I saw on the news that World Cup tourists were getting busted at airports trying to sneak bottles of Ranch Dressing out of the States. There’s no need to smuggle! It’s easy to make and homemade is a gazillion times better – here’s the recipe!
Ranch Dressing
This is not some tale I’m making up. I really did see on the news that World Cup fans were getting stopped by airport security with gallons of ranch dressing in their carry-on. It became such a problem that the Transport Security Administration issued an official warning, reminding travellers to pack it in checked luggage or risk confiscation!
I do get it though. It’s good stuff! For those unfamiliar, Ranch is a wildly popular American creamy dressing made with buttermilk, mayonnaise, garlic, onion and herbs. Tangy, creamy, herby and a little bit savoury from dried onion and garlic, it’s used as a salad dressing, dip for vegetables, with wings, chips, pizza… basically, Americans put ranch on everything, and once you’ve tried it, you’ll understand why.
As you’d expect, it dominates the bottled dressing aisle but honestly, homemade is SO much better because you can really taste the herbs!
Ingredients in Ranch Dressing
Here’s what you need to make this. To make a really good one, get fresh parsley and chives, But for everyday home purposes, dried herbs does the job nicely!
Buttermilk – This thins the dressing to the right consistency while adding the signature tang of Ranch. It also makes the dressing lighter and fresher than using just mayonnaise and sour cream. If you’d rather not buy a whole carton just for this recipe (though having buttermilk on hand is the perfect excuse to make Choc Chip or Blueberry Muffins!), it can be substituted with a 1:2 mixture of yogurt and milk which is just about the same thickness and very similar in flavour too.
Sour cream and mayonnaise – I like to use a combination of both rather than only mayonnaise which I find too rich and greasy. Full-fat is recommended for best flavour (well actually, homemade will be the absolute best!), especially the mayonnaise as low-fat mayo tends to be sweeter, I find, which will alter the flavour of the dressing. If you prefer a version without mayonnaise, see my Mayo-free Yogurt Ranch Dressing (it’s very good!).
Fresh parsley and chives – I fiddled with various combinations of dried versus fresh herbs, and these are the two fresh herbs I like to use. Dill was the other one I played with, but I prefer the earthiness that dried rather than fresh dill brings to the dressing.
Dried herbs – The onion and garlic powder adds a savouriness to the dressing that makes it distinctly Ranch Dressing, while dill is a classic her used in Ranch. The dried dill can be substituted with fresh, but I really urge you to stick with powdered garlic and onion for this dressing, using fresh is just not the same!
Apple cider vinegar – The tiniest smidge (just 1 teaspoon), to add a hint of tang into the dressing. You can substitute with lemon juice or any other clear vinegar, we use so little it doesn’t really matter.
How to make Ranch Dressing
The making part just requires mixing everything together. The texture should be thin enough to pour (photo at top), but thick enough so it clings to anything you dunk in it (see potato wedges dunk shot below).
Then it really benefits from being aside for at least 2 hours to let all the flavours meld, before using. It is fine to use straight away, but what you’ll find is that you can taste all the ingredients separately whereas if you let it rest for a while, the flavours all sort of mingle together to become one.
It’s worth it!
As someone who saves creamy mayo-based dressings for when they’re “worth it” – I promise, Ranch is worth it! It is a Dressing that makes people want a giant serving of salad, with just enough mayo to taste indulgent though it’s actually mostly lower-calorie buttermilk and sour cream. Some recipes use double the mayo, but to me that pushes it into potato salad territory and away from (virtuous! wellness queen! Oh-we-glow!) leafy salads.
So load up your trolleys with leafy greens – you’re going to want to eat it all with this tasty dressing!! – Nagi x
PS No recipe video today, because it’s one of those simple quick-flick recipes. 🙂
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Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
1. Fresh Herb Ranch Dressing (special!)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (Note 1 for easy substitution)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise , either store-bought whole egg or homemade
- 1/2 cup sour cream , full fat
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice , or other clear vinegar
- 2 tbsp finely chopped chives , or 1 tsp dried chives
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley , or 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried dill , or 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder , or fresh garlic finely grated using a microplane
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together until the dressing is smooth. Leave in the fridge for 2 hours to let the flavours meld before using.
- Use as a dressing or dip for everything from wings to chips, veggie sticks or even bread!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More Salad Dressings that will make you want to eat your greens!
Life of Jaffle
I am 99% sure I very recently commented how well behaved Mr Jaffle has been lately.
I take it back.
I also have to acknowledge the Instagram community who immediately jumped to his defence when I shared those photos – everything from “It wasn’t him” and “Clearly the flip flops exploded” to “The flip flops had it coming” and “He was framed!” 😆
What a sorry & apologetic little face. (Flip flops definitely had it coming!) Will be making your Ranch recipe and wanted to share I occasionally I add crumbled bleu cheese to ranch dressing. Have you tried it? Yummy!
Just had a thought, Maybe Jaffle is a chewer and needs a collection of his own toys which are rubber and not at all easy to destroy, or maybe it’s a phase which he’ll definitely grow out of. He’s a beautiful dog!!!!!!! We love seeing photos of him, just the same as we all loved Dozer.
I live alone and can’t always use a whole container of buttermilk. On Amazon I found powdered buttermilk. You just reconstitute the amount you need, when you need it. It works just fine in all Ranch recipes and has a fairly long shelf life.
Jaffle says – I found it like that mum …….Just like minding grand-dog Pachi on Tuesday she ‘found’ my Pilates socks half eaten – apparently she blamed red dog Tommy ……it happens in the dog world apparently..😉💛🧡
You just gave me the biggest laugh of the day (week actually) Jaffle is telling you to stop working soooo hard and cuddle him 24 -7 I think the thong deconstruction was him talking to you. He’s a very smart doggy. Non compliance means more wickedness, so look out Nagi!
Oh Nagi he is only a pup and look at those eyes..
I love your Ranch dressing almost as much as Blue Vein which I first tried in the USA many years ago
Love your recipes
Nagi
Thanks for brightening my day.
I’ve written to you before about my gorgeous Guide Dog Labrador puppy, Luckie, who I’ve had in my home since he was 8 weeks, for 16 months.
Well, we took him back to Guide Dogs HQ on Monday to start the next part of his career and hopefully if he passes, he will become a Guide Dog in 5 months.
I am heartbroken he has left us and I’ve shed many tears as you and I did for darling Dozer.
I did mention previously that like you, I am also a OneMeal volunteer. Thank you for your HUGE contribution.
I’m sorry I can’t send you a photo of Luckie down at Bayview where we took him for a last swim and romp.
Oh yes, the recipe. I haven’t tried it yet but it takes me back some 50 years when I was a Qantas Hostie, we always bought home the Ranch Dressing packets to make up the dressing.
I’m sure yours will bring back many memories.
Annette
Annette, Thank You for being so selfless and helping train a guide dog puppy. It would break my heart to give the pup up, but the cause is so great. You are a real hero!
Jaffle is clearly looking at you in a very ‘grown-up’ way asking ‘Now what is she on about . . . I done nuttin’ !). Looking at the tiny, tiny bits of plastic why would he bother . . . are you certain there aren’t unknown goblins wandering around your place 🙂 ? As far as ranch dressing goes I am not experienced enough to comment but LOVE the buttermilk and sour cream and dill and the rest – all belong in the Nordic way of eating also! So there WILL be investigations and tastings being as enamored in salads as I am 12 months a year !
That was one of my favorite fun little World Cup stories! I love it. And the Socceroos played here in Seattle and we had so much fun with the fans! If anyone out there was here in Seattle, sending you all our best, we loved having you!
I will definitely try this recipe.
I just have to say, I’ve lost more than my fair share of thongs to my fur babies. Thongs, replaceable, fur babies not.
Though Jaffle is doing an awesome job.
We will never forget Dozer XXX
You can see it in his eyes…
“It wasn’t me!” “Someone else did it. The neighbour came in and didn’t like the colour!”
🤒
😂🤣
Yum! Thanks Nagi, can’t wait to try 😊