All-The-Herbs Ranch Dressing
Herby Ranch Dressing and Ricotta Dip with Raw and Roasted Vegetables
Here are some times in your life when you might need to make some fresh herby ranch dressing:
You have some cut tender herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro, basil, mint, etc, sitting around the kitchen, maybe leftover from another recipe.
You have herbs growing in your garden that need to be pruned and used.
You have some dairy around that you need to use up, like a bit of buttermilk, the last of a sour cream container, or the gallon-size jar of Duke’s Mayonnaise that you bought at Costco and REALLY needs to be addressed (anyone? just me?) .
You have vegetables that need to be eaten, preferably dipped in ranch dressing.
You have other foods - say, burgers or sandwiches, chicken nuggets, pizza, name anything, really - that would benefit from a douse in ranch dressing.
You want a better, fresher, ranch dressing than the stuff that comes out of a bottle and sits shelf-stable in grocery stores for who knows how long.
You just like (maybe even love) ranch dressing.
In my opinion, there are few eating situations that would not be improved by the presence of this ranch dressing, so it is on constant repeat in my kitchen. It’s perfect for using up a random assortment of tender herbs, but you can make it a parsley ranch or a dill ranch if that’s all you’ve got. You can even throw in some spinach or baby arugula or spring mix - I had some mesclun mix that desperately needed to be eaten, so I picked out all the slimy bits, tossed some into the ranch dressing, and then ate the rest with the ranch on top. It makes even the most basic salad better. I promise.
Super easy, right? If you want to see a quick step-by-step video, here’s one below.
I like to use a blender or food processor because the whole thing takes just seconds. If you don’t have one, just finely chop all the herbs and greens and mix it all in a large bowl by hand. If you want to make a tasty veggie board like the one in the photo above, just put the ranch in a bowl and surround it by a selection of raw and roasted veggies. For additional dip options, I used up the past-expiration-date ricotta in the fridge (it smelled fine and there was no visible mold, which means go time in Food Waste Feast world) by mixing it with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and topping it with some Everything Bagel Seasoning.
Enjoy your Herby Ranch Dressing on everything, and if you find a better one, send it along because I need to try it and compare!
Herby Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- A big handful of fresh tender herbs, such as basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, mint, tarragon, chives, etc. I like to mix and match, but feel free to use just one type if that's what you've got. Feel free to swap in some lighter greens like spinach or arugula, and don't forget to include any tender stems!
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- Juice from 1/2 a lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
- Small splash of a light colored vinegar (1/2 teaspoon, if you want to measure) like rice or apple cider, basically anything but balsamic
- A good pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper
- A few tablespoons of milk or buttermilk, if you want a thinner sauce (optional)
Instructions
- If you're making the ranch by hand, chop all the herbs and greens finely and put in a big bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
- I prefer to make this in a food processor or blender, in which case you can just toss in all the ingredients and blend until you have a smooth sauce.
- Taste and adjust the acidity and seasoning as needed. Drizzle on everything, dip everything you can into it, it's that good!
