Are you looking for a healthier ranch dressing your kids will love?
Unfortunately, the stuff at the store has a mile-long ingredients list with unidentifiable ingredients; and the powdered stuff has MSG!
My kids love to dip fruits and veggies in ranch dressing, and I love its creaminess on my grilled chicken salad.
Most homemade recipes either call for mayonnaise, buttermilk, or both, and because I’m not keen on the powdered stuff, I’ve been spending nearly $6 on the freshly made organic stuff.
While searching for a healthier recipe for homemade ranch dressing, I met mom blogger, Laura Cipullo of Mom Dishes It Out.
She has a delicious recipe that uses Greek yogurt instead of the traditional mayonnaise ingredient. I was immediately attracted to this recipe not only for its simplicity but also because it uses real ingredients.
If you are a first-time visitor or have been loving our recipes for a while, you should know that here at MOMables, we promote recipes that use real ingredients. For this reason, all of our school lunch menus cut out the boxed “stuff” and keep it real.
I am glad Laura has this quick recipe because my kid’s intake of raw veggies has now increased. The fact that it’s made with Greek yogurt is a bonus—lots of protein and calcium for their little growing bodies. For me, it’s a lot more “waistline” friendly than the organic stuff I was buying.
This dressing works well as a lunch box dip too! If you omit the buttermilk, it’s thick enough to dip away!
Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing
Makes about ½ cup ranch dressing.
- Cuisine: Lunch
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup nonfat Greek yogurt, plain
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon dill, or to taste
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
Instructions
- Place the yogurt in a sieve, and allow the excess liquid to drain.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the strained yogurt, parsley, garlic powder, garlic paste, vinegar, and dill. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
- Add the buttermilk. If the mixture is too thick, add more buttermilk for desired consistency.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to come together.
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Laura’s nutrition blog has nutrition tips and encourages readers to adopt a wholesome way of eating that incorporates all foods in moderation. Laura resides in New York City with her husband and children and you can also read her advice on navigating nutrition for a family on her blog Mom Dishes It Out.
jenn
I’ve been making this yogurt ranch dressing for a while now because I wanted to find a no-mayo recipe. It’s now a stable. If you could only bottle it up… I’d be on the auto-ship program.
★★★★★
Laura
How long does this recipe keep in a container in the refrigerator. We, as a family, are trying to eat healthier this year, but with 2 parents that work full-time outside the house, 2 kids under 6, 4 pets to care for and the other things that come with running a household we are pretty busy. I am not sure I can see us making this everyday to go on our packed lunch salads. If I made a larger batch on my day off would it keep in the refrigerator for a week or so?
MOMables
Laura, this will last about 5 days in the fridge.
Anne
My grandson would not be receptive to the visibility of the parsley and dill. Could I simmer a little milk with parsley and dill, strain, and add to thin the dressing as needed?
MOMables
Yes you could definitely try that!
Helen
What can I use in place of buttermilk ?
MOMables
2 tablespoons plain yogurt + 1 tablespoon milk