Lactose-free kefir and mayo combine with garlic-infused oil, parsley, chives, and dill in this Low FODMAP Kefir Ranch Dressing & Dip recipe.
A Difficult Year and Burning Out
Hello, readers! I know I said I was going to start blogging regularly again…..and here it is a month later. What can I say, life is busy. Trust me, I really hate saying that. I don’t like when life is busy. I like when days are uneventful, routine and restful. This past year has been anything but that, and the stress is getting the better of me. On top of almost losing my mom several times (thankfully she is doing well now), moving to a new city and starting a new job, I also had to deal with throwing my back out and being in pain for several months, a call-back on my very first mammogram and preparing to say goodbye to my precious 15 year old pug. Yep, life has been difficult this past year.
It’s been really hard to keep blogging lately. I’m burnt out. While I still enjoy cooking and baking, it’s difficult getting myself into the kitchen. I’ve lost my momentum. I’ve lost my drive. It’s so frustrating to have all of these ideas, but only being able to take them so far. I get the recipe finalized, the photos taken….and then nothing. I can’t get myself to write the blog. I wonder if any other bloggers ever get to feeling this way. Or is it just my own fatigue at putting my work, my creations and myself out into the world? As an introvert, I can see how tiring this would become after a while. I like being quiet and safe at home, but at the same time, I’m dying to get my ideas and creativity out there. It’s quite the dichotomy. And it’s quite exhausting.
The Ranch Dressing Recipe
The recipe I’m sharing today is one such recipe that I only took so far. My husband and I have been enjoying this Low FODMAP Kefir Ranch Dressing for several months now and I kept thinking, “This is sooo good! I need to share it with my readers!” I had the recipe down, the photos, but didn’t have the energy to take that last step. Well now I do, so here it is.
The base of this dressing is kefir. I know a lot of you might not be familiar with kefir. I probably wouldn’t be either if I hadn’t worked in natural foods. Kefir is a thin yogurt drink. Like yogurt, it’s cultured, fermented milk and full of probiotics. What makes it even more fabulous is that there are a couple of kefirs that are either lactose-free or very low in lactose. Green Valley Organics Kefir is lactose-free and Lifeway Kefir is up to 99% lactose-free. I find Lifeway to be very tolerable and it’s the only one I am able to find in my area. While great for smoothies, kefir is also the perfect replacement for…..buttermilk! It is tart and tangy, making for a delicious “buttermilk” ranch dressing.
I love to serve this dressing with lettuce topped with carrots, quinoa, tomatoes and shredded cheddar cheese. We have some made in the fridge most of the time. I found a commercial garlic oil that works for my husband and me, so the dressing can keep for several days or more in the fridge, if it lasts that long! If you are using a homemade garlic oil, be sure to consume the dressing within two days to prevent bacteria growth.
You may like these other low FODMAP salad dressings from my collection:
Low FODMAP Kefir Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon FODY Garlic Infused Oil
- 1 cup plain, low-fat, lactose-free kefir*
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (add to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and garlic-infused oil until combined. Slowly whisk in the kefir until smooth. Stir in the parsley, chives, dill, salt and pepper. Add more mayo if desired for thicker dressing. Serve. Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
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Good Morning, Diane,
I discovered your wonderful blog this morning while doing FODMAP research. I began the elimination phase this past Monday in an effort to overcome GI distress that has plagued me for the past year, at the ripe old age of 59!! I can't wait to try the first two recipes of yours I read — Dijon chicken, and homemade chicken noodle soup (which I may cook for my Book Club this week, to enjoy while we discuss A Paris Apartment.)
Your candor in this blog as a whole, and especially this post you wrote Monday, really moved me. Sometimes life does get very, very hard. Most of my 50's were like that — losing my dear sister after an extremely long battle with scleroderma, losing my dad to dementia and then his passing, losing my mother-in-law, job stress, empty nest, our beloved dog's battle with diabetes, blindness and death, a cross-country move, and lots of lesser, stressful issues. Whew, what a decade! I truly sympathize Diane, and I will keep you in my thoughts as you try to safely navigate yourself back to calmer waters. I KNOW you will get there, dear! Please know that the work you've done in the past on this blog is still helping people like me, even if you post sporadically now! I wish you a happy, healthy future, and I thank you for sharing your FODMAP knowledge, cooking expertise, enthusiasm and beautiful photography with the world!
Blessings!
Michelle
I hope the end of the year is quieter for you. We have something called "lait ribot" which is a lot liek Kefir and that is traditionnal in Brittany where I live. I emailed all companies that are seeling it around here to know if they had studied how much lactose is in the product because I have that feeling it's low in lactose. None answered. It's funny how they don't see they should advertise on this.
A huge thank you for your blog and your recipes. I've already done two batches of your pumpkin muffins. I changed the recipe just a little as I don't use xantham.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Michelle! I'm glad you are enjoying my blog.
Glad you are enjoying my blog! I hope you find a kefir-like product that will work for you. I'll be posting a new pumpkin muffin recipe without xanthan gum soon, so stay tuned!
I just saw this recipe. I'm highly interested since I'm on a low FODMAP diet due to my ulcerative colitis. I am also an asthmatic so it is important for me to find recipes that are low FODMAP, Fiber free, Lactose free and all that comes with the low FODMAP diet exclusions like legumes and such. You said Kafir is lactose free yet it has 1% lactose, isn't that false advertisement by the company to claim lactose free yet it has 1%?… I would love to know if there truly is a lactose free Dairy products out there that can better serve people like me who can't absolutely have lactose as it creates more phlegm making my asthma worse and lets not mention what it does with my UC….
I don't believe I did say that it is lactose-free. I said that it is 99% lactose-free, and the kefir container clearly says that it is 99% lactose-free (see the photo of the bottle above – no false advdertising). I can't really say if there are any dairy products out there that are 100% lactose-free. Lactaid is a milk that advertises as being lactose-free, but 100% I can't say. If you can tolerate Lactaid, you could make a substitute for this recipe by mixing 1 cup Lactaid milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. This will give a similar flavor to the kefir.
According to the Monash app, kefir is high-fodmap…
Yes, that's why it's important to find a brand that is lactose-free or very low lactose (like Lifeway, which is 99% lactose-free). The app says to "try lactose-free alternatives."
Just tried this today. Measured my herbs a bit liberally and added a scant 1/4 c more mayo just to finish off the jar. AWESOME ranch!!!! I'm so happy! Thanks for sharing!
So glad you liked it!
What makes the garlic oil prone to bacterial growth? Is it the bacteria in kefir? I used a garlic clove instead – is that safer? Dressing tasts great! Thanks for posting this recipe!
In this case it's only the garlic oil that is of concern. Botulism can spread in certain foods due to a lack of oxygen, like in oil. You can read more here: http://theolivepress.com/news-blog/be-aware-of-the-risks-of-botulism-with-homemade-garlic-infused-oil#.V6jQ8rgrKhc
People with IBS can tolerate the flavor of garlic in oil rather than just eating garlic itself (that's why garlic oil is included in this recipe). But if you can tolerate garlic, then go ahead and add it to the dressing like you would with other dressings.
If you don't add in the garlic oil will it last longer? I didn't have any but I have Hing so I mixed that in with some olive oil.
I love your recipes thank you so much for the time you take to make them and blog them!! I have had Horriable IBS for about 18 years now and have tried other meds. But nothing works. Trying the low fodmap been a week now but still getting sick. Was so sick today and all I wanted was a salad with ranch and finding this made my day!!
Yes, if homemade garlic oil is not added, the dressing will last longer stored in the fridge. I'm so glad my recipe could satisfy your craving for ranch dressing! I hope the diet works for you.
I found this very watery… what can I do to thicken it?
I suggest increasing the amount of mayo.