Lemon-Herb Buttermilk Dressing

By Francis Lam

Published April 8, 2018

  • Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Rebecca Bartoshesky.
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Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(429)
Comments
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Packed with herbs and plenty of lemon, this quick buttermilk dressing can be considered a brighter, lighter cousin of ranch. It's terrific in grain bowls, for salads or even as a sauce for poached, sautéed or grilled fish. 

Featured in: How to Make a Weeknight Grain Bowl That Is Actually Delicious

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Ingredients

Yield:1¾ cups

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 3 tablespoons sour cream

  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice, or to taste

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste

  • Salt

  • Black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon finely minced thyme leaves (from about 5 sprigs)

  • 1 ½ tablespoons finely minced fresh basil (about 10 large leaves)

  • 3 tablespoons minced chives

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

5 grams carbs; 9 milligrams cholesterol; 120 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 11 grams fat; 230 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and sour cream. Whisk in the lemon juice and olive oil, and season to taste with salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir in the thyme, basil and chives.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
429 user ratings
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Comments

SSD

To the author of this article: Would you kindly include the recipe for the Vietnamese Nuoc Cham dressing you mentioned in the article? Thank you!

T

Waaaay too runny. Added 1/2 avocado and a little more sour cream to thicken it up.

Mike

This is pretty much a buttermilk ranch dressing. I agree that avocado would be a good thickener, or whisking in a tsp of dijon mustard would make a thicker emulsion.

L

This is cheating, but I didn't have any buttermilk. I took some ranch dressing and mixed in some lemon juice.

kniterati

I have come to rely on this recipe almost weekly. It is a lovely, basic dressing without the goopy consistency of thickened commercial dressings. Perfect complement for fresh greens.

ann

Avocado is good, I used yoghurt but try sour cream and mayo

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