Ranch Dressing

February 23, 2009

Ranch Dressing - kvalifood.com

Ranch dressing was created by Steve Henson in the 1950s on his dude ranch in California. The base is mayonnaise and sour cream thinned with buttermilk, seasoned with dill, garlic, and onion. Dill is the defining herb - without it, the dressing loses its ranch identity. Use less buttermilk for a thick dip and more for a pourable salad dressing.

Ingredients

Makes ca. 360 ml

120 ml mayonnaise
120 ml sour cream
80 ml buttermilk (add more for thinner consistency)
1 tsp white vinegar (or lemon juice)
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped (optional)

Directions

Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, and vinegar (or lemon juice) in a bowl until smooth.
Add the dried dill, dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
Stir in the fresh chives if using.
Taste and adjust salt and acid as needed.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving - the flavors improve significantly with resting. Overnight is even better.
Before serving, stir and check consistency. Add a splash more buttermilk if the dressing has thickened too much.

Notes

For a thicker dip, reduce buttermilk to 2-3 tbsp or omit entirely.
Fresh herb version: replace dried dill and parsley with 2 tbsp each of finely chopped fresh dill and fresh parsley. Fresh herbs give a brighter flavor but shorter shelf life.
Greek yogurt can substitute for some or all of the sour cream for a lighter version.
Keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Do not freeze.