This Creamy, 2-Ingredient Salad Dressing Is Too Delicious to Be So Easy!
Tastes better than you're favorite ranch dressing and is healthier too.
Are you fan of ranch salad dressing? Us too! But the bottled stuff can get pricey and includes all sorts of chemicals and preservatives that can end up packing on the pounds. 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!
How to Make Sour Cream Salad Dressing
Food editor Emma Laperruque shared this two-ingredient 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 as a classic ranch dressing, just with fewer ingredients.
All you have to do is mix together 1/4 cup of 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.
Now, 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!
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 pieces 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!
