Cookbook Club Recipe #10 | Bonus Dish!

With tang, herbs, and garlic, this ranch has everything you want and more, with an extra kick from warming gochugaru.

This version of ranch dressing starts with full-fat Greek yogurt for tang and body, along with just enough mayonnaise to keep it rich. Fresh dill and chives give it that unmistakable ranch flavor, while a combination of fresh and granulated garlic offers a fresh for kick as well as sweetness and depth. A generous spoonful of Korean gochugaru adds just enough smoky, fruity heat to keep things interesting without overwhelming the dressing.

And if you really want it to taste more like bottled ranch, make sure to hit it with the MSG. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I'd be willing to bet that the majority of added MSG consumed in this country comes from ranch dressing. (At least in certain parts of the country—you know who you are.)

P.S. This ranch pairs perfectly with my favorite fried food, this tempura sauerkraut.

Recipe: Gochugaru Yogurt Ranch Dressing

Every recipe I publish here is personally tested, tasted, and approved.

What I love about this recipe:

It has everything I want in a ranch dressing—it's creamy, tangy, herbaceous, and unapologetically garlicky—with a gentle smoky heat from gochugaru.

The combination of granulated garlic and fresh garlic gives it that unmistakable “ranchy” flavor.

It’s delicious with tempura or fried chicken, but it also works as a salad dressing or a dip for raw vegetables.

Yield: Makes about 1 cupActive Time: 5 minutesTotal Time: 5 minutesNotes: We used to serve this dressing with tempura sauerkraut at my (now-closed) restaurant Wursthall. It’s also especially good with hot fried chicken, on a simple salad, or as a dip for raw vegetables. The dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (120ml) full-fat Greek-style yogurt

1/4 cup (60ml) mayonnaise

2 teaspoons (6g) granulated garlic

1 teaspoon (3g) granulated onion

2 teaspoons (5g) minced fresh garlic (about 2 medium cloves)

1/2 ounce (15g) fresh dill, minced

1 teaspoon (3g) freshly ground black pepper

1/4 ounce (8g) fresh chives, minced

1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon or lime juice

2 teaspoons (6g) gochugaru

Kosher salt and MSG

Method

Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, granulated garlic, granulated onion, fresh garlic, dill, black pepper, chives, lemon or lime juice, and gochugaru in a medium bowl and whisk until homogeneous.

Season to taste with kosher salt.

Optional: Serve alongside this tempura sauerkraut recipe for the perfect pairing.