Summer days are hot, hot, hot here in the south, and one way to keep cool besides living in the swimming pool or standing in front of an opened freezer door is with a cold salad tossed with a Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe.
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For more fresh salad dressings, try this Sweet-Hot Cajun Vinaigrette or this traditional Remoulade Sauce recipe on your next tossed salad. These are the best homemade dressings I know!
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Down In The Valley
The story of Ranch Dressing was developed by a plumbing contractor named Steve Henson. He worked in the Alaskan bush in the early 1950s. Later, he and his wife moved to California to open a dude ranch called Hidden Valley Ranch, where they began serving their dressing to their customers.
The demand for it led them to package and sell it to their customers to take home. Later, they sold their brand, and the rest is history. Don't you love a great American success story?
My fondest memory of Ranch Dressing was how my Maw Maw Trahan served it. She'd mix a package of the dry ranch salad dressing with fresh buttermilk and mayo and toss it with some shredded cabbage. It was for those Sunday dinners (the noon meal) where we'd regularly gather after Catholic Mass in her farmhouse home for our weekly dose of family connection.
Sunday dinner is a tradition that's carried into our own home today. We get to sit around the table with as many people as possible to avoid missing out on any conversations. There's always good food and catching up on what's happening in each other's lives.
I look forward to spending time with my children and grandchildren, who are growing up too fast. Hopefully, they'll have fond memories of our Sunday meals like mine.
Ingredients
Using packaged dry ingredients to bottled ranch dressing brands is tastier to me, but making it from scratch is best. It's so easy and fresh with these simple ingredients. The hardest part is chopping the fresh herbs.
- ¾ cup mayonnaise, homemade or store-bought
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh green onion tops, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1 tablespoon chopped onion
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Let's begin with a pint-size mason jar and some mayonnaise—either store-bought or homemade, like this one, Homemade Mayonnaise With A Creole Kick. So fast and easy to make.
- Next, add sour cream, buttermilk, and milk. The milk cuts the tartness of the buttermilk just a little. Add more milk to thin the dressing.
- Next, add fresh herbs, garlic, onion, ground mustard, and seasoning.
- Lastly, screw the lid on and shake it 'til it makes it, and that's it!
Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for later. You'll have a fresh-tasting dressing and you'll know exactly what's in it.
Top Tip
I'd like you to meet a few of my faithful friends. These freeze-dried herbs are always ready to use right in my refrigerator. Do yourself a favor and keep them on hand for whenever you need them.
Substitutions
- You can use Greek yogurt to substitute the sour cream.
- Substitute buttermilk for regular milk.
- Use ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder instead of a fresh garlic clove.
Variations
Salad In A Jar With Ranch Dressing
This is an easy way to prepare a meal ahead of time to take with you to school, work, or play. All you do is fill the bottom of a container with the dressing, then stack your favorite ingredients to the top.
The dressing at the bottom of the jar keeps the salad ingredients fresh and crispy. So smart!
Are you like me and find yourself with a refrigerator full of veggies then end up throwing them out because you wait too long to use them? Making these stacked salads in a jar can help remedy that.
It was originally developed on a California dude ranch as a mayonnaise and buttermilk base dressing with added herbs and seasonings to flavor fresh tossed salad vegetables.
The base to this homemade ranch dressing is a combination of mayonnaise, sour cream, and tangy buttermilk.
Absolutely, if at all possible. Fresh ingredients, even homemade mayonnaise are always the best ingredients for this ranch dressing, but a dry mixture of prepackaged ranch dressing added to mayonnaise and buttermilk is a good substitute.
Related To This Ranch Dressing
Pairing
Other Dishes To Use With This Ranch Dressing
Fresh Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe
A creamy texture and smooth-tasting Homemade Ranch Dressing made with fresh ingredients. It's not too tangy and is super easy to make.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
¾ cup mayonnaise, homemade or store-bought
½ cup sour cream
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon fresh green onion tops, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
¼ teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed or chopped fine
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
½ teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into a pint size mason jar screw on the lid.
- Shake the jar until all of the ingredients are blended well.
Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for later use.
Notes
- There is no need to chop garlic. Just give it a whack with the flat side of a large knife and toss it into the jar. The garlic taste will eventually flavor the whole jar.
- You can use the jarred minced garlic or pass the clove through a garlic press to get the garlic taste in every bite.
- Thin the dressing with more milk before shaking it up in the jar.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Sauces
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
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Have a nice day!
"Let God's promised shine on your problems." -
Corrie Ten Boom
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