I first made this salad dressing sort of by accident. I was on holiday, and not in my own kitchen and I didn't quite have the ingredients I wanted on hand. I wanted to make a creamy-herby dressing but I realized at the last minute that I didn't have any yogurt or tahini or anything else to use for a thick, creamy dressing.

So I made the herby part of the salad dressing and rummaged around in the fridge to see what else I could add to it for a bit of richness. I almost didn’t add the parmesan, because I wasn’t sure I would like it with the cilantro. But I threw it in there, and it worked really well. Kind of pesto-ish but thinner and lighter and brighter. I would urge even the cilantro-averse to include a little bit here. It’s pretty mild and really rounds everything out.

parmesan herb salad dressing:

½ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
3 tbs lemon juice
2 cups parsley
½ cup cilantro
3 cloves peeled garlic
large pinch chili flakes
⅓ cup grated parmesan
generous salt and pepper

Blend everything together in a food processor until well combined. Serve over a big green salad, with a few shavings of extra parmesan if you really want to send it over the top.