A Packet Of Ranch Seasoning Is The Secret For Better Roasted Broccoli

Ranch dressing is on par with hamburgers and apple pie as one of the most quintessential American foods. Ranch has been America's favorite salad dressing for over 30 years, not to mention a popular dipping sauce for wings, pizza, and crudites. While mayo and buttermilk make for a rich and decadent sauce, it's the unique blend of seasonings that makes ranch dressing our favorite.

A packet of ranch seasoning has a much more far-reaching application as a flavoring agent. Using a packet of ranch seasoning in a roasted broccoli recipe is one of the easiest, most delicious upgrades you need to try. The seasoning is tangy, aromatic, and herbal, featuring dried and, consequently, more concentrated ingredients like onion, garlic, dill, parsley, and chives. Dried buttermilk adds to the tang while also providing a unique richness.

Roasting broccoli intensifies its vegetal savoriness and bitter finish. The ranch seasoning offers a zesty, herbal complement, while the buttermilk softens the bitterness. Hidden Valley makes and sells ranch seasoning packets anywhere you can get the brand's dressing. Furthermore, it contains MSG, adding an intense umami flavor to the mix.

As a premade mix, ranch seasoning will save you time, effort, and the expense of making an elaborate seasoning mix from scratch. All you have to do is sprinkle a packet of ranch and a few tablespoons of oil over broccoli, toss to combine, and roast.

While there's nothing easier than opening up a seasoning packet, you can also make your own ranch seasoning as all the ingredients are common products in any spice section. Plus, if you're a vegan, you can omit dried buttermilk powder, or swap it with nutritional yeast to invoke that cheesy, tangy dairy richness.

Ranch seasoning offers a wealth of bright, robust flavors to stand up to broccoli's equally intense roasted profile, but you can add even more depth with the type of oil you use. For example, olive oil will add an earthiness to ranch's tangy and savory flavors. If you want the seasoning to speak for itself, use a neutral oil like avocado oil. A squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese would enhance the ranch seasonings zestiness while also adding a salty, cheesy crust.

Just as ranch dressing will improve the taste of any vegetable in your salad or crudite plate, ranch seasoning will enhance the flavor of a wide range of roasted vegetables. Since it works so well with broccoli, it will also pair perfectly with other bitter brassicas like rutabaga, turnips, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Its tangy and herbal profile will also taste delicious with the sweet, caramelized taste of carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, and onions. You could also blend ranch seasoning with melted butter to brush over roasted corn.