Ranch salad dressing is a popular salad dressing, which has been in the United States since before World War II. While this homemade recipe calls for buttermilk, this recipe can also be made with plain milk or a 50-50 mix of plain yogurt and plain milk.
Why Make Ranch Dressing?
Making ranch dressing at home offers several benefits:
- Freshness and Flavor: Homemade ranch dressing is often fresher and more flavorful than store-bought varieties. You can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste preferences, making it more tailored to your palate.
- Healthier Ingredients: When you make ranch dressing at home, you have control over the ingredients. This means you can avoid preservatives, artificial flavors, and excessive sodium found in many commercial dressings. You can also use healthier fats and fresh herbs.
- Customization: Homemade ranch allows for customization. You can add different herbs, adjust the thickness, or make it dairy-free or low-fat according to your dietary needs or preferences.
- Cost-Effective: Making your own ranch dressing can be more cost-effective in the long run, especially if you already have most of the ingredients like herbs, garlic, and mayonnaise in your pantry.
- Fun and Satisfying: There’s a certain satisfaction in creating your own condiments from scratch. It can be a fun kitchen activity, and you get to enjoy a product that’s made exactly to your liking.
- Avoid Allergens: For those with food allergies or sensitivities, homemade ranch dressing can be made to avoid specific allergens that might be present in commercial versions.
Overall, making ranch dressing at home provides a healthier, customizable, and often more delicious alternative to store-bought dressings.
Servings
- Makes 2 1/2 cups
- About 40, 1 tablespoon or 20, 2 tablespoons servings
Approximate Serving Calories
- Ranch Dressing – 1 tablespoon 65 Calories
- Ranch Dressing – 2 tablespoons 129 Calories
Ingredients
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons snipped chives
- l teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
- 1/8 teaspoon of pepper
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Directions
- Combine buttermilk and flour in a 1 quart mixing bowl
- whisk or stir until smooth
- Add chives, parsley, garlic salt, onion salt and pepper
- Microwave on high until mixture boils and thickens stirring twice; about
4 minutes - Cool to room temperature and stir in mayonnaise
Storage
- Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.
- The dressing should be safe to eat for at least a week
