High-Umami Ranch Dressing v2

Name: High-Umami Ranch Dressing v2
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings (~2 tbsp each)
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 150 low-fat cottage cheese (small curd); 50 fat-free Greek yogurt; 60 full-fat mayonnaise; 15 buttermilk powder; 40 cold water; 1 white miso paste; 0.5 MSG; 1 nutritional yeast; 1 fresh lemon juice; 1 garlic powder; 0.5 onion powder; 1 fresh dill, finely chopped; 1 fresh chives, finely chopped; 1 fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 0.3 black pepper, freshly ground; 0.5 kosher salt (adjust to taste)

Ranch dressing built on blended cottage cheese and Greek yogurt with boosted mayo for better mouth-coating, plus full umami support from MSG, nutritional yeast, and miso. Roughly 55–60% less saturated fat than traditional ranch.

AmericanServes 845msauce

Servings8

Ingredients

150g low-fat cottage cheese (small curd)

50g fat-free Greek yogurt

60g full-fat mayonnaise

15g buttermilk powder

40ml cold water

1tsp white miso paste

0.5tsp MSG

1tbsp nutritional yeast

1tsp fresh lemon juice

1tsp garlic powder

0.5tsp onion powder

1tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

1tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

1tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

0.3tsp black pepper, freshly ground

0.5tsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)

Method

1
Blend the cottage cheese base: Add 150g low-fat cottage cheese to a food processor or tall container for an immersion blender. Process for a full 60–90 seconds until completely smooth — no visible curds at all. Scrape down sides halfway through.
2
Reconstitute buttermilk powder: In a small bowl, whisk 15g buttermilk powder into 40ml cold water until dissolved. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to hydrate fully.
3
Build the base: Add 50g fat-free Greek yogurt, 60g full-fat mayonnaise, and the reconstituted buttermilk to the blended cottage cheese. Blend again for 15–20 seconds until uniform. With the higher mayo ratio you should notice a visibly glossier, more cohesive texture.
4
Add umami and acid layers: Add 1 tsp white miso paste, ½ tsp MSG, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, and 1 tsp fresh lemon juice. Pulse or whisk to combine. The miso should fully dissolve — if it doesn't, blend for another 10 seconds.
5
Season with aromatics: Add 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, and ⅓ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
6
Fold in fresh herbs: Fold in 1 tbsp each of fresh dill, chives, and flat-leaf parsley by hand. Do not blend — you want visible herb flecks.
7
Adjust salt and consistency: Add ½ tsp kosher salt and taste. The MSG and miso both contribute sodium, so start conservative. Adjust thickness with cold water a teaspoon at a time if needed.
8
Rest in the fridge: Transfer to a jar, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Taste again after resting and adjust salt or lemon juice. The extra mayo means this version will have noticeably more linger on the palate after chilling.