Ranch dressing has a cult following, because it is good on just about everything. Yes, it is a classic salad dressing and veggie dip, but it is also great with chicken wings, on sandwiches, as a chip dip, in marinades… the uses for ranch are endless, but many bottled ranch dressings that you pick up at the grocery store are full of saturated fats, high levels of sodium, chemicals and sometimes more calories than a cookie has!
Just because store bought ranch is not a very healthy choice doesn’t mean that you have to omit it all together. This protein packed ranch dressing is not only delicious, but it is a great source of protein, probiotics, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and calcium.
This recipe makes about a cup of ranch which contains 32 grams of protein with only 230 calories and 6.2 grams of fat. There are 16 tablespoons in a cup, so each tablespoon sized serving contains only 14.3 calories and .4 grams of fat with 2 grams of protein. Although all of the nutritional values of this protein packed ranch dressing are great, I love knowing exactly what is in this dressing and how fabulous is tastes!
Let’s get started…
The base for this dressing is plain greek yogurt and cottage cheese. Stick with me here. Even if you are not a fan of the flavor or texture of cottage cheese, do not fret, because by the time we blend everything together, you will have no idea that there was ever cottage cheese involved.
The classic flavors of ranch come from garlic powder, onion powder, fresh lemon juice and herbs. You can use fresh or dried herbs (or a little of both), but I will say that using fresh herbs will help to create the best result.
Begin by combining 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, 1/3 cup of plain greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of fresh dill (or 1/2 teaspoon of dried), 1 tablespoon of fresh chives (or 1/2 teaspoon of dried), 1 tablespoon of parsley (or 1/2 teaspoon of dried), 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper in a food processor or blender.
Add a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice at first (you can always add more later) and blend until fairly smooth.
Once you are happy with the texture of the dressing and all of the herbs have been evenly distributed, take a quick taste test and see if you need more lemon juice, salt or black pepper.
This dressing is pretty thick and creamy, so if you want it thinner, but do not want to add more lemon juice, I suggest adding a splash of milk.
This protein packed ranch dressing is great on salads, but I love it with cucumber slices, celery sticks and carrots for lunch, an afternoon snack or as an appetizer.
The next time you are looking for a healthy dressing option, I would love for you to give this thick and creamy protein packed ranch dressing a try. I know you are going to love it!
Protein Packed Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of cottage cheese
- 1/3 cup of plain greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of fresh dill (or 1/2 teaspoon of dried dill)
- 1 tablespoon of fresh chives (or 1/2 teaspoon of dried chives)
- 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley (or 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley)
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- fresh lemon juice (to taste)
- milk (for thinning)
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until fairly smooth
- Add fresh lemon juice to taste
- Add a splash of milk if thinning is desired
- Chill leftovers in a airtight container
