Buttermilk Ranch Dressing with Garlic Scapes and Herbs

Ranch dressing has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember. Growing up, my favorite snack was pretzels dipped in ranch dressing.  Sure, I ate it on salads, too… But, you really can’t beat tasty snack foods dipped in ranch dressing.

Of course, now that I am older, I eat my ranch dressing on salads far more often than I dip snacks in it.  It’s just better for my waistline that way. While I do enjoy the all natural, organic bottled ranch dressing that I found at my grocery store, I’ve been meaning to make my own version for a while.  So, last week when I had some buttermilk left over from baking, I decided to put it to use and make some dressing.

As soon as I started researching the recipe, though, I was kind of disappointed to discover that most of the ranch dressing recipes I could find used all dried/ground spices. Sure, I have a pantry with garlic powder, onion powder, and lots of dried herbs… But, what I really wanted to do was use up some of the garlic scapes, spring onions, and fresh herbs that I had on hand in the garden and from our CSA. So, that’s exactly what I did.

I suppose the one advantage to using the dried spices is that they are a little more predictible… When you’re using garlic scapes and fresh onions, you have to sort of taste your way through the recipe.  And, you have to do what tastes good to you.  Fresh garlic and onions add quite a bit more punch than their dried counterparts, so be sure to taste as you go.  And, keep in mind that the intensity of the flavors will increase as the dressing sits in the fridge.  It will keep for a few days, and probably up to a week, but I thought mine tasted best the first day or two.

I was really happy with how the dressing turned out…  It had a nice fresh and refreshing flavor that I haven’t found in any bottled versions. My hubby and I enjoyed it on top of giant salads made with lots of fresh lettuce and veggies from our CSA and finished off with some homemade croutons and garbanzo beans. I will definitely be making my own buttermilk dressing more often!

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing with Garlic Scapes and Herbs
Makes about 1 cup

• 2 – 3 garlic scapes, roughly chopped
• 2 small spring onions (white and light green parts), roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh curly parsley
• 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh oregano leaves
• 3/4 cup reduced fat buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the garlic scapes, spring onions, and herbs in a small food processor and pulse until well chopped.  Add the buttermilk and mayonnaise.  Blend until well combined.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.  Store in an airtight jar.