If you are doing a Whole30, chances are you have seen recipes floating around, or heard people talk about Dump Ranch or Whole30 approved ranch dressing. When I started my first Whole30, I wasn't prepared with any homemade dressings -- but I QUICKLY grew tired of balsamic vinegar as my main salad dressing.
I'll just give you a Whole30 tip... DON'T wait to try your own dressings and sauces. Learning how to make my own ranch dressing has made my salads SO much more enjoyable. I modified this recipe from Whole Sisters to suit my own tastes, and after several attempts and tweaks, I have finally landed on my go-to ranch dressing.
You basically start with the standard recipe for Whole30 mayo, then add whatever blend of seasonings suits your tastes. For me, the onion powder and chives MAKE IT. Once you get the hang of it, you will figure out what seasoning blend suits your tastes. And you will find that homemade ranch is SO GOOD on.... salads (duh), roasted potatoes, buffalo ANYTHING, burgers, and any meat really. It's also a great veggie dip :)
And for my favorite time-saving ranch dressing tip.... see those 7 dried herbs pictured and listed below? It's a pain in the ASS to measure those out every time you want to make this dressing. It is enough, in some cases, to make me say, "Eh, I don't want a salad THAT much -- I'm not making dressing." So do yourself a favor -- when you measure out the spices for ONE batch, just measure out the spices for FIVE or more batches, into little snack-sized zip-lock bags. That way, you don't have to get them all out every time, and your life is greatly improved.
Maria Makes...Dump Ranch
NOTE: This recipe has been written for use with an immersion blender. I have never made it in a regular blender so can not speak to that process. If you don't have an immersion blender... I suggest you buy one immediately :)
Ingredients:
1 organic egg
1 cup light tasting olive oil (very important that you use light tasting)
1 Tbsp rice, cider, or red wine vinegar
1-2 tsp dried chives
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped (optional)
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp coconut milk or almond milk (more if you want it runnier)
Instructions:
In the mixing container that came with your immersion blender, OR in a wide-mouth pint mason jar, add an egg, 1 cup of light tasting olive oil, and vinegar of your choice. Allow the egg to settle to the very bottom.
TIP: I have read several recipes insisting that your egg MUST be at room temperature. I never think to sit it out and it seems to work fine! Please do make sure that you are using a container that is barely wider than your immersion blender. This is a key to making it blend successfully.
Hold the head of the immersion blender so it is almost touching the bottom of the container (down in the egg zone). Start blending and you will see mayo start to form at the bottom. As you blend, it will work its way up into the oil.
VERY slowly, start to lift your immersion blender from the bottom of the cup. I'm talking at a snail's pace. By doing this, you are slowly pulling a small amount of oil into the egg/oil emulsion.
Once you reach the top, most of the oil should be blended in. At this point, you can move the immersion blender around in the cup to make sure you have blended in all of the oil.
Now THIS is a very basic mayonnaise. To make it into ranch dressing, we need to 1/ add spices and 2/ thin it out.
Add in all of the spices to the mixing cup/jar. Also add 1 Tbsp of coconut or almond milk. Blend it all together using the immersion blender. Test consistency at this point. If you'd like it to be thinner, add some more milk.
TIP: If i have other fresh herbs on hand, I throw them in. If I have a lemon on hand, I throw some juice in. If i want it to be more garlicky, I adjust that ingredient. You should play around with the spices in this until you end up with your OWN go-to recipe.
Transfer to storage container of your choice (or put the lid on the jar) and store in the refrigerator for up to a week (if it makes it that long)!
And while you have all of the spices out, make sure you measure out little seasoning packets for the next few times you make this dressing. HUGE time saver.
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