Basil Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What can you add to ranch dressing to make it taste better? ›

Speaking of condiments, stir in some barbecue sauce or pesto. Basil pesto is great, but I actually prefer dill pesto here. Since ranch seasoning already has a good amount of dill, it simply amplifies it. (If you're wondering if dill pesto is simply basil pesto with dill instead of basil, you are correct.)

The Classic and Southern are the same, but the creamy ranch has buttermilk powder and some other ingredients like lactose, malic acid, and carrageenan (the latter to hold it together since buttermilk powder thins out in a weird way)... the flavor is much milder than the classic/southern because of the buttermilk powder ...

As I mentioned earlier, the buttermilk tends to thin this dressing out a decent amount. It will be noticeably thinner than the stuff in the bottle. To thicken the dressing you can add a teaspoon of cornstarch. Just be just you whisk it in really well and refrigerate for a few hours before it's ready to serve.

Scratch ranch relies on fresh herbs and aromatics, which bring bite and those pops of grassy flavor that dried or powdered versions never can, so you get an eating experience that is elevated. Usually, ranch recipes will contain fresh buttermilk, and sometimes sour cream as well, for a tang that is really balanced.

It's no secret that Hidden Valley Ranch is a staple ingredient in many homemade ranch dressings, but did you know that restaurants also rely on this classic brand? According to several chefs I spoke with, Hidden Valley Ranch provides the perfect balance of tanginess and creaminess that customers love.

While many restaurants use mass produced ranch mix, they often add it to a higher-quality base. This might include milk, buttermilk, sour cream, or mayonnaise. So when you notice that the ranch in a restaurant tastes better than the bottled dressing from the store, what you're really tasting is delicious, creamy fat.

Even though the buttermilk ranch dipping sauce had many fans, the popularity was apparently not enough, and the sauce was axed to make room for the new-and-improved garlic and herb ranch (among others like the smokehouse barbecue and zesty buffalo sauces).

Traditional ranch is made from sour cream, mayonnaise, dried herbs (usually dill, parsley, and chives), garlic powder, and onion powder. Buttermilk versions have, as you guessed, the addition of buttermilk and tend to be a bit thinner.

If your ranch is too thick, add more buttermilk. Too thin? Add a little more mayo.

Cover and refrigerate. Chill 30 minutes to thicken. Stir before serving. Stays fresh 3 to 4 weeks.

Is buttermilk ranch dressing the same as ranch dressing? ›

Is buttermilk ranch the same as ranch dressing? Both are ranch dressings made with a base of sour cream and mayo. This recipe includes buttermilk, which makes the texture a little creamier.

There's An Interesting Story Behind Its Name

Back in 1949, Steve Henson invented ranch dressing while working in the Alaska bush. The dressing was an attempt to get grouchy, finicky bush workers to eat their vegetables. Turns out, it worked.

Ranch has been the best-selling salad dressing in the United States since 1992, when it overtook Italian. It is also popular in the United States and Canada as a dip, and as a flavoring for potato chips and other foods.

The ranch packet has a fresher taste, because you add your own mayo and milk. Even though all the herbs and spices in the mix are dried, they rehydrate quickly and leave you with a product that feels homemade. This version of Hidden Valley Ranch is more flavorful than the bottled version and much, much thicker.

Adding freshly ground black pepper can often be an easy way to up your dressing game, but also freshening up any ingredient listed on the bottle can be useful. An extra dollop of mustard in your Dijon vinaigrette, or pinch of oregano in your Italian dressing can make a world of difference.

Milk or cream would work. If you don't like how they change the flavor, you can instead blend in a neutral oil (vegetable, soy, canola, avocado) to thin it out to the desired consistency.

The best ranch dressing is creamy, herby, and versatile. It should compliment a killer salad and perfectly contrast a spicy wing. It should be a welcome addition to pizza and a sensational dip for veggies. To put it plainly, the best ranch should be able to do anything and everything.

And that makes perfect sense: Sugar helps temper the tart buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream and also cuts the fat in these ingredients, as well as in the mayo. It doesn't take much to balance the flavors.