Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Method

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1. Whisk the mayonnaise and soured cream together in a bowl until completely smooth. Starting with the thick ingredients stops the dressing going lumpy.

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2. Whisk in the buttermilk a third at a time until fully incorporated.

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3. Stir in the dill, chives, parsley, grated garlic, onion powder and garlic powder.

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4. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper and cayenne, and whisk once more.

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5. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. It will thicken noticeably and the flavour will pull together — tasted now it is a different dressing from the one you just mixed.

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6. Taste again before serving and adjust the salt and lemon. Thin with a little more buttermilk if you want it pourable rather than dippable.

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Chef’s Tips

• The hour in the fridge is a step, not a suggestion.
• For a thicker dip, drop the buttermilk to 120 ml and add another 50 g of soured cream.
• No buttermilk? Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 240 ml of whole milk and leave it 10 minutes.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of buttermilk? Stir a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into the same amount of ordinary milk and let it sit five minutes before using.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.

Pairing Suggestions

• Air fryer chicken wings and celery
• A wedge of iceberg with bacon
• Chips and crudités

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated in a sealed jar for 10 days. It thickens further as it sits; loosen with buttermilk.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.