Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

The Story

After a successful first year of dipping my toe into the gardening pool, I knew I wanted to not only do it again this year, but to do it even bigger. Last year, I planted a few tomato plants along with a handful of herbs in a little 4x8 plot next to the deck, and my culinary horizons were expanded beyond belief thanks to my harvest. The flavor of homegrown vegetables and herbs is unmatched.

I had no idea when I started my garden last year that sage and thyme are perennials (actually, I had no idea what I was doing at all, short of digging a hole, putting the plant in, and watering sometimes!), so those are anchors in my garden today. 

My sage plant is huge and gets beautiful plumes of purple flowers in late spring, and I feel like my thyme plant gets wider every time I check on it. Mind you, I had no idea it was coming back, so I started two more sage plants along with my other seeds in March this year. Those now live in the front flower bed as border plants since the deer won't bother them.

Along with my sage and thyme, I planted 3 parsley plants, 2 cilantro, 2 basil, 2 dill, a few onions, rosemary, a couple rows of lettuce and a row of vines, and... 

18 tomato plants. 

Eighteen. Tomato. Plants. 

Anyway, I'm telling you all this because I made ranch from some of the stuff I planted. And it's life changing.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

by Twirlerica

Makes about 1 1/3 cup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp fresh dill

1 tsp fresh parsley

1 tsp fresh chives

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried onion

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp milk, optional

Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, and lemon juice until smooth. Finely chop dill, parsley, and chives and fold into the mixture. Add garlic, onion, pepper, sugar, and salt, then taste and adjust as needed. Add milk one tbsp at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Cover and keep refrigerated for up to one week.

---

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I may make a commission if you choose to click through and make a purchase. I only link to products that I truly recommend. Thank you for your support!

Something I always have in the back of my mind when I'm cooking is Anne Burrell saying to her Worst Cooks in America recruits, 

"Think like a chef. Taste and adjust." 

This is one of those "recipes" where you can truly adjust it to your tastes and needs. It's not like a pastry recipe where the ratios have to be perfect and the humidity of your kitchen has to be ideal; we're really just flavoring some sour cream and mayo. Feel free to sub greek yogurt for the sour cream, or use less mayo for a lower fat version.

From my garden, I cut a full sprig of dill, the green tops off an onion, and 5 parsley leaves. I chose to use garlic powder and dried onion just because I like the flavor of it in dips and dressings over raw garlic and onion, but again, use what you have or what you prefer.

Roll a whole lemon on the counter until you feel it start to loosen up, then cut it in half and squeeze about a tablespoon of juice into the mix. Whisk everything together, then add a pinch each of salt and sugar, and a healthy helping of cracked black pepper. At this point, the consistency should be perfect for a dip. To make it into a dressing, add milk 1 tbsp at a time until you reach your desired thinness. 

Make sure you taste and adjust as you go, especially after adding the salt and sugar. Add a pinch of cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes to make a spicy ranch, or add a tablespoon of barbecue sauce for BBQ ranch. The recipe below can be your starting point for your own creation. Have fun, and taper it to you!