Published: by Denise Perrault · 4 Comments
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This classiccreamy vegan ranch dressing recipewith fresh herbs andno added oilis a must-have for a reliably deliciousdairy-freeranch salad dressing.
I've been making a vegan version of traditional ranch dressing for years, and this recipe is still my favorite. 9 simple ingredients for a foundational recipe that you can easily tweak.
It's a required vegan condiment recipe winner and rivals vegan sour cream and vegan mayonnaise (in my humble opinion).
Is there anything better with spicy Buffalo tofu or crispy cauliflower wings? How about dill pickle pasta salad or shaved Brussels sprouts salad? This vegan ranch dressing does it all!
Table of Contents
- ⭐ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 📋 Recipe Ingredients
- 📖 Recipe Variations
- ⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
- 🔪 Pro Tips
- 🍴 Serving Suggestions
- 🥗Related Recipes
- 👩🏻🍳 Recipe
⭐ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Great as a dipping sauce with raw veggies.
- The plant-based ingredients for this vegan ranch recipe can be found at most grocery stores.
- Easy for beginners with tips below if you don't have a high-speed blender.
📋 Recipe Ingredients
Cashews. Use raw cashews (the white ones). Roasted and/or salted cashews won't taste the same. Ok, they taste pretty bad when blended into any cashew cream recipe.
Plant milk. Use oat milk, unsweetened almond milk, or soy milk. Milk, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice give the dressing a vegan buttermilk vibe. You can also use water.
Garlic. I like adding a plump garlic clove, but you can also use ½ a teaspoon of garlic powder as a substitute.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
📖 Recipe Variations
- Nut-free. Replace cashews with sunflower seeds. After experimenting with my sunflower seed sour cream recipe, I discovered that grinding yields a smoother blend.
- Bacon ranch dressing. Add ¼ - ½ cup of vegan bacon bits.
- Chipotle ranch. Add a few drops of chipotle hot sauce or ½ a teaspoon of chipotle chili powder.
- Cheesy ranch. Blend 1-2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast or a teaspoon of Dijon mustard for a tangy, cheesy flavor.
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Soak the cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Blend cashews, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and plant milk.
Step 3: Transfer to a bowl and add the pepper, chives, and dill.
Step 4: Mix and taste. Add salt or more pepper if desired.
🔪 Pro Tips
Equipment tip: I prefer a blender for nut-based dressings because it pushes the ingredients toward the blade. I've used a spice grinder several times when I'm only making a half recipe. If you use a food processor, use a spatula to scrape the sides and underneath the blade.
Cashew dressings thicken as they sit. Add a little lemon juice or vinegar to thin it if necessary.
I make many cashew dressings and highly recommend rinsing cashews after soaking. This tiny step rinses away some of the natural oil that collects through the soaking process. Want to test that theory? Just look at the soaking water.
Denise's Pro Tip. I've said it before, but alwayssoak cashews. Even if you have a high-speed blender, soaked cashews blend smoother for a creamy texture.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
Even celery sticks or radishes get gobbled up when there's ranch dressing within reach. And I probably don't need to give you serving suggestions, but one of my favorite ways to use it is over veggie burgers. A little leftover ranch with vegan tempeh burgers is ace!
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Creamy Vegan Ranch Dressing
Easy, creamy vegan ranch dressing recipe with no added oil, dairy free, with accessible plant-based ingredients perfect for dips, pasta salad, veggie burgers and more.
Author: Denise Perrault
Rate this Recipe:
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Condiment
Cuisine American
Diet Vegan
Servings 5
Calories 161 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ - 1 cup plant milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic - minced or pressed, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chives - chopped
- 2 tablespoons dill - chopped
Instructions
Soak. Add the cashews to a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 15 minutes. Or soak them overnight in warm water.
Blend. Drain and rinse the cashews. Add them to a blender with the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, and ½ cup of plant milk. Blend until smooth. Add more plant milk, a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
Mix. Transfer the dressing mixture to a bowl. Stir in the pepper, chives, and dill.
Taste. Taste and add salt, more black pepper, lemon juice, or vinegar as desired.
Yield. Makes 1 ½ cups.
Notes
- Nutritional information is based on ¼ cup servings.
- Rinsing cashews after soaking removes excess oil and dust. It makes a difference in the texture and flavor.
- Leftover dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. Stir it before serving. Add a little lemon juice to thin it out.
- Test the dressing before removing it from the blender. If it is gritty, continue blending and add more plant milk. Use a spatula to clean the sides and bottom of the blender.
- To replace the fresh herbs with dried, start with 1 teaspoon of dried dill and chives. Another quick alternative is Italian seasoning.
Nutrition
Calories: 161kcal (8%)Carbohydrates: 11g (4%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 12g (18%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 15mg (1%)Potassium: 206mg (6%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 4g (4%)Vitamin A: 115IU (2%)Vitamin C: 4mg (5%)Calcium: 50mg (5%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Rhonda
Iam going to try white beans instead of cashews thankyou
Reply
Linda Mcilroy
Do you soak your cashews first.?
Reply
Denise
No need to soak the cashews - you can just grind them up dry and make the dressing. It's a huge time-saver. If you don't have a spice grinder, then soak the cashews and add them to the rest of the dressing.
Reply
Denise Perrault
Love this yummy dressing recipe!Reply
