Ranch Veggie Dip with Rainbow Vegetable Topping ~ Macheesmo

Can we all agree that the plate of random veggies and a big bowl of ranch appetizers could use an update? Okay thanks. I’ll do it from here. Say hello to this Ranch Veggie Dip with Rainbow Veggie Toppings!

This ranch dip is so many wonderful things rolled into one. For one, it’s easy to do. Stir together a few basics and then layer some chopped veggies on top and you’re done. It’s not much more difficult than whipping up a hidden valley ranch pack, but it’s a bit more substantial and has more dipping potential.

Ranch dip would be a great appetizer to be the centerpiece of a game day celebration, or you could make it ahead of time and hand it out for quick after-school snacks!

The colors are bright, it’s relatively healthy, and it is pretty yummy. Serve it with any type of favorite chips!

Once the dip is ready, it will keep in the fridge for a few days, so feel free to make it ahead of time! Say goodbye to the stale vegetable platter this year and make this fun dip!

Ranch Veggie Dip basic ingredients

I thought about using packaged ranch mix for this dip, but liked the flavors better by just combining a few simple spices and herbs myself.

The base for this dip is a cream cheese base with some mayonnaise to loosen it up a bit. Fresh lemon juice also helps lighten the flavors and lighten the dip. You can substitute sour cream or Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise if you like.

Then add all the flavors and spices! I like to use fresh parsley and chives along with garlic powder and onion powder. You can go heavy on the spices. I would start with a teaspoon of garlic powder and onion powder. This will get you very close to a homemade ranch dip flavor.

While I don’t like fresh dill in mine, it’s a common ingredient and you can add it if you’d like.

Blend all the ingredients for the ranch veggie dip very well. It helps if your cream cheese is room temperature.

Then spread it out in a large 9×13 bowl. Honestly, you can omit the veggie topping if you want, and this makes a really good dip for chips! I know because I “tested” quite a lot of these before doing the veggie layer.

Add the vegetarian toppings

Now let’s talk about rainbows! Now any true rainbow fan knows I’m missing a color, but there aren’t any natural blue veggies so I just left it out. No problem. However, these work for the rest of the rainbow! I used a mixture of tomatoes, carrots, yellow peppers, broccoli florets, and red cabbage.

The only real trick to this dip, and why the prep time is 15-20 minutes, is that you want to make sure you’re really dicing the veggies evenly and finely. No big chunks!

Get to work!

Layer these veggies on top of the ranch cream cheese layer in your dish and you’re in business!

Remember ROY G. BIV or I think in this case ROY G. IV!

If I were to pick a favorite color, I would probably vote for green or yellow. I loved the broccoli/ranch combo and the pop from the peppers.

This Rainbow Veggie Ranch Dip will feed a crowd, is super colorful and pretty easy to make. What more could you want from a dip?!

What to serve with this ranch veggie dip

I usually like veggies in my ranch dip, but this dip is already loaded with veggies, so it’s best served with some kind of chips. Tortilla chips or potato chips work well, or any light, crunchy chip works great! Remember, you can always make your own tortilla chips!

My ranch veggie dip recipe

Here are a few other great recipes to try!