Probiotic-rich kefir ranch dressing is a delicious way to add beneficial bacteria to your favorite foods. Top fresh greens with this dressing to make a salad bursting with flavor, or use it as a dip. This is a great way to add probiotics into your family’s diet.
A few weeks back, I shared three of our family’s favorite salad dressings, but I wanted to share this kefir ranch dressing in addition to those, since it has the addition of homemade milk kefir.
It’s a delicious way to get healthy probiotics in, and a great way for kids (or adults!) to take probiotics if they are picky about fermented foods. This dressing is delicious as a dip for carrots or celery, or poured over salad.
Or, if you are midwestern… on pizza, on breadsticks, on anything.
I’ve made this recipe many different ways, including with an avocado blended in, but today I want to show you just the basic version. As you can imagine, though, this is a great backdrop for other flavors. Avocado ranch, bacon ranch, chipotle ranch – you are only limited by your imagination.
This recipe is so simple to make, and is really delicious on fresh greens or a homemade salad at lunch time.
If you are new to fermenting, this is a great recipe to start with. If you’re not-so-new to fermenting, or you’re looking for some inspiration, take a minute to check out my many recipes on fermented foods.
Just make sure that you start slow; eating fermented foods can be a bit of a learning process, and it’s good to take your time and start incorporating them slowly into your diet and lifestyle.
If making your own kefir seems too intimidating, you can make this recipe using store-bought kefir.
After you gain some confidence, try making it at home. It is really easy; you just have to be a little patient.
Tips for making Kefir Ranch Dressing:
- You can use fresh or dried herbs. Whatever you have on hand will work great.
- Use a garlic press to chop the garlic more finely (and really easily).
- If you have a basic Oster blender, you can just put the ingredients in a normal mouth mason jar, screw the blender base onto the jar itself, and blend it right in the mason jar.
- Change the recipe up a bit to suit your tastes. You could add fresh cilantro or some avocado to give it a more Tex-Mex flair.
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Tools you will need:
Blender
Garlic press – not totally necessary, but makes chopping garlic 100% easier.
Measuring spoon
Glass jar
How To Make Kefir Dressing Video Tutorial
How To Make Kefir Ranch Dressing
Kefir Ranch Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk kefir – homemade or store-bought
1/2 cup mayo – I use my avocado oil mayo.
1 tsp fresh garlic
1 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
fresh black pepper
1 tsp dill
1 tsp parsley
Juice of 1/4 of a lemon or 1 drop of lemon essential oil. Today I’m using 1/2 of a lime because that is what I have on hand.
Directions:
Put everything into a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Enjoy. That’s it. Simple right?
What is milk kefir?
Milk kefir is a fermented drink that is made by soaking milk in kefir grains, which is the combination of bacteria and yeast. Placing milk with kefir grains and then allowing it to ferment in a warm place allows the good bacteria grow and produces a probiotic milk drink similar to a thin yogurt.
Benefits Of Milk Kefir:
Milk kefir is full of gut-healthy probiotics. We talk a lot about probiotic foods, and milk kefir in particular can help control blood sugars, lower cholesterol, improve gut health and digestion, and many more. (source)
How do you strain kefir?
Check out my post on how to make milk kefir where I show you all the tips and tricks.
What does milk kefir taste like?
It tastes like a slightly tart or even a little sour milk, almost like yogurt, but milk kefir has a slight sweetness to it and is a little bubbly.
Check out our favorite fermented recipes straight from the farmhouse:
- How to Make Homemade Water Kefir Soda
- Lacto Fermented Salsa Recipe
- How To Make Fermented Jalapeños
- How To Make Sour Cream From Raw Milk
Kefir Ranch Dressing Recipe Card
Kefir Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk kefir, homemade or store-bought
- 1/2 cup mayo, I use my avocado oil mayo
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- Fresh black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dill
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Juice of 1/4 of a lemon, or 1 drop of lemon essential oil
Instructions
- Place in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy.
- Store in a air tight container in the fridge.
Notes
- I’ve made this recipe many different ways, including with an avocado blended in, but today I want to show you just the basic version. As you can imagine, though, this is a great backdrop for other flavors. Avocado ranch, bacon ranch, chipotle ranch – you are only limited by your imagination.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Maybe it’s pregnancy. Maybe it’s just that good. I don’t know. But I cannot stop eating this.
Glad you like it!
Can you add in some of the kefir grains? I’ve been making my kefir for two months and my grains are becoming incredibly abundant! So I’d love to be able to use them for other things instead of just throwing them out.
Looking forward to trying this recipe this week! I’ve been making pickle bacon Ranch pizza and this will make a healthy addition to the sourdough pizza crust. I just started a batch of fermented garlic and I think I’ll add that to this recipe when it is done fermenting 🙂
Looks yummy! I echo Lynn’s question below. How long appx does this last in the fridge?
How long will this dressing last in the fridge?
If I were to add avocado, would the dressing stay green or would it turn brown if kept?
We make a cilantro/avocado/lime dressing often to have with chips and have never had a problem with ours turning brown (we store in a mason jar).
Can you post this recipe?
Where did you get your wooden measuring spoons? They’re so cute!
Shelf life?
This has quickly become a favorite at our house! Delicious!
This sounds really good. I don’t know what I would ever have thought to use Kefir like this now I just need to convince my son he’s done nursing so I can have some dairy again.