Elevating Ranch Dressing by Natalie

Elevating Ranch Dressing by Natalie

Ranch dressing was an icon of my childhood. Was it one of yours? It just NEVER. GOT. OLD. And honestly, I still feel like a 6-year-old trying to put ranch on everything.

What’s exciting is when you take basic ranch dressing and put some spunk in it. It’s such a perfect blank slate for so many flavors!

 
 

I’m going to show you some of my favorite ways to spruce it up, but first let’s talk about the basics.

Do you buy yours? What’s your favorite brand?

Do you make yours from scratch? Ree has a great Homemade Ranch Dressing using fresh herbs, too! You should definitely check that out.

I’ve been making ranch on a regular basis for almost a decade and love using a dry mix. I don’t always have fresh herbs on hand, so this is a great alternative. Try Joanne’s Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix or a Dairy-Free Homemade Dry Ranch Mix that I whipped up myself.

 
 

Add more of what's already there

This might seem obvious, but you can add a lot of flavor to ranch dressing by adding more of what’s already in it. I love adding lots of fresh herbs, extra garlic, or even lemon zest.

 
 

Add some heat

One of my favorite ranch boosts is adding something spicy. Squirt in some Sriracha or Mexican-style hot sauce, or add a spoonful of Moroccan harissa paste, wing or Buffalo sauce, or some diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

It’s also one of the easiest tips since there’s no prep work involved, and I’m guessing 90% of you have something spicy in your condiment collection.

My kids might say otherwise, but you really can’t go wrong here.

 
 

Add another condiment

Speaking of condiments, stir in some barbecue sauce or pesto. Basil pesto is great, but I actually prefer dill pesto here. Since ranch seasoning already has a good amount of dill, it simply amplifies it. (If you’re wondering if dill pesto is simply basil pesto with dill instead of basil, you are correct.)

Or just plain old yellow mustard. Mustard ranch is my 3-year-old’s favorite. And after my other kids tasted all of these ranch concoctions, it was their favorite, too.

 
 

Add cheese

I love the salty, briny bites of cheese mixed with ranch dressing.

If you’re going this route, I suggest you add something with a strong pop of flavor like feta, Parmesan, bleu cheese, or Mexican cotija cheese. Save that shredded monterey jack for enchiladas because it’s not going to shine here.

 
 

Are you ready to get a little fancy? (Is it possible to have fancy ranch or is that an eternal oxymoron?)

If you feel like getting crazy, you could make Dill Pickle Ranch—ranch, fresh dill or dill pesto, and diced pickles. This one is my personal favorite!

This next one is a little time-consuming, but it blew my mind—Caramelized Onion & Roasted Garlic Ranch, which is ranch with minced caramelized onions and smashed roasted garlic. That one could be our special occasion ranch. When we pull out the china.

 
 

How about Buffalo Bleu Cheese Ranch? Just mix ranch, wing sauce, and bleu cheese.

Or Guacamole Ranch? That’s ranch with lime juice, chopped cilantro, and avocado.

 
 

There are so many combinations you could try! Chipotle BBQ ranch was another one we tried. Bacon ranch is pretty fantastic, too. Bacon makes anything fantastic, though.

I’d love to hear how elevating ranch dressing has elevated your salad game!

 
 

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