Ranch Dressing anyone?

suziecue25
suziecue25 Posts: 289 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Why is Ranch Dressing used so much in the USA? All I ever see mentioned on here is Ranch......I've never tried it although it is available in UK [along with numerous other dressings]. Is it like garlic mayonnaise? Is it addictive?

My favourite homemade salad dressing is .......white wine vinegar/honey/wholegrain mustard.....

what's your favourite salad dressing?
«1

Replies

  • leiflung
    leiflung Posts: 83 Member
    Lol, I'm American, but my husband is South African and he regularly makes fun of us for being obsessed with Ranch. And we are. It completely masks the taste of the vegetables. So, if you don't like veg, it's a good way to eat it. It's a good way to get your kids to eat salad. So many of us are raised on it.

    I like vinaigrette.
  • CindyJNC1963
    CindyJNC1963 Posts: 895 Member
    edited January 2019
    My favorite is cucumber ranch dressing...yep, I'm American. I don't put a ton on my salads though. It's hard to describe. It's not thick like mayo, but it is creamy. It doesn't have a garlic taste .......it's very mild. I don't like dressings with oil or vinegar. Another favorite of mine is honey mustard.
  • lin_be
    lin_be Posts: 393 Member
    edited January 2019
    American here who *kitten* hates ranch. (My husband is from Indiana and prefers cheese sauce as a dip. Also gross.) I don’t think it’s regional either because I’ve lived on the West coast and the Midwest and most people like ranch. It’s a bit tart but very creamy and fatty. I prefer bleu cheese or marinara or nothing at all.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    I pretty much despise salad dressing in general.

    When I eat salad, if I don't have it as a main meal with cottage cheese acting as the dressing, I'll just give it a squeeze of lemon juice and add a teaspoon of olive oil, crack on some fresh ground pepper, sprinkle on some salt, and toss.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It's definitely popular in the U.S. as it has been the top selling salad dressing since 1992. Personally, I think it's just ok...for a creamy dressing I prefer blue cheese, but most often balsamic vinaigrette or Italian. My wife makes a really good balsamic vinaigrette.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    yeah i totally dunk pizza in ranch dressing - not a huge fan of having it on salad - does that make me a heathen or not?
  • kimkimcoleman
    kimkimcoleman Posts: 105 Member
    I like ranch, Hidden Valley ranch. The low fat or off brands just aren't the same.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    yeah i totally dunk pizza in ranch dressing - not a huge fan of having it on salad - does that make me a heathen or not?

    I think it's more common than you think. We have a pizzeria here locally called Dions and they sell a ton of their own ranch dressing, namely for customers to dip their pizza in it.

    I actually think of ranch as more of a dip than a dressing. I don't really like it on a salad, but I'll dip raw veggies like carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, etc in it. My kids like dipping their chicken nuggets or chicken fingers in it...actually, they like it with most things.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    suziecue25 wrote: »
    Why is Ranch Dressing used so much in the USA? All I ever see mentioned on here is Ranch......I've never tried it although it is available in UK [along with numerous other dressings]. Is it like garlic mayonnaise? Is it addictive?

    My favourite homemade salad dressing is .......white wine vinegar/honey/wholegrain mustard.....

    what's your favourite salad dressing?

    I'm pretty sure mayo is a base, but it doesn't have the consistency of mayo...it's creamy, but not super thick like mayo and doesn't taste like mayo. The stronger flavor is the butter milk or sour cream. It's not really garlic tasting...more chives, parsley, and dill.
  • JennJ323
    JennJ323 Posts: 646 Member
    I don't care for Ranch on salads.. but I'll dip anything fried in it!! :D
  • stricklee11
    stricklee11 Posts: 218 Member
    When we first moved to the US, my older sister discovered ranch and loved it. I absolutely hate the consistency and smell. I prefer vinaigrettes like balsamic or italian. Americans certainly do love their ranch dressing though. They put it in pasta, on sandwiches, etc.
  • suziecue25
    suziecue25 Posts: 289 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    yeah i totally dunk pizza in ranch dressing - not a huge fan of having it on salad - does that make me a heathen or not?

    I think it's more common than you think. We have a pizzeria here locally called Dions and they sell a ton of their own ranch dressing, namely for customers to dip their pizza in it.

    I actually think of ranch as more of a dip than a dressing. I don't really like it on a salad, but I'll dip raw veggies like carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, etc in it. My kids like dipping their chicken nuggets or chicken fingers in it...actually, they like it with most things.


    I can see it working as a dip, I'll give it a try.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    The only time I eat Ranch is with a veggie tray. I never understood why it is so popular. I don't like it on salad. I like a good vinaigrette.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    suziecue25 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    yeah i totally dunk pizza in ranch dressing - not a huge fan of having it on salad - does that make me a heathen or not?

    I think it's more common than you think. We have a pizzeria here locally called Dions and they sell a ton of their own ranch dressing, namely for customers to dip their pizza in it.

    I actually think of ranch as more of a dip than a dressing. I don't really like it on a salad, but I'll dip raw veggies like carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, etc in it. My kids like dipping their chicken nuggets or chicken fingers in it...actually, they like it with most things.


    I can see it working as a dip, I'll give it a try.

    I know people do put it on salad, but if I had to guess, I'd say most people use it more commonly as a dipping sauce. It's very popular with veggie trays and deep fried foods like mozzarella sticks and the like...pretty popular with chicken wings as well as blue cheese dressing.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    I'm also an American who can't stomach ranch. We actually never had it at home so I didn't try it until I was an adult. We lived in a rural area so rarely ate out. I was only exposed to what we had at home.

    I prefer Thousand Island, French, or Catalina. Maybe a vinaigrette but it really depends on which one.

  • lalalacroix
    lalalacroix Posts: 834 Member
    I like a fresh, housemade buttermilk ranch sometimes. But I think most bottled ranch just tastes like soybean oil.

    My husband, who is Cuban, loves ranch on everything. He will dip pizza, french fries, just about anything in any ranch dressing.
  • lin_be
    lin_be Posts: 393 Member
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    yeah i totally dunk pizza in ranch dressing - not a huge fan of having it on salad - does that make me a heathen or not?

    Heathen, yes
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited January 2019
    suziecue25 wrote: »
    Why is Ranch Dressing used so much in the USA? All I ever see mentioned on here is Ranch......

    Interesting, I'd not noticed it mentioned much. It's popular, but hardly overwhelmingly so. I don't like it (not that I dislike it, I rarely think about it, since I really like vinaigrettes). I liked ranch as a kid (but even then preferred "Italian" if gve a choice, and that's basically a type of vinaigrette). Re ranch, my mother would mix it up from a package. (Ranch on pizza is something I have managed to avoid even knowing was a thing pre MFP.)
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,093 Member
    lin_be wrote: »
    American here who *kitten* hates ranch. (My husband is from Indiana and prefers cheese sauce as a dip. Also gross.) I don’t think it’s regional either because I’ve lived on the West coast and the Midwest and most people like ranch. It’s a bit tart but very creamy and fatty. I prefer bleu cheese or marinara or nothing at all.

    Another American who hates ranch -- at least in its current guise as a dip for everything. (Ranch on pizza? So yuck.) I liked it as a salad dressing as a kid, but we made it from scratch with actual buttermilk (or at least fresh milk and vinegar), and in my memory it tasted a lot better. Again, just for salad. And even there, we didn't drown the salad in ranch.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,354 Member
    I'm a fan of ranch, but I also like just about any salad dressing/dip that doesn't have mustard in it. Then again, I'm one of those heathens that has never acquired a taste for vegetables without some kind of sauce or dip or flavoring added... I only dip bad pizza in ranch dressing though!
  • lin_be
    lin_be Posts: 393 Member
    COGypsy wrote: »
    I'm a fan of ranch, but I also like just about any salad dressing/dip that doesn't have mustard in it. Then again, I'm one of those heathens that has never acquired a taste for vegetables without some kind of sauce or dip or flavoring added... I only dip bad pizza in ranch dressing though!

    Heathen #2! Lol
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
    For anyone who doesn't have access to it in the store, and is wondering what this vile abomination is that everyone is pretending to hate, below is a Bon Appetit recipe, similar to how I have made it when I have had a surfeit of creme fraiche. I recommend adding herbs as well--I like parsley, chives, and thyme.

    *****

    Two giant spoonfuls of rich, tangy, full-fat dairy of some kind (yogurt, sour cream, creme fraiche, and labneh all work), followed by one giant spoonful of mayo, followed by a grated clove of garlic, a big pinch of kosher salt, five or six hearty turns of freshly cracked black pepper and a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Slowly whisk in buttermilk (kefir works too) until the whole mixture has the texture of, well, ranch dressing. And there you have it: The most basic, and delicious, homemade ranch dressing imaginable.

    *****

    You can also make your own creme fraiche, which is insanely good:

    https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/222387/chef-johns-creme-fraiche/

    For that matter, you can also make your own mayonnaise, although I have never done this.

    https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/homemade-mayonnaise

    I very happily eat jarred ranch as well; but I prefer Marzetti's Cracked Peppercorn Ranch. There is a lot of bad ranch out there.
  • FL_Hiker
    FL_Hiker Posts: 919 Member
    I'm American and love ranch, I actually won't eat any other kind of salad dressing. Everything goes great with ranch ;) !
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited January 2019
    French_Peasant wrote: »
    For that matter, you can also make your own mayonnaise, although I have never done this.

    I've done it. It's the only way I like mayo (well, and as aioli), so me and mayo is obviously a mental thing, but it looks disgusting in a jar to me.

    I don't hate ranch, I just think vinaigrette is better and for creamy if you must, bleu cheese. (And ranch on pizza sounds revolting and weird.)
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    I'm a ranchaholic and don't care! I love it <3
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Conversely, I think blue cheese is gross and smells disgusting. Different strokes and all that. Gotta love American generalizations. 🙄
  • mgookin
    mgookin Posts: 92 Member
    I'm from the US. I dont like ranch. I have it rare once in awhile with some fries if I am eat out. I am however a Thousand island dressing junkie.
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    French_Peasant wrote: »
    For that matter, you can also make your own mayonnaise, although I have never done this.

    I've done it. It's the only way I like mayo (well, and as aioli), so me and mayo is obviously a mental thing, but it looks disgusting in a jar to me.

    I don't hate ranch, I just think vinaigrette is better and for creamy if you must, bleu cheese. (And ranch on pizza sounds revolting and weird.)

    Yeah, to me pizza has all the herbs, salty milk product, and herbs that it needs. Don't mess with a classic, man!

    I like ranch on raw veggies (vinaigrette on cooked veg), or on a really boring salad when a great vinaigrette option isn't available, and I ESPECIALLY like it on "Hobo Potatoes" of the sort that you might find at a fair. A baked potato loaded up with chicken, sauteed veggies, lashings of ranch, and Frank's hot sauce. SO GOOD. Hmmm...might have to make that this weekend since I'm planning on being snowed in with that 18" we've been promised.

Categories