I have lived in Illinois my entire life, so I am a Midwest girl through and through.  I think a big stretch of farmland is beautiful, I can drive in most snowy conditions, and I know malls are the best way to shop for everything.  The other thing that my Midwestern upbringing has taught me?

Ranch dressing belongs on everything.

Raw vegetables?  Instantly better doused in ranch.  That boring old salad? Drench it in the white stuff.  Chicken fingers and nuggets were made for dunking into the nectar of the Midwest gods.  I’ve even dipped french fries, meatloaf, and sausage into ranch.  Don’t judge until you try it.

Unfortunately, the combination of ranch dressing on all the food and frying everything possible has made the people of this part of the country just a little less healthy.  When I changed the way I ate, I begrudgingly quit my ranch habit.  After a short (read: longer than I thought) adjustment period, I actually started to enjoy the flavor of my food without the aid of ranch dressing.

But there was still that fat Midwestern kid inside that wanted to swim in a vat of ranch.  I decided to fix it.

I made this dressing with full-fat coconut milk and my DIY ranch seasoning and was shocked with how much it tasted like traditional ranch.  It was a little runny at first, but after a few hours in the fridge it thickened up nicely.  I tend to like a more watery ranch, so I let it sit out a few minutes before I use it.

The fact that it’s so easy to make this dressing and the fact that I love it on everything have made it a weekly staple.  Try it on roasted sweet potatoes or mixed into mashed potatoes.  It is amazing with carrots and celery sticks and is wonderful whisked into a frittata.  I even made a topping with mashed potatoes and this ranch and spread it on top of my lentil loaf.

So if you have been missing ranch dressing in your healthier lifestyle, try this dairy-free version.  I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing

• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, unsweetened
• 2-3 tsp ranch dressing seasoning, add more or less to your taste
• 1/2 tsp celery salt (sea salt will also work)
• 1 tsp roasted garlic (you could also use garlic powder)

1. Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend for a few minutes until everything is combined.
2. Pour into an airtight container (like a mason jar) and put in the fridge to thicken.  Keep it stored in the fridge for up to a week.

That’s it. Easy Peasy, time to put ranch on all the things and not feel like the fat Midwestern kid you might just be at heart! 

Have a great day everyone!