coconut ranch dressing

Ranch dressing reminds me of my childhood, dipping veggies, french fries, and even pizza. It was one of those condiments that almost every American family had with almost every meal. Are you still a ranch addict? Although a dairy based dressing accounting for 150 kcals per serving doesnʻt find it's way into my diet anymore,  I can't say I don't crave a creamy plant based substitute for this salad classic.

Instead of buttermilk and mayonnaise I used coconut cream. Different from coconut milk that comes in a can, this is more condensed and much thicker. If you can't find this in your health food store, use a can of full fat coconut milk but omit the water from the recipe.

Keep in mind that even though this recipe doesn't use any animal products, it is still full of fat! Use sparingly if you are watching your calorie or dietary fat intake.

coconut ranch

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1-2 spring onions or an equal amount of chives
• 1/2 cup of fresh herbs: basil, parsley, and dill
• 1 tsp salt
• black pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup coconut cream
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup water

Place all ingredients into a blender (I have a NutriBullet and I use it for everything) and whiz it up. It's really that easy! If you want your dressing to look more like the classic version, white with green chunks of herbs, finely chop the greens and stir them into the dressing instead of blending them. Me, I like my dressings green. Get creative with the varieties of herbs and add more if you like, you can't have too many fresh herbs.

This dressing will thicken to perfection after refrigeration, that is the nature of coconut products, so make it ahead with some time for it to set. For a thicker ranch dip use less water. Try substituting the coconut cream and water with one can of full fat coconut milk. Happy salad eating!