When I very first moved overseas, I was surprised to find out that Ranch dressing was pretty much an exclusively American phenomenon.
This was an adjustment as I had grown up using it as a condiment for virtually everything. Now that I’ve spent more of my adult life living outside of the US rather than in it, though, I’ve taken to making it from scratch at home – and I personally think it’s even better.
Usually combining buttermilk, sour cream and mayonnaise with fresh herbs and garlic powder, my recipe actually doesn’t use mayo and swaps in Greek yoghurt instead. The results are tangy, herby and delicious – and the perfect thing to dip your carrot sticks into!
How to Make Ranch Dressing without Mayo
This recipe is achingly simple and pretty much just requires some chopping and stirring.
It’s packed with herbs, so the first thing you’re going to need to do is finely mince some fresh parsley, dill and chives. Make sure they’re pretty finely minced to have the best overall texture of your dressing.
Set the chopped herbs aside for the time being and turn your attention to the base of the dressing.
In a small bowl, add some sour cream, a touch of buttermilk and some plain Greek yoghurt. Also add in a bit of fresh lemon juice, some apple cider vinegar for an acidic hit and some Worcestershire sauce for some salty umami. Whisk all of this until it’s well combined.
Now, add in your chopped herbs along with some garlic powder, onion powder and some dried dill. The dried dill is optional, but it adds a different quality than fresh dill and is more closely mimics the flavours you’d find in bottled dressing. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Make sure to let the dressing sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving (like my French onion dip!) as this helps the flavours to meld and come together. Before serving, give it a taste and see if you need to add any salt.
Ranch Dressing Without Mayo
Ingredients
- 60 g (¼ cup) sour cream
- 60 g (¼ cup) plain Greek yoghurt
- 60 g (¼ cup) buttermilk
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (see note 1)
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh chives finely chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried dill optional (see note 2)
Instructions
- Add the sour cream, yoghurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Stir in the parsley, fresh dill, chives, garlic powder, onion powder and dried dill. Season generously with black pepper. Stir until well combined, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Before serving, taste to adjust for seasoning and add salt and pepper where needed.
Notes
- Substitute ½ tsp of soy sauce if you want to make this vegetarian
- Dried dill adds a different and more concentrated flavour profile compared to fresh and will simulate the flavour associated with bottled ranch. However, this can be omitted and the results will still be delicious.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
And that’s all there is to making homemade ranch dressing! You won’t even notice there isn’t any mayo in this recipe as the flavour is absolutely delicious.
Do you want to make ranch dressing at home? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
