the best ranch dip recipe for summer

 

Summer Crudité with Home-Made Ranch Dressing

The warmer summer weather calls for something cool and refreshing to eat, that’s why I love indulging in fresh veggies and salads this time of year.

 

My favorite salad dressing has got to be Ranch. So today I’m sharing my favorite version of this delicious and luxuriously cool Ranch Dressing recipe.

 

It just so happens to be paleo as well, which simply means there’s no dairy in this version of Ranch Dressing. What I love about it, besides its yummy taste, is how versatile it is.

 

This weekend I put together a small platter of veggies on my new Arthur Court Chip and Dip Bowl. 

It’s called the Oyster with Pearl Chip and Dip, and it’s not only perfect for chips and salsa, but it’s also just stunning as a crudité server. And it's large. These are full sized carrots pictured.

 

I simply choose some of my favorite veggies, scrubbed them really well, and arranged them by variety on the chip and dip bowl. The smaller “pearl” bowl is just the right size for holding my favorite Ranch Dip.

 

By the way, this Ranch Dip is so easy to put together in the food processor or blender, and the best part is it’s loaded with fresh herbs, garlic and lemon, which are full of vitamins and goodness, not to mention flavor!

Bacon, Egg, Lettuce and Tomato Salad

I love this dressing so much that I also used it for my impromptu breakfast-lunch salad yesterday. I’m calling this my B.E.L.T. salad: Bacon, egg, lettuce and tomato. Avocado could also be thrown in as another yummy ingredient.

 

This cute vintage McCoy mixing bowl with the pink and blue stripes is a recent find, and I realized it’s the perfect size for my “loaded” salads.

 

My Ranch Dressing recipe is adapted from one by Danielle Walker, and I substituted some of the herbs for ones that I prefer and grow in my garden.

HERBY RANCH DRESSING

 

½ cup avocado oil mayonnaise  (or regular mayo for non paleo)

3 tablespoons coconut milk

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 tablespoon chopped basil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon onion powder

a pinch of sea salt

black pepper is optional

 

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend. Keep ranch dressing nice and cold in the refrigerator.

 

Waldorf Salad photo via Danielle Walker

What's great about this recipe is that you can customize the herbs for herbs of your choice. Tender herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil, chives, dill and tarragon are all good options.

I originally found this Ranch Dressing recipe when it accompanied this Waldorf Salad recipe that I LOVE! You can find it here. 

Zucchini Fritters

It's also really tasty with these Paleo Zucchini Fritters.

If you’re interested in the gorgeous Arthur Court Oyster with Pearl Chip and Dip Bowl seen in the first picture, it’s available on the Arthur Court website, as well as on Amazon.

 

Not only is this a gorgeous piece for summer gatherings, it also would make and amazing wedding gift for a lucky bride and groom.

 

 

Wishing you a very lovely Sunday.

 

 

 

ciao! fabiana

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

 

favorite butternut squash soup

 

My favorite month of the year, when there’s a slight chill in the air and pumpkin spice is a way of life. Today, I’m sharing my favorite soup of the season, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. 

I first started making this soup after watching the show “Napa Style”, ages ago on the Cooking Channel. Do you remember that show with chef Michael Chiarello? 

Anyways, I’ve been making this soup for a while, but as time passed, I added my own spin to it. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups Roasted Butternut Squash 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon 

1/2 cup (1/4-inch) diced onion 

1/4 cup (1/4-inch) diced celery 

1/4 cup (1/4-inch) diced carrot 

1 cinnamon stick 

Sea salt 

Freshly ground black pepper 

About 4 cups chicken stock 

1/2 teaspoon ground toasted coriander 

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated turmeric 

1/2 cup canned coconut milk, optional 

To Roast the Squash: 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler. Halve lengthwise, discard the seeds, then cut into 1-inch dice. Place in a large bowl and season with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Pour squash onto a baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes, or until fork tender.

For Soup: 

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and cinnamon stick and saute until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Add the chicken stock and the coriander, ginger and turmeric and bring to a boil. Simmer for several minutes. Stir in the squash until smooth, then simmer gently to let the flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick. 

Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. (The soup can be made ahead to this point, cooled, covered, and refrigerated for several days or frozen for about 1 month. It will thicken as it cools and may need thinning with stock or water when reheating.) 

Return the soup to the pan and reheat gently. Add the coconut milk, if using. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.  

4 servings 

I’ve simplified the recipe, and you can absolutely buy pre-cut and cubed butternut squash now at the market that would really save more time. 

The addition of ginger, turmeric and coconut milk adds so much depth of flavor to this soup and also keeps this recipe "Paleo".

This is the perfect soup for Thanksgiving too, and it’s also so delicious with a pinch of cayenne pepper to spice it up a bit! 

Stay tuned next week for the whole Thanksgiving tablescape reveal. You can see a peek in the third photo. I think you'll really like it!

ciao! fabiana

 

 

Shopping info* on table accessories: 

Napkin: August Table "Juniper"

Bowls: French Lion's Head Bowls

Spoons: Black Bamboo Flatware 

Pewter Tray: vintage

*some affiliate links used

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