Buttermilk Ranch Green Salad

Ranch dressing gets such a bad rap. I get it. Most of the stuff that comes out of bottles in the grocery store is the last thing you want to dress you salad with. It’s gloppy, reeks of preservatives, and really doesn’t resemble true ranch dressing in the slightest. That last fact will become blatantly clear the first time you make homemade ranch dressing- promise.

Homemade buttermilk ranch dressing is such a beautiful thing. It’s light and frothy, speckled with fresh herbs, and packed with great punch from the garlic, lemon juice, and dijon that go in the mix. And before you go thinking this is a calorie laden thing, calm yourself because the recipe below allows you to use mayo, Greek yogurt, and buttermilk, or just Greek yogurt and buttermilk. Yep. Guilt free salad at its best. Also, this stuff on August tomatoes? Don’t even get me started!

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing adapted from Ina Garten
Makes roughly 1 1/2 cups of dressing

• 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, lightly packed
• 14 cup chopped parsley, lightly packed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup good mayonnaise (or use all greek yogurt)
• 1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt, such as Fage Total
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, shaken

Place the scallions, basil, lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree for 15 to 20 seconds to make a smooth mixture. Add the mayonnaise, yogurt, and buttermilk and blend until smooth. Transfer the dressing to a container, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour for the flavors to develop.

I served my dressing over a salad of chopped romaine, sliced radishes, sliced cucumber, carrot ribbons, and avocado, but the options here are really endless! You could do different vegetables, or even add in chopped bacon or chicken to round this out as a full meal.