Fans of creamy salad dressings enjoy buttermilk dressing as a low-fat alternative to less healthy cream-based dressing options. Buttermilk is versatile, capable of taking on other flavors without giving up its own subtle qualities. Among the many types of buttermilk dressings are those that contain avocado, sour cream, or mayonnaise to add weight to the dressing.
Mayonnaise can be added to buttermilk dressing.
Although it has a slightly thicker texture than regular sweet milk, buttermilk is still too loose to use alone as a base for a salad or vegetable dressing. Cooks can give it more body by adding a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise, sour cream, or even cream cheese. Some cooks combine buttermilk and blue cheese in the blender to make a base for both cold dressings and a velvety pasta glaze.
Avocado is included in some buttermilk dressings.
Despite its name, buttermilk is not only butter-free, it is lower in fat than regular milk. Groceries typically carry buttermilk made with 2% butterfat and a fat-free version. That means buttermilk dressing not only adds a creamy texture and flavor to a salad, it offers a low-fat alternative to other dressings.
The flavor of buttermilk is often compared to that of yogurt, and it can be mild or strong, depending on how it was made. It takes an entire gallon of milk just to create a single cup of fermented buttermilk. Buttermilk can be easily combined with other flavors. For example, a buttermilk ranch-style dressing is easily made with a base of buttermilk and mayonnaise to which is added dill, a little chopped pickle, green olives, capers, and a little dry mustard.
Sour cream can be added to the buttermilk dressing to create more body.
A blended base of blue cheese and buttermilk can be supplemented with a handful of crumbled blue cheese and some chopped nuts. This dressing is particularly delicious on top of a salad that includes seedless grapes and diced apples. A base of sour cream and buttermilk can be mixed with an avocado, some fresh garlic and a bit of cilantro to create a green dressing. Not only is this dressing delicious on vegetables, it goes well with rice and beans.
Buttermilk dressing can be made with creamy yogurt and fresh herbs.
The sour cream and buttermilk dressing also offers any number of curry combinations. Whether the cook chooses curry powder, curry paste, or creates her own curry with cardamom, ginger, chili peppers, and other seasonings, this dressing is perfect for a tomato and cucumber salad, as well as grain dishes.
