Growing up in the 1990s,ranchwas my vibe. Like many households during that decade, our fridge wouldn't have been complete without a bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch. I’d reach for it often, using everything—round-edged carrot sticks, salads, baked potatoes, Fritos, and pizza crusts too—as a vehicle for the dressing.
Now a member of American condiment royalty, ranch dressing’s humble beginnings date back to 1949. The original recipe is attributed to Steven Henson, a contract plumber in Alaska. It wasn’t until he and his wife, Gayle, retired to a dude ranch, just outside of Santa Barbara—aptly named Hidden Valley (youmayrecognize the name)—did his dressing really start gaining popularity. The buttermilk dressing graced the table at every dinner party. So, by popular demand, the duo started bottling and selling it in 1954.
As an adult, the love of ranch still runs in my veins, but I often crave something lighter, brighter, and brinier. The solution, as I’ve learned, is to just add pickles. Classic ranch is a combination ofmayonnaiseand buttermilk, flavored with onion, garlic, and tender green herbs like parsley, dill, and chives, plus a splash of vinegar for extra tang. Butmy new versiondoubles down on the vinegary note by adding actual pickles to the mix (whatever kind you have on hand).
This creamy, ultra tangy take on the classic lends vibrancy and crunch totomato panzanella salad, tossed with fresh basil, dill, and black pepper croutons to double down on the ranch flavor. And, bonus, Any-Pickle Dressing also makes an epicmarinade for grilled chicken breasts—the buttermilk in the mixture helps keep the cutlets moist and succulent, while the pickles and pickle brine lend a deep savoriness to the meat. The chicken is the perfect protein for a crisp, refreshing salad of little gems, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and, you guessed it, more pickle dressing.
My rendition of ranch swaps out the usual mayo for sour cream as the base, which brings higher acidity while retaining the dressing’s luscious, thick consistency.Garlic powderand dehydrated onion flakes offer a softer, almost toasty garlicky and onion-y flavor than their fresh counterparts and provide a deeply savory backbone to the dressing. Rounding out the base is a little lemon juice, fresh dill, and a few generous cracks of black pepper.
And, now the fun part—the pickles! Blitzed into fine pieces in afood processor, the pickles bring acidity, layered salinity, and pops of textural magic to the dressing. While this dressing can be made with just one type of pickle (like classic dill varieties), it’s even tastier when crafted with a mix of pickled vegetables like cocktail onions,capers, pickled green beans, cornichons, and hot cherry peppers. It’s a great opportunity to play with different flavor profiles—like sweet, tangy, briny, or spicy—and tailor the dressing to your taste depending on the variety you use. If a little sweetness is what you’re after, you can add some bread and butter pickles into the mix. Or for a little bit of heat, try adding pickled jalapeños. It’s a fantastic way to use up any jar of pickled things languishing in the back of your fridge.
This pickle-forward dressing is as versatile as it is delicious—toss with boiled potatoes and chopped hard-boiled eggs for a barbecue-ready potato salad, drizzle over cool wedges of iceberg, or spoon atop grilled vegetables. Its sharp piquancy is also the ideal playmate for produce like green beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes. And, while this dressing is delectable any time of year, pickles and ranch are two of summer’s greatest icons, and together, they’ll take your sun-filled picnics, backyard barbecues, and al fresco dinner parties to new, more flavorful heights.
