MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS · VEGETARIAN, GF, VEGAN ADAPTABLE, DF ADAPTABLE
This is my husband’s favorite dressing in the world so I had to include it here. I know how popular ranch dressing is and I think you’ll love this cleaned-up version with lots of fresh herbs and tang. I prefer to use kefir in this recipe, rather than buttermilk, since kefir is loaded with incredible beneficial bacteria. This also doubles as a great dip for crudités.
½ cup soy-free Vegenaise or good-quality mayonnaise
½ cup unsweetened whole-milk Greek yogurt
½ cup unsweetened kefir or buttermilk (here for substitutions)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 medium-size garlic clove, grated or minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, or 1 scallion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1. Place all the ingredients, except the herbs, in a blender, adding black pepper to taste, and puree until you have a smooth mixture. Stir in the herbs.
2. Transfer to a container and refrigerate, covered, for at least an hour so that the flavors develop. The ranch dressing will last 3 days in the refrigerator. Stir before using.
TO MAKE THIS DAIRY-FREE AND VEGAN, MAKE THE FOLLOWING SUBSTITUTIONS: Combine ¼ cup of soy-free Vegenaise (instead of the ½ cup of Vegenaise or mayonnaise), 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice (instead of 1 tablespoon), omit the yogurt, and use a nondairy substitute for the buttermilk. Add 1 cup of water and ¾ cup raw cashews, soaked for 4 to 6 hours in water and drained. The other dressing ingredients stay the same. A high-powered blender does a good job blending the cashews until they’re creamy. If you don’t have one, do this in a food processor and process for at least a few minutes.