Southwest Ranch Salad Dressing
Simple ingredients are key when making this Southwest Ranch Salad Dressing Recipe! Your taste buds will love the bold flavor of this unique dressing!
Homemade salad dressings actually have many different uses. While they’re a great way to add flavor to your salad, they’re also a great dipping sauce option for fresh veggies. This simple Southwestern ranch dressing is perfect for your next salad, but don’t forget to use this homemade version to dip celery sticks, carrot sticks, or even sliced cucumbers in as well.
This flavorful dressing is “magical stuff” that literally goes with just about anything. Its creamy texture can even take your sandwich to the next level by being used as a spread! The first time you make this easy recipe, you’ll be thinking of all the ways that you can use it.
This Keto Thousand Island Dressing and this Keto Blue Cheese Dressing are two other excellent toppings for salads!
Ingredients
- Sour cream – This helps the dressing stay nice and creamy.
- Mayonnaise – Helps with texture.
- Southwest spice blend – Gives the dressing its flavor. I make my own.
- Garlic powder – For flavor.
- Onion powder – For flavor.
- Parsley – A great addition for color and also taste.
- Dried dill – Holds up well against the other seasonings.
- Salt – For taste.
- Unsweetened almond milk or half and half – Thins out the dressing a bit so that it is pourable on top of the salad.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make This Southwest Ranch Salad Dressing Recipe
The simple steps on the printable recipe card below will show you how to easily make your own salad dressing.
Step One: Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
Step Two: Stir until mixed well. You can add more almond milk if you would like it thinner.
Step Three: Add to a smaller container for storage. Or for a better presentation.
Step Four: Use on your favorite salad or as a dipper.
Top Tip💡
To make this into a southwest ranch dip simply omit the half and half or almond milk that is used to thin it.
Substitutions
- Greek yogurt – Instead of sour cream, use plain Greek yogurt. This is also a great way to add protein to the dressing.
Variations
- Hot sauce – Sprinkle in a little hot sauce or serrano pepper to add some kick to this southwest salad dressing recipe. If you want to add a bit of spice, add extra chili powder or cayenne pepper. You can really kick it up a notch!
- Ground extra spice – Change the flavor by adding other simple basic ingredients and seasonings. Extra cumin and some lime juice is a nice addition.
See this Dill Pickle Salad Dressing for a fun dressing recipe that offers a boost of flavor!
Equipment
No fancy equipment is needed to make this great dressing. Just a bowl, and a spoon or whisk.
Storage
Making your own dressings is great, but you want to make sure that you store it in the best way possible so that it lasts! Homemade dressings must be stored in an airtight container or mason jar with a lid and kept in the fridge.
Common Questions
There are so many options! I think that this makes the perfect dip for chicken tenders, in addition to being a yummy topper for salad. I’ve even dipped tortilla strips and tortilla chips into it as well for a fun chip dip. This homemade southwest ranch dressing also tastes great on taco salad!
The fun part of this homemade Southwest dressing is that you have options on how you want to eat it. I recommend trying it with all your different favorite foods to find out which way you like it the best.
You can. I’m a big fan of prepping and having it cold before using it, so making it a day before or a few hours in advance works great. I don’t recommend trying to make this and freeze this recipe.
You need to pay attention to visual clues. If you see mold, toss it. If you see that it is separating, pay attention to the smell and taste. The other really important part of making this homemade dressing is that you should never dip a spoon or utensil into it that has been in someone’s mouth or in another recipe or food item.
This is because you don’t want to transfer any bacteria into the dressing container at all, as that can spoil it quickly.
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Southwest Ranch Recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2/3 cup mayo
- 1 tbsp southwest seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or half and half ***
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients.
- Mix well. Add salt to taste.
- Store in the refrigerator.
This looks and sounds wonderful! How long does it keep?
I don’t like to keep creamy dressings more than a week but it will depend on how fresh your ingredients are.