Skinny Ranch Dressing WW 2pts for 2TBLS

By ctozzi

Most ranch dressings are equal parts of buttermilk and mayonnaise. My homemade recipe uses mostly buttermilk and a small amount of regular mayonnaise. The result is a ranch dressing that tastes as good as its high-fat counterpart. This recipe will become the base for many of the dressings I feature on Skinny Kitchen. Amazingly, the dressings themselves are not ranch dressings. The common factor is simply that they all use Nancy’s Skinny Ranch dressing as a base and as a replacement for oil or high-fat mayonnaise. This reduces the grams of fat from the usual 6-7 grams per tablespoon in full fat dressings to an incredibly low 1-2 grams per tablespoon. That’s a huge saving in fat particularly since most of us use more than a tablespoon of dressing on our salads. You can use it on most salads, as a dip for veggies, or a topping on baked potatoes. It’s sooo good you might even be tempted to drink it! Over time I’ll share many homemade dressings from classic and contemporary ones to vinaigrettes. I hope you enjoy this dressing a much as my family does!

Buttermilk, in the old days, was the liquid left over after butter was churned. Today it’s nonfat or reduced-fat milk that has been treated with special bacteria which causes the milk to thicken and gain a tangy flavor. Healthy Benefit This dressing contains a lot of buttermilk, which, despite its name, contains very little fat. It is loaded with bone-building calcium and has a great deal of vitamin-B, which facilitates nerve function and promotes healthy skin and good vision.

Ingredient Information

Xanthan gum is an excellent all-purpose thickener for dressings, gravies, and sauces. Most other thickeners need to be heated to work. You can buy xanthan gum in most health food stores such as Whole Foods

Best Foods Mayonnaise (Hellman’s) is the only brand I recommend. I’ve tried several different brands and Best Foods Mayonnaise is the best tasting for this recipe! I do not recommend any reduced-fat version for this dressing either. My recipe calls for such a small amount and the full-fat mayo really makes it taste like a high-fat recipe.

Accent can be found in the spice section of most supermarkets.

Quick Tip

To save time and effort, you can substitute one package (1 oz) of Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing Mix for all the dry seasonings. You’ll still need to add ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum to thicken it.

January 7th, 2012 at 11:59 am
Hi Jules, Thanks for your comment. This ranch dressing actually has 2 Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS for 2 tablespoons not 4 points. I show all the skinny facts and points at the bottom of the recipe. I hope you enjoy it. Best wishes, Nancy

Jen C Says:
January 14th, 2012 at 10:30 am
I am a ranch dressing snob and have never made a ranch I liked at home, let alone a healthy one. But I just whipped up a batch of this and am so impressed! It’s awesome! And I can’t get over the stats! I did make one substitution – I used fresh parsley instead of dry (my dry parsley needed to be dumped). Thanks for this awesome recipe

Ingredients

• Chill time: 1 hour (to thicken)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons Best Foods (Hellman’s) Mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon Accent
• 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (thickening agent)

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Pour into an airtight container or jar.

2. Refrigerate for at least one hour to thicken, before using.

3. Nancy’s Skinny Ranch Dressing will keep in the fridge for 2 – 3 weeks.

Makes 2 ⅓ cups