Whole30 Ranch Dressing – (Gluten – Free Paleo) Fresh Herbs, Creamy

This Whole30 Ranch Dressing is made with healthy fats and fresh herbs.  It is creamy and tangy and tastes great on all types of salads. 

The recipe is gluten-free and fits a Paleo diet, as well.

Finding commercial salad dressings that fit the Whole30 diet plan can be a challenge. They are out there but are few and far between.  The answer, of course, is to make your own. 

This dressing is very easy to make and tastes far better than any commercial ranch dressing that I have tried.

Making this Whole30 Ranch Dressing

The dressing is a fabulous blend of healthy oils, seasonings, fresh egg, lemon juice, coconut milk, and a whole heap of fresh herbs to give the dressing a fabulous taste.

Start by placing the egg, vinegar, lemon juice, seasonings, garlic, and fresh herbs in a food processor. Pulse a few seconds to combine.  

 Slowly pour the oil in through the top opening of the food processor while it is still running on a low speed.

NOTE: (See the tips below about adding the herbs later if you want your dressing to maintain the traditional lighter color of normal ranch dressing.

I don’t mind the darker color so I add my herbs now to make the dressing easier, but if you are using it for a dip you may want to add them after you add the oil and coconut milk.) 

Once all the oil has been mixed in, add the coconut milk and pulse a few more times to blend well.

I store my homemade dressing in a mason jar with a sealed top in the fridge.  It makes about 1 1/2 cups of delicious dressing.

Which Coconut Milk Should I Use

The rule with Whole30 is that any brand of coconut milk where ALL of the ingredients are Whole30 approved will make the coconut milk Whole30.  This list gives a comparison of compatible coconut milk.

Be sure the coconut milk is unsweetened and the full-fat version. I used Taste of Thai unsweetened coconut milk in the can.

Tips for Keeping the Ranch Dressing Light in Color

Normal homemade ranch dressing has a lot of mayonnaise in it which is not allowed on the Whole30 or Paleo diet. This gives the salad dressing a very white color.   

The ingredients for this dressing are darker in color, and I used a LOT of herbs in this dressing so it has a tendency to go darker in color depending on when you add the herbs and how long you pulse them.

I don’t mind the dark color when I am having salads but having a nice light colored ranch dressing for dips is preferable.  To achieve this, follow these tips:

• Use the lightest colored olive oil you can find.  It will be labeled “extra light.” Dark extra virgin olive oil will make the dressing darker.
• Add more coconut milk, or use coconut cream (this adds more calories but doesn’t change the taste much and does make it much whiter.)
• Substitute white wine vinegar for balsamic vinegar (it is much lighter in color.)
• Mince your herbs by hand with herb scissors or a sharp knife and fold them into the dressing AFTER you have added the oil to the other ingredients. This will give more flecks of herbs through the dressing instead of dulling the color of the dressing itself.

This Whole30 Ranch Dressing is Fabulous on Salads.

The flavor of this Whole30 Ranch dressing is tart and tangy with a lovely taste of infused herbs.  The coconut milk gives the dressing a nice creamy look and texture but does not taste “coconutty” for some reason.  

It is the perfect dressing for salads. like my California Cobb Salad, to use as a dipping sauce for chicken legs or wings and makes a lovely dip for veggies.  Since it is so easy to make in just minutes, you’ll be able to have a bottle of it on hand all the time in the fridge.

It will keep for about a week in an air-tight container. But trust me…it won’t last that long!

This dressing works out to 127 calories for 2 tablespoons of the dressing.

Yield: 1 1/2 cup

Whole30 Ranch Dressing - Gluten - Free Paleo with Fresh Herbs, Creamy

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This Whole30 ranch dressing is creamy and tangy and made with fresh herbs, eggs and olive oil. It is great on salads, with vegetables or as a dip.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup extra light olive oil
• 1 egg at room temperature
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp pink sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp fresh cilatnro
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoons of fresh chives

Instructions

Place the egg, the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, seasonings and fresh herbs in a food processor.

Pulse a few times until the ingredients are well mixed..

Slowly pour the oil in through the top opening of the food processor while it is still running on a low speed.

Once all the oil has been mixed in, add the coconut milk and pulse a few more times.

Store in an air tight container in the fridge for about a week.

Note: for a ranch dressing that is lighter in color, add the fresh herbs by hand after you have pulsed the oil and coconut milk.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 147Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g

Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.

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