY like the dressing used on the Santa Fe Chicken salad at Applebee's. I served it with the Southwestern Egg Rolls from this site, and it was a hit!

I've been looking for a good creamy green sauce for home and this is definitely a keeper! It's a perfect versatile sauce that I use for all my mexican food. I didn't have celery salt on hand so that is the only change I made to the recipe.

We tried this recipe tonight for the first time. I made it verbatim to the directions, except I discovered I was out of garlic powder and instead used onion powder. I still loved the way it came out. It definitely tastes like cilantro which we love here in our household. We grilled salmon fillets and topped it off with this cream sauce - it was perfect! I think the sauce would be great with crab cakes too. I think it's very complimentary to seafood and we will try it with chicken as well.

OMG! Excellent recipe. Feeds my cilantro cravings. I use as a dip for chips and chicken, on sandwiches, etc. Lots of uses! Thanks for a great recipe!

Wonderful! The only thing I changed was to substitute jarred picante salsa ('medium' flavor) for the tomatillo salsa. Big hit at my party! Thanks for the recipe!

I made this yesterday to go with the Southwestern Egg Rolls. Both were excellent! Beautiful fresh flavors with just a hint of heat. I can't wait to try it on other things. The only thing I changed was to use 1 tsp celery seeds and 1/4 tsp salt because I didn't have celery salt. Kudos!

Really good - but the texture was a little strange.

Made this to go with Southwestern Egg Rolls. Fantastic. I added some extra cilantro just because I love it. This is a great sauce...make it today...you won't be sorry!

This dip is awesome!!! We went through 3 bowls of it before the guacamole was even half gone~

Loved this with the Southwestern Egg Wraps. This dip had a touch of spicy with the added cool of the lime juice.

I was never able to find green salsa before, so I used to make this with a jalapeno pepper instead. It was fantastic. Last night I made this with salsa verde and no jalapeno, but as a result it was more like a sauce and not at all like a dip, even after refrigeration. Actually, some of the liquid separated from the sauce. As-is, the recipe is good as sauce; I'd omit the salsa or somehow drain it (?) next time if I want to use it as a dip. Also, I always use at least 2 cups of chopped cilantro, because I love it.

What a refreshing burst of great flavor! I always have garlic on hand and used 2 cloves instead of garlic powder and substituted ground sea salt for celery salt (only because I didn't have any) and it was great! I spread it on a veggie pita but it would be a great dip as suggested by others

Delicious. I think it was better the second day though. Served with the Southwestern Egg Rolls.

I didn't have cream cheese OR tomatillo salsa but I did have cilantro that was threatening to go bad on me and wanted to make this, so I made a simple white sauce (2tbs butter 2tbs flour 1C milk) and added some green enchilada sauce, cilantro, garlic salt and lime juice. It was very delicious w/a little kick of heat. I am sure once I try the cream cheese it will be 5 star! I know I changed it up some but sometimes you have to use what u have or have it go bad, so I hope this helps someone out there missing an ingredient to be brave & try it anyway!

This is great with lime chips!