Chipotle ranch dip or dressing recipe {vegetarian, gluten-free}

Inside every passionate cook lurks the soul of a slightly mad scientist. The kitchen becomes a laboratory, every recipe an opportunity to experiment. I love to play around with salad dressings, mixing and matching ingredients from my pantry, but 90 percent of the time, I end up using the same salad dressing: my go-to balsamic vinaigrette. Last week, spurred on by some buttermilk left from a baking episode, I went as far as I could in the opposite direction with this chipotle ranch dressing that also makes a terrific dip. It's got a bit of a kick, which you can control by using more or less chipotle pepper. Try this zippy dressing in a chicken salad, on a roast beef panini, or atop a robust salad of greens and avocado. Or slice up some crispy cucumber, and dip, dip, dip.

Chipotle ranch dip or dressing

From the pantry, you'll need: powdered buttermilk (or fresh buttermilk), chipotle pepper in adobo, lime, plain nonfat Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, ground cumin or ras-el hanout, garlic, kosher salt, black pepper.

Makes 3/4 cup; can be multiplied.

Ingredients

1/2 cup buttermilk (made according to package directions if using powdered)
1 small chipotle pepper in adobo (approx. 1 tsp)
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 Tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 tsp ground cumin or ras-el hanout
1 small clove garlic, peeled
1 tsp fresh cilantro leaves
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

Directions

Place all ingredients except salt and pepper in a blender. Process until smooth. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Chill for at least 30 minutes, and up to 3 days, to allow the flavors to come together. Serve as a dip with vegetables or pita chips, or as a salad dressing or topping for grilled chicken.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Chicken and avocado lettuce boats with buttermilk Dijon dressing
Cucumber ribbon salad with ranch-style buttermilk dressing
Quinoa, avocado, tomato and black bean salad with chipotle lime dressing
Smoky chipotle-balsamic salad dressing
Chipotle chicken sandwich

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Buttermilk asparagus salad, from 101 Cookbooks
BLT salad with buttermilk dressing, from Steamy Kitchen
Romaine salad with cornbread croutons and buttermilk garlic dressing, from Amateur Gourmet
Basil buttermilk dip, from Alice Q Foodie
Savory strawberry salad with buttermilk dressing, from Brooklyn Supper

Need more ideas for how to create salads with pizzazz? Get Dress Up Your Salad, my e-book packed with easy mix-and-match recipes, full-color photos and a few fun videos. Exciting salad recipes from everyday ingredients can be just one click away, on any computer, tablet or smart phone, with the FREE Kindle Reading app. Click here to learn more.

Chipotle ranch dip or dressing

From the pantry, you'll need: powdered buttermilk (or fresh buttermilk), chipotle pepper in adobo, lime, plain nonfat Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, ground cumin or ras-el hanout, garlic, kosher salt, black pepper.

Makes 3/4 cup; can be multiplied.

Ingredients

1/2 cup buttermilk (made according to package directions if using powdered)
1 small chipotle pepper in adobo (approx. 1 tsp)
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 Tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 tsp ground cumin or ras-el hanout
1 small clove garlic, peeled
1 tsp fresh cilantro leaves
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

Directions

Place all ingredients except salt and pepper in a blender. Process until smooth. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Chill for at least 30 minutes, and up to 3 days, to allow the flavors to come together. Serve as a dip with vegetables or pita chips, or as a salad dressing or topping for grilled chicken.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Chicken and avocado lettuce boats with buttermilk Dijon dressing
Cucumber ribbon salad with ranch-style buttermilk dressing
Quinoa, avocado, tomato and black bean salad with chipotle lime dressing
Smoky chipotle-balsamic salad dressing
Chipotle chicken sandwich

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Buttermilk asparagus salad, from 101 Cookbooks
BLT salad with buttermilk dressing, from Steamy Kitchen
Romaine salad with cornbread croutons and buttermilk garlic dressing, from Amateur Gourmet
Basil buttermilk dip, from Alice Q Foodie
Savory strawberry salad with buttermilk dressing, from Brooklyn Supper

Need more ideas for how to create salads with pizzazz? Get Dress Up Your Salad, my e-book packed with easy mix-and-match recipes, full-color photos and a few fun videos. Exciting salad recipes from everyday ingredients can be just one click away, on any computer, tablet or smart phone, with the FREE Kindle Reading app. Click here to learn more.

Comments

I'm jumping on this one! Dressings are like magic costumes for food, and do a lot for 'same old' sandwiches too.

Oh yes, I think I would love this in chicken salad!

What a wonderful concoction of flavors. This would be a fantastic way to liven up any salad.

Susan, I love that image of magic costumes. It's true, salad dressing can change a salad completely, and sandwiches too.

Kalyn, some grilled chicken and diced celery with this dressing would be fabulous.

Cookin Canuck, it's a nice lowfat dressing that really packs a flavor punch.

I love homemade dressing. I don't think I'll ever go back to buying store bought.

Kristi, once you realize how easy it is to make great salad dressing, it's hard to imagine buying store-bought!

" Hello roast beef sandwich, meet your new awesome friend spicy chipotle dip" YUM!

I'm an Arizona girl at heart and I've tried chipotle in most everything - except dressing - Thank You for a new way of using this smoky chile!

Carol, oh yes, that sounds delicious!

Donna, grill some chicken or shrimp, toss it in this dressing. So good!