Homemade Ranch Dressing

Love eating veggies dunked in ranch? Learn to make a homemade ranch dressing and feel okay with using raw eggs when using Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs, a great option for all your recipes using raw or gently cooked eggs.

Homemade Ranch Dressing via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenDisclosure: I received coupons for free samples of Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time. 

Homemade Ranch Dressing via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenI recently taught a nutrition class about label reading and brought along various food items to evaluate.  As we went through the class learning about the different aspects of the nutrition facts panel, comparing labels, and discussing each item, people were astounded when we got to the ingredient list of their favorite items and couldn’t believe that in the every day foods they are consuming, they can’t even pronounce the ingredients! One of these items I brought to review was ranch dressing, that came along with a laundry list of ingredients. One person noticed that there were eggs in it, but the dressing is not cooked. To make a nice creamy buttermilk ranch, raw eggs are used. The bottle version is safe to eat, because it has added preservatives making it shelf stable.
But what if you want to make it at home? Can you use any eggs. No. You run the risk of salmonella.
Use Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs because of their natural pasteurization process that uses a warm water bath that eliminates the the risk of Salmonella in eggs, but does not change the taste or nutritional value. Now you can have a peace of mind making a homemade ranch dressing to dunk your vegetables in!
Homemade Ranch Dressing via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenThis recipe was one of those third times a charm kind of recipes. The first time I tried making it my measurements were off and it was a watery mess. The second time, my measurements were on point but the dressing broke and didn’t keep its creamy consistency. The third time.. well that’s where we are today! .. Delicious and ready to be eaten (& posted)!
The key for this recipe is patience.
Homemade Ranch Dressing via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenFirst, we are starting off with a mayonnaise base of egg yolk, lemon juice (or an acid like vinegar), and oil. I made mine with good ole elbow grease. You can use a blender or food processor, but you are less in control and your mayonnaise may break more easily.
Start by whisking your egg yolk (and dijon mustard for a pop of flavor) creating a thick creamy consistency.
This is where patience is key.  The next step is where many (myself included during my second attempt of this recipe) make the mistake of adding the oil too quickly, causing the base to split. The egg yolk and mustard are going to grab hold of the oil and not letting it become thick and fluffy preventing the emulsification process. Add a few drops of oil at a time as you continuously whisk, then gradually progress to a steady stream as you remain whisking.
Don’t be alarmed as you whisk the color becomes a bright yellow. Once you add the lemon juice (acid) the color instantly lightens up. Then whisk in the buttermilk, yogurt, and seasonings to create the rest of the ranch dressing!

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homemade ranch dressing in a glass jar with vegetables

Homemade Ranch Dressing

  • Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
  • Yield: 16 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Egg yolk
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp dried chives
  • 1 tsp dried dill

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the Davidson’s Safe Egg yolk and mustard.
  2. Slowly, in a light steady stream, vigorously whisk in the canola oil until thickens. This is creating a mayonnaise base. Whisk until thick and creamy. (see blog post for detailed instructions of this step)
  3. Continue to whisk, add lemon juice, then buttermilk and yogurt.
  4. Whisk in salt, pepper, dried parsley, dried chives, and dried dill. Adjust seasonings to your flavor preference.

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