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    Home » Wild Herbs and Spices

    Dried Ramp Leaf Ranch Dressing

    Published: Sep 5, 2020 Modified: Feb 16, 2023 by Alan Bergo This post may contain affiliate links Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Dried ramp leaves are one of the best wild ingredients to preserve for your pantry in the off season, and one of the best dried ramp leaf recipes is good old fashioned ramp ranch dressing.

    ramp leaf ranch dressing recipe
    Dried ramp bulbs and leaves, and a nice jar of ranchy rampy ranch.

    Now, I've made ranch-type sauces out of ramps for a long time, and for a while I was a purist, using only fresh ramps for it. As time's gone on, I've learned the power of the dried wild leek leaf, and, just like that dried packet of wonder Hidden Valley makes (sarcasm here) there's really something to be said for dried herbs. 

    The flavor improves over time

    Unlike that packet of Hidden valley dip though, it's going to take a little time for your ranchy ramp ranch to reach peak flavor, that is, if you use dried leaves only. Adding dried bulbs will kick up the flavor pretty fast, and I have a separate recipe for ranch specifically using them back when I had a thing for drying lots of bulbs. But, it's much easier to just dry the leaves, so, for ease, that's the recipe I'm sharing, and it's still great. 

    The key is to let the dressing sit for a bit, give it a few good shakes, and let it rest and bloom overnight. Unless you powder your ramp leaves, it might not taste as punchy as say, a packet of Ranch from the store at first. It takes time for that aroma to soak into dairy, and you'll notice a big difference a day or two after everythings mixed up. 

    After you like the taste, it's good on all kinds of things: vegetable crudite, fried things, as a sauce for chicken or fish, or just a dip for fingers or small hands that can fit in the jar. 

    ramp leaf ranch dressing recipe, ramp ranch
    Another version I made lately used ramp seeds and leaves. Both are good.
    a jar of ramp leaf ranch dressing
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Ramp Leaf Ranch Dressing

    Ranch dressing made from dried ramp leaves. Makes 1.5 cups
    Prep Time5 mins
    Total Time5 mins
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Ramp Leaf Recipes, Ramps
    Servings: 8 Servings
    Calories: 186kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Equipment

    • 1 mixing bowl
    • 1 Pint mason jar

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup mayonnaise
    • ¾ cup sour cream
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • A few scrapes of lemon zest
    • Buttermilk a tablespoon or two, to thin it to your taste
    • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon dried dill
    • 1 heaping tablespoon crushed dried ramp leaves or more to taste
    • 2 teaspoons dried powdered ramp bulbs or ramp seeds optional

    Instructions

    • If your ramps seem soft, or not bone dry, toast them in a dehydrator on high heat, around 145 overnight, until they can be easily crumbled, which will distribute the flavor better. Toasting in an oven is another option.
    • Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate, stirring occasionally to distribute the contents, then use for dipping all the things. The sauce will greatly improve in flavor the day after making.

    Notes

    Dried ramp leaves are the backbone here, but I highly reccommend the additional, optional onion component. Dried bulbs are wonderful, but the seeds can pack a good punch too, although they can take literal days to dry in the dehydrator. Both will require a spice grinder or a good molcajete. Other oniony things can be used too, as long as they're dried, onion bulbils, garlic scapes, etc, etc. If it's dried and oniony, it's fair game.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 286mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 0.02g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 152IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.1mg

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    Chef Alan Bergo

    HI, I'm Alan: James Beard Award-winning Chef, Author, Show Host and Forager. I've been writing about cooking wild food here for over a decade. Let me show you why foraging is the most delicious thing you'll ever do.

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