Avocado Ranch Dip
April 20, 2019 by Nicole Collins
Is it possible to love something too much?
I definitely had this moment the other day where I had to ask myself how many times in one day it was acceptable to eat taco meat.
I'll put just about anything in a taco. But, there is just something that's like none other when it comes to ground meat seasoned in one of those "off the shelf" packets of taco seasoning. I go for ground turkey these days, and it's even better than ground beef in my opinion.
We used to have this employee store at work that was attached right to the manufacturing plant. So, we'd get stuff straight off the line that maybe had damaged packaging or maybe had an upcoming expiration date. When we moved into our new fancy global HQ last summer, that perk changed to a more retail type employee store. But, I stocked up on taco seasoning during the "going out of business sale", and I ended up with a box of 25 packets of taco seasoning!
My justification to the original taco meat question was that I would eat the taco meat different ways: in tacos, in nachos, in taco salad. So, multiple different meals consisting of taco meat had to be okay, right?
I actually never settled on an answer, so I'm open to opinions!
I LOVE tacos if you didn't already know. In fact, I'm still walking around singing "ooo la taco" everywhere I go. But, I think part of what made my taco situation so delicious and necessary for every meal was today's recipe.
Today, we're making Avocado Ranch Dip!
This dip is SOOOOOO easy to make. Toss ingredients in a food processor, hit the button, done. Cleaning up the dishes takes more effort than making this dip.
We start with an avocado, of course. To that, we add classic ranch herbs and spices like garlic, parsley, and chives. I chose to use garlic powder and dried herbs for this recipe, because that's what I keep on hand at all times. You could certainly use fresh chives and parsley in your dip for a more robust flavor by changing the teaspoon measurement in the recipe to a tablespoon. For example, if the recipe calls for ½ tsp dried, convert that the ½ tbsp fresh.
Another classic ranch ingredient is buttermilk. So, we're going to add some of that to our dip too. Buttermilk helps to provide a nice creaminess while also adding a little tang to the dip. We also add a touch of mayo to enhance the creaminess and a touch of lime juice to support the tang of the buttermilk. Plus, the lime and buttermilk help to preserve this dip so it doesn't brown too quickly, as avocados tend to do.
My secret ingredient to this extra amazing dip is taco seasoning! That's right, just a smidge of taco seasoning straight from the packet adds another layer of flavor that pairs perfectly with the ranch flavors. I had an Avocado Ranch Dressing from a salad mix that I got at Aldi, and the taco seasoning in the dip was front and center. I loved the extra zing it gave the dressing, and I knew that's what I needed for mine too.
There are lots of different ways that I like to eat this dip. I use it in place of sour cream on tacos and nachos. I used it as a dip for tortilla chips. I even use it as a dressing for salads! Since this dip is nice and thick; to dress a salad, we need the help of a piping bag or squeeze bottle to evenly stream the dip on to our salad. I cut the tip off of a sandwich baggie, load it up, and pipe from there. Super simple, and super delicious. Best salad ever with this stuff!
Though we've got a couple ingredients that help preserve our avocados in this dressing, we are still dealing with avocados, after all. So, this dip will give you about 3 good days in the fridge if it's tightly covered. That's not bad for avocado at all!
Alright guys, I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the “how much taco is too much taco” debate. But until then, I hope you have a GREAT Easter tomorrow filled with friends and family.
Let's eat!
Avocado Ranch Dip
Serves: about 1 cup Print
Ingredients:
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
½ cup buttermilk
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp mayonnaise
½ tsp dried chives
½ tsp dried parsley flakes
½ tsp salt
½ tsp taco seasoning
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
Directions:
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Store leftovers in the fridge tightly covered for up to 3 days.
Recipe notes:
*This dip is also great as a nice, thick salad dressing. Cut the tip off of a plastic baggie, spoon some dip into the baggie, and use the baggie like a piping bag to squeeze the dip in thin streams onto a salad.
*This recipe is easily doubled to serve a crowd. The lime juice and buttermilk in this recipe help keep the avocado from browning too quickly, so you wouldn't have to babysit this at a party (other than to refill the dip bowl)!
*I chose to use garlic powder and dried herbs for this recipe, because that's what I keep on hand at all times. You could certainly use fresh chives and parsley in your dip for a more robust flavor by changing the teaspoon measurement in the recipe to a tablespoon. For example, if the recipe calls for ½ tsp dried, convert that the ½ tbsp fresh.
*To choose a perfectly ripe avocado, give the avocado a light squeeze with your fingers. You want it to have a little give, but you don't want it to be too soft when you apply a little pressure. Too soft means it's past it's prime. Too hard means it needs a few more days before it's edible. It's the same process and feel as picking the perfect peach. Another trick is to pop off the nubbin at the top of the avocado. If it's still green underneath and the avocado has a slight softness when you squeeze it, the avocado is perfect! If it's brown underneath, move on to another avocado.
