This Zesty + Creamy 2-Ingredient Salad Dressing Recipe Will Be Your New Summer Favorite
It tastes better than your favorite ranch dressing and is healthier too
Are you a fan of ranch salad dressing? Us too! But the bottled stuff can get pricey and includes all sorts of chemicals and preservatives that can get in the way of your health goals. The solution? A couldn’t-be-easier recipe that tosses together sour cream and jarred pepperoncini to make a tasty salad dressing that tastes better than the store-bought stuff. Here’s the scoop on this creamy 2-ingredient salad dressing and my taste test to see if it lives up to the hype!
What you’ll need for 2-ingredient salad dressing
Food editor Emma Laperruque shares this simple recipe with Bon Appétit that she says, “could make a cardboard box taste good.” The magic behind the dressing is that it uses jarred whole pepperoncini. These flavor-packed jars not only contain the sweet Italian chili pepper but also a brine that can be used as a base to whip up a quick salad dressing. Plus, it’s got the same richness and tanginess like classic ranch dressing does, just with fewer ingredients.
All you have to do is mix together full-fat sour cream with one tablespoon of minced pepperoncini and two tablespoons of the brine from the jar. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste, and it’s ready to toss with your favorite salad green mix for lunch or dinner.
Easy ingredient swaps for a yummy salad coating
Don’t worry if you don’t have sour cream or pepperoncini on hand as Laperruque suggests some ingredient swaps. “Whole-milk Greek yogurt and crème fraîche are willing and able to step in,” she says of the sour cream base. “Same deal with dill pickles, pickled jalapeños or even sauerkraut,” she names instead of pepperoncini. Use the same amount of the substitute ingredients, and you’ll be on your way to enjoying one of the best salads you’ve ever had.
Related: These Summer Salads Are Anything But Boring — 12 Fresh and Flavor-Packed Recipes
How to make 2-ingredient salad dressing
Below, you can find Laperruque’s recipe for this dressing — which comes together in 2 minutes! Feel free to add chopped herbs like dill or scallions to the dressing for an earthy kick. (Try this Green Goddess Salad Dressing recipe as a copycat of the Sweetgreen version.)
Sour Cream Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 Tbs. minced pepperoncini + 2 Tbs. brine from the jar
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Yield: 1 to 2 servings
- In small bowl, combine sour cream and minced pepperoncini with juice until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
- (Note: Feel free to increase the measurements for more servings. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.)
My taste test
When I gave this recipe a go, I decided to hold the minced pepperoncini to sprinkle on top of the salad afterwards so that they wouldn’t get lost in the dressing. This recipe didn’t make a huge batch, but it was enough to top a couple chunnks of iceberg lettuce for a delicious wedge salad. The sour cream dressing was creamy like ranch with an acidic kick (a match made in flavor heaven).
This dressing recipe really blew me away at how simple and yummy it is. So much so, I’m taking a page out of Laperruque’s book and drizzling it over everything like grain bowls, roasted chicken and pizza!
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