✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
This copycat Cava garlic dressing is creamy, bold and bright with lemon, the sauce I drizzle on bowls, salads and pitas all week. It blends in 10 minutes with no mayo and no dairy.
How Do You Make Cava Garlic Dressing at Home? (Quick Answer)
Blend 4 garlic cloves with 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, a teaspoon of Dijon, oregano, salt, a pinch of sugar and 2 tablespoons of cold water. With the blender running, stream in 3/4 cup of oil until the dressing turns pale, creamy and thick. Chill for 30 minutes so the garlic mellows, then drizzle over bowls and pitas.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Pour the oil slowly. A thin, steady stream is what turns this into a creamy emulsion instead of a split, oily vinaigrette.
Why You'll Love This Garlic Dressing
- Creamy without mayo the blender whips oil, lemon and garlic into a thick, pale dressing.
- Big garlic flavor punchy at first, mellow and rounded after a short chill.
- Dairy-free and egg-free so it suits almost everyone at the table.
- One blender, 10 minutes and it makes enough for a week of bowls.
- Goes with everything chicken, falafel, roasted veg, salads and wraps.
What Is Cava Garlic Dressing?
Garlic Dressing is one of the house dressings you can add to any bowl or pita on Cava's menu. It's creamy, punchy and bright, and it's the one I always ask for on the side.
Cava doesn't share its recipe, and dairy-free dining guides list its dressings as vegan-friendly, so I built mine without mayo or yogurt. The amounts are mine. My test for any copycat: does it taste like the original, and is there a trick that makes it easy? Here the trick is the slow stream of oil.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Fresh garlic: 4 large cloves. Skip the jarred kind, which tastes flat and a little sour.
- Lemon juice: fresh squeezed, for brightness.
- Red wine vinegar: adds a second layer of tang. White wine vinegar works too.
- Dijon mustard: just a teaspoon, and it helps hold the emulsion together.
- Oils: mostly neutral oil, plus a little extra virgin olive oil for flavor.
- Cold water: lightens the dressing and makes it creamier.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Go slow with the oil. Pouring it all in at once is the classic way to end up with a broken, oily dressing. I learned that one the messy way.
- Use a neutral oil for most of it. All olive oil can turn bitter in a high-speed blender. A mix of mild oil with a little extra virgin olive oil tastes cleaner.
- Cold water helps it emulsify. Those 2 tablespoons make the dressing creamier and lighter. Add another teaspoon if it gets too thick to drizzle.
- Tame the bite. Fresh garlic is fierce at first. Thirty minutes in the fridge rounds it out, and by the next day it's exactly how I like it.
- Split dressing? Pour it into a cup, add a tablespoon of water and a teaspoon of Dijon to the clean blender, then stream the broken dressing back in slowly. It comes right back together.
- Want it extra creamy? Blend in 2 tablespoons of tahini or plain Greek yogurt. It's no longer dairy-free with yogurt, but it's lovely.
- Make it a Sunday job. I blend a batch with the rest of my bowl prep, and it never lasts the full week.
Copycat Cava Garlic Dressing
10
servings10
minutes0
minutes150
kcal40
minutesA creamy, garlicky dressing inspired by Cava’s Garlic Dressing: fresh garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and a little Dijon blended with oil into a pale, thick emulsion. No mayo, no dairy, ready in 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the Garlic Dressing
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar or maple syrup
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup neutral oil, such as avocado or sunflower
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Put the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon, oregano, salt, sugar and cold water in a blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds until the garlic disappears.
- With the blender running on medium, pour in the neutral oil, then the olive oil, in a thin, steady stream. This takes about 1 minute.
- Blend for another 15 seconds until the dressing is pale, creamy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Thin with a teaspoon of water if needed.
- Taste and adjust with more salt or lemon. Pour into a jar and chill for 30 minutes so the raw garlic mellows.
- Shake or stir before using and drizzle about 2 tablespoons over each bowl, salad or pita.
Like this recipe?
Follow us @recipefairy on Pinterest
Garlic Dressing vs Other Cava Sauces
If you're building a bowl at home, here's how the sauces compare.
| Sauce | Flavor | Texture | Best with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garlic dressing | Garlicky, lemony | Creamy, pourable | Chicken, salads |
| Skhug | Spicy, herby | Loose and chunky | Falafel, eggs |
| Lemon herb tahini | Nutty, bright | Creamy | Everything |
| Crazy feta | Salty, spicy | Thick dip | Pitas, bowls |
Ways to Use It
- On grilled chicken: it's the classic pairing with my Cava-style grilled chicken thighs.
- With falafel: drizzle it over a pita stuffed with homemade Cava falafel, cucumber and pickled onions.
- As a salad dressing: toss it with romaine, tomato and cucumber. If you love creamy green dressings, my green goddess salad is another one to try.
- As a dip: for fries, roasted potatoes or crunchy vegetables.
Storing
Keep the dressing in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 7 days. It thickens a little when cold, so shake it or stir in a teaspoon of water before using.
Because it contains fresh garlic in oil, it must stay refrigerated. Don't freeze it, since the emulsion breaks when it thaws.
More Cava Copycats
Pair this dressing with any of my Cava copycat recipes, from hummus and tzatziki to harissa honey chicken, and find more restaurant favorites in our copycat recipes roundup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cava garlic dressing made of?
Cava doesn't publish its recipe. Dairy-free dining guides list it among Cava's vegan-friendly dressings, so this copycat skips mayo and yogurt: fresh garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, a little Dijon and oil, blended into a creamy emulsion.
Is Cava garlic dressing vegan?
Dairy-free dining guides list Cava's garlic dressing as vegan-friendly. This homemade version is vegan too, as long as you use sugar or maple syrup rather than honey. Always check with the restaurant if you have an allergy.
Is Cava garlic dressing the same as toum?
It's similar in spirit but milder. Toum is a very thick Lebanese garlic sauce made with a lot of garlic and oil. This dressing uses less garlic plus vinegar and water, so it pours and drizzles.
How long does homemade garlic dressing last?
Up to 7 days in a sealed jar in the fridge. Because it has fresh garlic in oil, always keep it refrigerated and don't leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Why did my garlic dressing separate?
The oil went in too fast, or the dressing got too warm. Re-blend it by streaming the broken dressing slowly into a tablespoon of water and a teaspoon of Dijon in a clean blender.
What do you put Cava garlic dressing on?
Grain bowls, salads, grilled chicken, falafel, roasted vegetables, pitas and wraps. It's also a great dip for fries and a quick sauce for grilled fish.
Can I make it without a blender?
Yes. Grate the garlic to a paste, whisk it with the lemon, vinegar, Dijon, salt and water, then whisk in the oil drop by drop at first. It will be a little thinner but still creamy.
