Southwest Chicken Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

I've never been a big fan of bottled ranch dressing, or really any dressing for that matter. There's something really fake about it...well, that's because it is fake and full of preservatives that make it taste like the salad condiment version of Twinkies. Bleck. When forced to order salad dressing or purchase it, I generally opt for blue cheese, but I don't keep salad dressing on hand.

With store bought salad dressings seriously disappointing me, I threw out all hope a long time ago and began making my own. I adopted my mom's light rice wine sprinkle or I add a little balsamic, olive oil and pepper in a pinch, and while pureed roasted red pepper and olive oil with fresh basil is fantastic, but what to do when I crave the mother of all American salad dressings?


I've adapted Elise's wonderful recipe for Buttermilk Ranch dressing below, and after arranging leftover grilled chicken, corn, black beans, a hardboiled egg, and an assortment of fresh vegetables, this recipe was just what the grad student ordered. This, my bloggy friends, is comfort in a food processor.




Ingredients ready for a quick whirl around to a certain absent valley











Presto!











Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Adapted from Simply Recipes

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup Veganaise or light mayo
1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (such as Chobani or Fage)
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. mustard powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp. fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp. fresh chopped chives
1 1/2 tsp. fresh chopped dill

Directions
1. Place all ingredients into food processor and pulse a few times until smooth.
2. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to one week.