We finally tracked down a bottle of Hidden Valley Plant-Powered Ranch. Here's what we thought of the new vegan ranch from this iconic brand.
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Hidden Valley Plant Powered Ranch Review
Y'all, my Twitter feed has been lit up recently with pictures of Hidden Valley Plant Powered Ranch. It has been in some markets for at least a couple of months, but it became available nationwide on April 1st, 2021.
This is a huge deal. For so many people, Hidden Valley is the definition of ranch. In fact, it was the original ranch, invented by company co-founder Steve Henson. He started the company with his wife in the 1950s.
So, when the company announced that thy were making vegan ranch, you can see why the Internet had a general freakout.
I finally got my hands on a bottle of Hidden Valley Plant-Based Ranch, and y'all, I was disappointed.
For me, ranch is all about those herbs, especially dill. I want my ranch to be creamy, sure, but I want it to pack a flavor punch. My vegan ranch seasoning is always garlic, onion, and dill. I consider them the ranch trifecta.
This ranch tasted more like a plain buttermilk dressing to me. It contained no dill and a bit of parsley, which I couldn't really taste. It also had a sort of plasticky flavor for me, which didn't come through for Dave.
Speaking of Dave, he loved the vegan Hidden Valley Rancxh! We talked about what the disconnect could be about here.
For Dave, like many others, Hidden Valley Ranch specifically is the gold standard. It's the ranch dressing of his childhood, and he says that they nailed this vegan version. It tastes just like the original to him.
Where I experienced blandness, Dave experienced nostalgia. This is the ranch he's been looking for! If you grew up on Hidden Valley Ranch, you will likely love their vegan version.
If you grew up on homemade ranch with more of an herbal punch, you might not be as into Hidden Valley's vegan version.
Is Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning dairy-free?
For some people, the real Hidden Valley ranch starts with that iconic seasoning packet. So, what's in there? Is it vegan?
If it were, you could make vegan ranch easily with the packet, some plant-based milk, and vegan mayo.
Unfortunately, Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning contains buttermilk and a couple of other milk ingredients. So, for now, the bottled variety is your only vegan Hidden Valley Ranch option.
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