I had a rather unfortunate accident with a new immersion blender yesterday.  Ranch dressing EVERYWHERE, and very little left in the bowl.  Ranch dressing on the counter, down the doors, all over me, on the floor, on the backsplash! White goop covered me and my kitchen—I was not amused. I had just bought this immersion blender, with the whisk attachment, from a neat-o kitchen supply store in Napa. The owner of the store directed me to this particular blender, because of the horsepower, twice that of the other models!  Great, just great—obviously I can’t be trusted with more horsepower! 🙂

Now here comes the unbelievable part: You don’t need an immersion blender or a whisk to make this dressing!

I like fresh things, nothing in a bottle filled with preservatives and colors and with a 2 year expiration date for me, which is why I take the time to make my own salad dressings. All the ingredients below are flexible. Estimations and substitutions are fine. Make this dressing to your tastebuds.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons minced red bell pepper (I omit)
• 4 green onions, minced (or 1 minced shallot)
• 2 tablespoons minimum of minced fresh herbs: cilantro, basil, parsley, tarragon, chives, dill, mint. I usually use about 1 tablespoon of each herb.
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic OR 1 teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder
• ½-1  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon sugar (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard powder (optional, but it helps with emulsion)
• Dash cayenne pepper, if you like it
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar of your choice, or even Worcestershire Sauce. Although I like Worcestershire sauce, it does turn the nice white dressing a muddy brown color, as does balsamic vinegar.

DIRECTIONS 

1. Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth.
2. Add the bell pepper, onion, cilantro, garlic, pepper, and salt and mix well.
3. Let dressing sit for a few hours at least—overnight it better—for flavors to develop.
4. Serve over a mixed green salad, or as a dip on a vegetable platter.
5. The dressing will keep for a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Enjoy! And thanks for visiting!