If you haven’t noticed yet, we have a thing for salads and dressings around here. I especially love eating at restaurants with great house-made dressings. When we go out to eat and the server asks which dressing I want, I feel like the adult thing to do is ask for the vinaigrette, but honestly, what always sounds the best is ranch. One of my favorite things in the world is a great, homemade Ranch dressing. I’m convinced someone came up with the term “House” dressing because there’s no way to not sound like a 5-year old when asking for Ranch in a public dining establishment. One of my favorite local restaurants is Fork, in downtown Boise. They have a fantastic House dressing that’s basically a great buttermilk Ranch infused with fresh basil. The last time I ate there I told my husband I needed to go home and make some myself, so here we are.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Mayonnaise – Use a good quality mayo, like Duke’s or Best Foods/Hellman’s. I recommend full fat, but if you have a low-fat mayo you love, it will work.
- Buttermilk – The acid in the buttermilk helps with the flavor of the dressing. It also helps with the thicker texture. If you are out of buttermilk, you can mix 2/3 cup regular milk with two teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar as a substitute. Just let it sit for a few minutes to thicken before adding to the dressing.
- White vinegar – Vinegar provides a little punch of tangy flavor, helps deepen the flavor, and protects the parsley from browning.
- Dry spices – Parsley, dill, onion powder, dried chives, seasoned salt, dry mustard.
- Fresh garlic – Fresh garlic is one of the unique additions to this dressing, so definitely use a fresh garlic clove, not jarred garlic or garlic powder.
- Fresh basil leaves – The star of the show! This is a great way to use up garden basil. If you need to buy it, find it in your produce section in the unrefrigerated section. The refrigerator is too cold for basil, so if you have leftovers you can place them in a glass of water on the counter, or even plant outside in the summer if it’s a live plant that comes with the root ball.
How to Make Creamy Basil Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- This one is super easy! Everything but the basil leaves gets tossed into the blender and whipped up quickly.
- Then you’ll just add a handful of fresh basil and a small clove of fresh garlic and process until there are just small pieces of basil left and the dressing takes on a pale green color. Chill for a bit if at all possible, then enjoy!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store finished dressing in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 5-7 days for best results.
- So what should you eat this with, you ask? Obviously it’s great on salads, but think outside the box on this one. This is awesome drizzled over a big sandwich or even pizza. I grilled up a mini flatbread, brushed with olive oil first, and layered fresh spinach, grilled chicken and cherry tomatoes on top and then drizzled this Creamy Basil Ranch over the top and it was amaaazing. Then I went rummaging through my fridge and pantry literally looking for anything I could dip. And I dipped it all. This is such a great twist on classic ranch; hope you try it out!
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely. This dressing is best after it has had some time to chill and for the flavors to develop. It’s good for several days, so feel free to whip it up a day or two ahead of time!
Sure! They are pretty interchangeable in recipes like this. Even plain Greek yogurt thinned with a little milk would probably be great.
You can! As a general rule, use 3 times as much of a fresh herb as the recipe calls for dry. So in this recipe, you would use 3 teaspoons fresh parsley, 3/4 teaspoon fresh dill, and 4 1/2 teaspoons fresh chives.
Creamy Basil Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- ¼-½ teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- 1 small clove garlic chopped
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried chives
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ⅛ teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
Instructions
- Place everything except basil in a blender and process until smooth. Add basil and pulse until basil is broken up and dressing is pale green in color.
- Store in a glass jar or other airtight container in fridge. Can be used immediately, but for best results chill for at least an hour or so before serving.
Notes
- Think beyond the salad! This is great as a salad dressing, but also drizzled over sandwiches and wraps, pizza and flatbreads, and used as a dip.
- If using fresh herbs: Use 3 teaspoons fresh parsley, 3/4 teaspoon fresh dill, and 4 1/2 teaspoons fresh chives.
Nutrition
Questions & Reviews
I’ve got loads of basil in my garden I was wondering what to do with. Now I know! This is perfect!
I’m not the biggest fan of mayonnaise…would you suggest sour cream, yogurt, or greek yogurt as a substitute ?
Honestly, it’s not the same without mayo. You’d have to experiment and see what flavor you like the best without. Any one of those would work!
Is this one of those places Kate was talking about where you could use kefir instead of buttermilk?
Absolutely. 🙂
So just to clarify – are you using 1 cup dried basil or 3 cups fresh in this recipe as it states at the top? I’m ready to make it
Thank you!
1 cup fresh basil.
Well, shoot. I tried commenting late last night/early this morning, but it didn’t post. Not to worry, but I had to come back and report. So I made this at approximately 2 a.m., because I couldn’t even wait, and I wanted to bathe in it (or at least attack the batch with a straw… no judging). I ended up having a bit this morning on salad (yeah, for breakfast) and it was soooooooo good. Then I had some with lunch on a grilled flatbread with mozzarella, chicken, fresh basil, and this drizzled on top. Then I thought I would have just a little more dressing. I mean salad. With the dressing. 😉 Then, tonight, I made a cauliflower pizza, and decided I would make one pan like a cheesy type “bread” instead without toppings. And did I dunk it in the dressing? Sure enough. Then I quartered up some small tomatoes just to dunk in this. Let’s not discuss my caloric intake for the day (again, no judging), but let’s DO discuss how good this dressing is. It’s awesome. Thanks a million for this recipe!
Haha, I’m so glad you loved it too!
Are the recipe amounts for fresh or dried parsley and dill?
Sorry I forgot the note about that! All of the herbs and spices are dry, so if you sub fresh use 3x as much. 1 part dry = 3 parts fresh.
You’re right when you say your ranch recipe is drinkable! I like it just as much made with un-strained plain yogurt as with buttermilk. I can’t wait to try this with fresh basil!
Sounds awesome! We tried a Creamy Italian at a little pizza place in Provo. I recreated it at home because they didn’t want to share the recipe. It’s kind of become our new ranch. We dip everything in it!
I’ve been looking for a recipe for a great basil ranch since having an amazing one on top of a fried chicken salad in Atlanta (swoon)! This definitely fits the bill. Top mixed greens w/ strawberries, plain popcorn, grated pepper jack, thinly sliced red onion and fried chicken and then toss in the basil ranch, best combo ever!
Oh my gosh that sounds amaaaazing!
Yes, it’s almost 2 a.m. and yes, I am making this right now. This dressing looks incredible and I couldn’t wait. Being an adult is hard, but it’s easier when you can make recipes any time of day and nobody can stop you, amiright? 🙂 Thank you, thank you!!
P.S. I am thinking beyond the salad, for sure. I’m thinking breakfast! 😉