Ranch dressing works differently from European salad dressings because the acidity does not come from vinegar but from the combination of buttermilk and soured cream. That makes it both milder and creamier, and the same recipe can be used as a pourable dressing or a thick dip depending on the ratio. In the Thermomix® the whole thing takes 8 minutes: chop the garlic, add the herbs, mix everything together.
Anyone who knows this dressing is aware: the bottled version never tastes as good as homemade, because the freshness of the herbs is missing. We therefore always make it fresh and use whole bunches of parsley and chives, never dried herbs.
Ranch Dressing with the Thermomix® (Salad Dressing or Dip)
Ingredients 0 / 8 ✓
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 bunch chives
- 100 g mayonnaise
- 120 g soured cream
- 200 g buttermilk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
Instructions 0 / 3
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1
Chop the garlic.
Peel the garlic, place in the mixing bowl, chop for 3 seconds / speed 8 and scrape down with the spatula.
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2
Chop the herbs.
Wash the parsley and chives, shake dry, place in the mixing bowl, chop for 5 seconds / speed 6 and scrape down with the spatula.
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3
Mix the dressing.
Add the mayonnaise, soured cream, buttermilk, salt and pepper and mix for 5 seconds / speed 4.
Tip: The dressing works as a salad sauce or as a dip alongside vegetable sticks.
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Nutrition per serving
Dressing or dip: a question of quantity
The recipe is designed to do both. The buttermilk makes the base fluid enough for salad. If you prefer to serve it as a dip, for example with vegetable sticks or chicken wings, reduce the buttermilk to 120 to 150 g and increase the soured cream accordingly. The consistency adjusts cleanly and the flavour stays the same. We usually serve the thicker dip version alongside a colourful Thermomix® salad when we have guests, because the dip looks better on the table than a dressing in a jar.
Why the order of ingredients in the mixing bowl matters
Garlic and herbs are chopped one after the other, not at the same time. Garlic needs speed 8 for 3 seconds, while the delicate herbs only need speed 6 for 5 seconds. If you were to add both together at speed 8, the herbs would be chopped too finely and lose their texture. Then the mayo, soured cream, buttermilk and seasoning go in. Just 5 seconds at speed 4 to combine. Speed 4 is sufficient; higher speeds would emulsify the ingredients too heavily.
The dressing keeps for up to one week in a sealed jar in the fridge. The herbs sometimes settle slightly, a quick stir is all it needs. We often make it the day before, because the flavours round out nicely after a few hours in the fridge. If you do not have chives, spring onions work as a substitute; the result is slightly more rustic but similar in taste. Without buttermilk, full-fat yoghurt with a splash of lemon juice also works, the acidity just has to come from somewhere. For anyone who regularly prepares larger salads: this dressing fits well into meal prep, for instance when you are making a Thermomix® tortellini salad the next day and want the dressing to soak in.
What makes our Ranch authentic: dill
Many German Ranch versions leave out dill or replace it with extra parsley. That is precisely the point where the dressing loses its typical American character. In the original, dill is the third herb alongside parsley and chives and provides the slightly anise-like, fresh note that sets Ranch apart from a regular herb dressing. We use the three herbs in a ratio of 2 parts parsley, 1 part chives, 1 part dill. If you prefer a stronger dill flavour, equal parts work well too. A pinch of garlic powder in addition to the fresh garlic clove and a small dash of Worcestershire sauce round off the profile without it tasting like a shop-bought product.
