Wedge Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

By jenknoll

Ingredients

• Garlic-Horseradish Mayonnaise
• 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 3 small cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp prepared horseradish
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 healthy pinch of white pepper
• Ranch Dressing
• 1/4 cup Garlic-Horseradish Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 small shallot, peeled and cut into quarters
• 2 tsp fresh dill
• 2 tsp fresh chives
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt, more to taste
• Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• Salad
• 1 head of iceberg lettuce, cut into quarters
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 2 oz blue cheese, crumbled
• 4 slices of thick-cut bacon, cooked until crisp, crumbled
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, slice about half of them
• 1 medium avocado, cubed

Preparation

Step 1

1.For the mayonnaise: combine all the ingredients for the mayonnaise in a large measuring cup, and insert the stick blender all the way to the bottom. Turn on the blender, holding it against the bottom of the cup until you see an emulsion begin to form, maybe 5 seconds, then slowly draw the blender up to the top of the mixture until the entire mixture is emulsified, about another 10 seconds. There. You just made mayonnaise. Now, don’t ever waste money buying it at the store, ever again. You can use it right away (in which case it will be a little runny), or refrigerate for later and it will thicken as it chills.

2.For the dressing: add the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, shallot, lemon juice, salt, and pepper (I use about 15 turns of the pepper mill to start) together in a small bowl, and use your stick blender to combine until very smooth. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust as needed. Pour the mixture into a jar and add the parsley, dill, and chives. Screw on the lid, and give it a good shake until the herbs are incorporated. Refrigerate for at least an hour before using, preferably overnight.

3.When you’re ready to make the salad, place the lettuce quarters on plates, and drizzle 2 to 3 tbsp of dressing over the top. Dress each wedge with equal portions of the blue cheese, bacon, tomatoes, and avocado, and top with the green onions.

4.Serve!

Note: I happen to like a thinner dressing, but if you want it thicker, double the mayonnaise and use half the buttermilk, drizzling it in until the consistency is where you like it.