Ranch Dressing
Creamy homemade ranch dressing made with buttermilk, mayonnaise and sour cream, flavored with chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder and onion powder.
Homemade ranch tastes far better than the bottled kind because you can really taste the herbs. Use fresh chives and parsley when you have guests and dried herbs for everyday; both options are in the notes. It makes about 1½ cups, enough to dress a big salad for 5 to 6 people, or serve it as a dip for wings, potato wedges, veggie sticks and crumbed chicken tenders.
Instructions
- 1
Whisk all the ingredients together until the dressing is smooth. Leave it in the fridge for 2 hours so the flavors meld before using.
2 hr
- 2
Use it as a dressing or dip for everything from wings to fries, veggie sticks or even bread!
Ago's Notes
- Buttermilk substitute: mix 1 part plain yogurt with 2 parts regular milk. It has almost the same thickness and a very similar flavor.
- Dried herbs: instead of the fresh chives and parsley, use 1 tsp dried chives and 1/2 tsp dried parsley. If you prefer fresh dill, use 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill instead of the dried dill.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, though the fresh flavor of the herbs fades a little each day.
- If you buy a carton of buttermilk just for this recipe, use the rest for chocolate chip or blueberry muffins.
I love how this ranch turns out: creamy but not heavy, with herbs you can actually taste instead of the flat flavor of the bottled kind. It is my favorite kind of cooking, just one bowl, a whisk and a little patience while it chills in the fridge. In Italy we dress salads with only oil and vinegar and creamy dressings are rare, but the chopped parsley reminds me of a salsa verde, here softened by buttermilk and sour cream. The taste is tangy, garlicky and fresh with herbs.
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