Last week I made some home-made butter and had a good bit of leftover buttermilk to use up. So this week, I made some scrumptious buttermilk dressing, otherwise known as ranch dressing. Ranch dressing is the most popular condiment in America, and one of my favourites too. It’s so damn creamy and addictive.To me, store bought ranch dressing is usually too sweet and gloopy, and nothing like the real thing. However, home-made ranch dressing is so divine; you can almost eat it on its own. Fresh buttermilk does make a difference and makes a really light and creamy ranch dressing. The white wine vinegar gives it a bit of bite and the dill make it taste fresh and tangy. There are so many ways to use ranch dressing – on fresh green salads, on baked potatoes or used as a dip. It’s a pretty versatile dressing, so I usually make a double batch to keep in my fridge – ready for all eventualities! This recipe is for ranch dressing and a simple green salad with some delicious hot smoked salmon from the Northwest.
Ingredients
- 150ml / 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons of buttermilk
- 5 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- ½ clove crushed garlic
- 1 and ½ teaspoons of fresh dill, finely chopped
- salt and pepper
Salad
- mixed salad leaves, washed and dried
- hot smoked salmon, cut into bite size pieces
- lemon wedges
Method
Mix the buttermilk with the mayonnaise and white wine vinegar in a medium sized bowl /jug. I find a small hand whisk is perfect to smooth out any lumps. You can use store bought mayonnaise or you can make your own home-made mayonnaise. Add the crushed garlic, chopped dill and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well with the whisk and store in an airtight jar in the fridge. I find if you leave the dressing in the fridge for a few hours before serving, the flavours really develop.
To assemble the salad, place the mixed leaves into a salad bowl. Scatter the hot smoked salmon over the salad leaves and garnish with some wedges of lemon. Pour some of the dressing on top of the salad, and serve a little extra dressing on the side. It’s really addictive stuff, so you may find yourself wanting more!
