Healthy Ranch Dressing with Greek Yogurt - iFoodReal.com (original) (raw)
This Healthy Ranch Dressing recipe is creamy, protein-packed and made with simple ingredients like Greek yogurt and fresh dill. Enjoy it as a healthy dip or healthy salad dressing that takes only 10 minutes to make.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I have been making this healthy ranch dressing with Greek yogurt for over 10 years now. It’s our go-to during summer months and we never ever buy the store-bought ranch dressings with additives!
We just love this recipe and I think you will too because it’s:
- 10 minutes to prep: Just whisk or shake everything in one jar – no blender or food processor to wash.
- Protein-packed: I make my healthy ranch recipe without sour cream, buttermilk or mayo. Just Greek yogurt with a lot of protein!
- Low calorie and low fat: Each serving contains only 28 calories.
- Customizable: Use regular yogurt or Greek yogurt, adjust consistency, and use fresh or dried herbs, and other spices, add more vinegar etc.
- Perfect for meal prep: This homemade healthy ranch dressing stays fresh for up to 7 days in refrigerator.
Ingredients for Healthy Ranch Dressing
- Greek yogurt or plain yogurt: Any of these two base ingredients work in this ranch dressing. Higher fat content yogurt 2% and up will yield creamier dressing but you can use 0% fat Greek yogurt or fat-free plain yogurt, if you wish.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is added to taste and has more garlic-y flavor. Garlic powder has more subtle flavor which would be better for a meal prep lunch for the office lunches.
- Onion powder: Gives it that authentic ranch dressing taste!
- Fresh dill: Or 2 teaspoons of dried dill would work. Not as good as fresh herbs but you will get desired flavor pretty close. You can also use fresh parsley or fresh chives.
- Sugar: Sugar offsets acidity and sourness of yogurt a bit. You can use maple syrup or honey but I personally love real sugar taste in dressings and salads.
- Salt and pepper: Freshly cracked pepper makes all the difference in cooking, especially with the ranch dressing.
How to Make Healthy Ranch Dressing
This homemade Greek yogurt ranch dressing is very simple to make by combining all your ingredients in one jar. I love to use a Mason jar because you can just screw on a lid and shake it all together, so easy!
Combine: In a small jar with lid, add yogurt, water (add only if using Greek yogurt), vinegar, dill, garlic, onion powder, sugar, salt and pepper.
Stir and let sit a bit: Stir with a fork or shake the jar well. Let your healthy ranch sit 5 minutes for flavors to “marry” each other and stir again. Ready to serve!
Adjust the Consistency
All yogurt brands are of different thickness. You will definitely have to add a splash of water or milk if you use Greek yogurt. Some plain yogurt are thin enough. Just add 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Variations
- Dairy-free: Use plain dairy-free yogurt the taste of which you like.
- More tangy: Add a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar if you love ranch dressing with more tang.
- Buttermilk: Feel free to use buttermilk to make this healthy ranch dressing. In that case, omit water.
- Add mayonnaise: You can add 1-2 tablespoons of mayo to make this healthy ranch taste more like everyone’s favorite Hidden Valley ranch.
Ways to Enjoy It
The unique flavor of homemade healthy ranch dressing goes with just about anything!
- As a salad topper: Drizzle on BBQ chicken salad, a crunchy savoy cabbage salad, or even drizzled over roasted sweet potatoes.
- As a protein-packed dip: Serve it as a healthy veggie dip alongside various veggies like carrots, cucumbers or bell peppers. Or use it as a dip for almond crusted chicken, chicken wings or cottage cheese zucchini fritters all without the guilt.
- With potatoes: Baked potato wedges or crispy Parmesan potatoes.
- In wraps, sandwiches and tacos
- With anything pizza: Drizzle on cauliflower pizza crust, Greek yogurt pizza or cottage cheese pizza crust.
- Alongside buffalo flavors: Dip buffalo chicken bites into it, or drizzle on buffalo chicken tacos.
How to Store
Healthy homemade ranch dressing will keep fresh in an airtight container for up to 7 days in the fridge, but I doubt it will last that long!
And like with any refrigerated food, I prefer to use glass containers to store this salad dressing because the food will not absorb plastic’s chemicals and flavors. Makes all the difference for taste!
Stir or shake before each use. Yogurt tends to thicken on the walls of the container.
FAQs
Why is store bought ranch so bad for you?
Less than desirable ingredients including added sugar, processed oils, and many other additives make store bought ranch not the best choice!
If you compare nutritional info serving to serving, I promise you will be stunned as I was.
Calories: 30 vs. 226.
Fat: 1 vs. 15
Sodium: 213 vs. 656.
More Healthy Dressing and Dips Recipes
▢ 1 cup plain regular or Greek yogurt
▢ 3 tablespoons water or milk, if using Greek yogurt to thin it out
▢ 1 tablespoon white vinegar, or white wine or apple cider vinegar
▢ 3 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley, minced
▢ 1-2 small garlic cloves, crushed or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
▢ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
▢ 1/2 teaspoon sugar
▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark
- In a small jar with lid, add yogurt , water (Greek yogurt only), vinegar, dill, garlic, onion powder, sugar, salt and pepper.
- Stir with a fork or shake the jar well. Let sit 5 minutes for flavors to "marry" each other and stir again.
- Serve over any salad of your choice.
🎉 Last step! If you made this recipe, please leave a review and let us know what you think!
- Store: Refrigerate in a jar for up to 7 days.
- More subtle garlic taste: Use garlic powder.
- Dried dill weed: Use 2 tsp dried dill weed if you are unable to source fresh dill.
- More creamy yogurt: Higher fat content yogurt 2% and up will yield creamier dressing. You can use 0% yogurt if you wish.
Serving: 0.25cup, Calories: 28kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 213mg, Sugar: 2g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Welcome! I grew up in Ukraine watching my grandma cook with simple ingredients. I have spent the last 14 years making it my mission to help you cook quick and easy meals for your family!