Photo: Brent Hofacker (Shutterstock)
Many people use powdered buttermilk to make their own ranch seasoning blend, which they then use to make their own ranch dressing. This is perfectly reasonable – even ambitious! – but the ranch isn’t the only salad dressing that benefits from some dehydrated milk.
Adding powdered buttermilk to a simple vinaigrette gives it a body, makes it taste creamier, and adds a rounded, milky spice that plays a little differently than the taste you get from acetic acid (the acid in vinegar) or citrus juice.
You can add powdered buttermilk to any vinaigrette recipe, but there are some flavor profiles that make it a little easier to blend with than others. It works great in a maple Dijon setting, but may not go as well with a soy and ginger dressing. So give it a try with a few different recipes. The process of making your vinaigrettes a little creamier and a little more dreamy is simple: put your dressing ingredients together like you normally would –ideally in a glass– Then add the powder, a teaspoon at a time, shake the glass to incorporate it into the dressing and taste after each addition.
I made a simple dressing with this template, with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon each of maple syrup and Dijon mustard and a little salt. I shook it all in a mason jar and then added the buttermilk powder (shaking between additions) until it reached the level of cream I was looking for, which ended up taking a full tablespoon. The dressing still had the punchy taste I’m looking for in a vinaigrette, but it was just a little more substantial, richer and rounder. It worked especially well with the steak salad I had for dinner (made with some leftover Steak with board sauceNaturally).