Lemon-Herb Buttermilk Dressing

By Francis Lam

Lemon-Herb Buttermilk Dressing
Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Rebecca Bartoshesky.
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(411)
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
  • 1cup buttermilk
  • 3tablespoons sour cream
  • 4teaspoons lemon juice, or to taste
  • 2tablespoons olive oil, or to taste
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1teaspoon finely minced thyme leaves (from about 5 sprigs)
  • 1½tablespoons finely minced fresh basil (about 10 large leaves)
  • 3tablespoons minced chives
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (3.5 servings)

120 calories; 11 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 230 milligrams sodium

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.

Ratings

4 out of 5
411 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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