The girls took off for the beach yesterday, and before they left they both mentioned they were craving salad and wanted a Vegan Ranch Dressing.
"Can you make us a salad when we get back with some homemade Vegan Ranch Dressing?"
And that my friends, is how a new recipe gets created .... I mean how on earth can I say no to that? Right?
Knowing my daughter is Lactose Intolerant - and that Ranch is her favorite dressing - I immediately set off to create the perfect, Dairy-Free Vegan Ranch Dressing.
I knew right away though that the million dollar question was going to be - Soy Based? Or Cashew Based?
I know a lot of you hate Soy, and I know a lot of you avoid nuts. So there's really no winning here - other than just making it the way I would like. So for that super creamy texture I remember about Ranch - I went with Cashews. If you want to try this recipe with a block of Tofu? Feel free and let me know how it turns out.
This Vegan Ranch Dressing is a simple recipe, with virtually no prep time other than soaking some Cashews for a while. The rest is all done in a blender - so clean-up is a breeze.
What I did was basically start with just Cashews and Almond Milk in a blender - and then add some spices and flavorings bit by bit until I got the flavor I wanted.
Funny thing was - something always seemed to be missing - until I found my secret ingredient.
And now? It's Creamy Vegan Ranch Perfection.
Hope you like it as much as we do. My daughter had 3 bowls of salad - I think she liked it 🙂
Cool Vegan Ranch Dressing
Easy recipe - I promise.
Soak a cup of whole, unroasted, unsalted, Cashews in some hot water for at least an hour. The longer the better.
Afterwards, drain the cashews well and add to a blender.
Add in the remaining spices and flavorings, and blend on high until smooth and creamy. You may want to stop and scrape down the sides occasionally.
Pour into a container you can seal, and then refrigerate for at least an hour to thicken. The longer it sets, the thicker it will become. I had some the next day and it was perfect.
Oh - and in case you're wondering about that Secret Ingredient?
Miso. That added just the right pizzazz to make this the perfect Vegan Ranch Dressing.
Enjoy!
Cool Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 0 About 2 Cups 1x
- Category: Dressing
- Cuisine: American
Description
The Ultimate Vegan Ranch Dressing - completely oil-free and only using a few ingredients and spices. Perfect on a salad or just for veggie dipping.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cashews ((unsalted, unroasted))
- 1 cup Almond Milk ((unsweetened))
- 2 Tbs Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp White Miso
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Dried Parsley
- ¾ tsp Dill Seed ((ground))
- ½ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Soak Cashews in hot water for at least 1 hour.
- Drain well and add to blender along with remaining ingredients.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Lisa
I made this tonight for dinner, it was fantastic! I ate several more servings of salad than I would have because the dressing was so good!!
Thanks Chuck and happy birthday! 😊
Diana
Chuck,
Thank you for this recipe! I have been looking for a good vegan ranch for about 3 years. This is it! It is absolutely perfect. I will be eating more salads thanks to you. All of your recipes are spot on. I have never made one of your recipes that I didn't like. You are a wizard with whole plant foods. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Deborah
Really enjoyed this dressing.
Kathy
Wow! This is SO good! I finally found a no oil, plant-based ranch dressing that I like. The only thing I changed was the dill. I only had dill weed, so used that. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us.
Shauna
Delicious! I could eat this on EVERYTHING!!! Didn’t have Miso so left it out and used dry dill. Been WFPB for a while now, but to me, this tastes as close to Ranch as I’ve tasted...super yummy!!
Shannon M
I’m not a ranch lover, BUT my niece and nephew are. Made this for them and they liked it. 🙂
I also used dried dill weed, worked fine.
Thanks, Chuck!
Lesley Nicol
Haven’t tried recipe yet as I have a question please.. Can anything else be used instead of Almond milk. TIA
Kathy
I just made this to go with the buffalo cauliflower wings from your website. This dressing is really good. I am excited to find a creamy dressing that will be so good on my salads. Thanks for sharing, Chuck!
Ashley
Thanks for an extremely versatile, delicious recipe! I took up your challenge of trying this with tofu, and it worked with 2 cups of silken tofu (300 g/10.5 oz package). Anyone who tries this version will probably need to add a few more spices to cover up the tofu taste. A little stevia, some ground black pepper, and more lemon juice worked for me. And because that was so delicious, I tried a spicy batch with those three ingredients plus chili powder and smoked paprika. Delicious and adaptable recipe. Thanks so much for this!
Sil
Loved it !thank you so much for the recipe
Donna Doucet
I want to try this recipe but not sure what brand ok white miso to use. Do all brands of white miso has added sea salt
Chuck Underwood
Yes, Miso is traditionally kind of salty.
Patty
I did this exactly. Great texture; tasted like Duncan Hines vanilla frosting - not what I wanted. My husband thought it reminded him of that too. So disappointing. I've yet to find a recipe even useable and so sad I wasted my ingredients.
Becky
Perhaps you mistakenly used vanilla almond milk? I've done that before and it's definitely no good for savory recipes. 🙂 I just made it and there's definitely no vanilla flavor there. Just yummy ranch flavors...and I used dill weed and oat milk, which was all I had.
Victoria Busby
Do you have fat/calorie or nutritional info for this recipe? Thanks!!
Nancy
I have made this twice. I think it is the best vegan ranch I have found. The first time I used only cashews. The second time I used 1/2 cashew and 1/2 white beans. Trying for a lower fat version.The texture was not as good with 1/2 white beans. The skins of the beans are kind of obvious. I might have been able to make it smoother if I blended it longer. Can't wait to try your chili recipe and your coleslaw.
Kathy
Yikes, I don't have cashews and am in the middle of cooking.
Marylou
Do you think subbing white beans on a 1:1 ratio for the nuts would work? Thanks!
Chuck Underwood
Beans will work in some things, and not in others. I tried using white beans in my coleslaw - just would not work. So try it....and see.
Judy Shepherd
My second attempt to make a non-dairy ranch dressing for my 5 yr old granddaughter who loves ranch dressing met with mixed reviews. Meaning I was the only one who really liked it. I only had Dill Weed, so will try another time with Dill Seed after adding it to my shopping list.
Sue Dyer
Made this today and it is definitely a keeper! Like many, I was looking for a healthy replacement for the store-bought ranch. This is it for me,
Thanks Chuck,
Diane
I cannot get your Pinterest button to work on this recipe.
Chuck Underwood
Try it now
Donna Hepburn
I might try adding some nutritional yeast for a creamy cheese ranch. But not sure if it would taste bitter.
kathy roosa
Just what I've been looking for! How long will this last in the refrigerator?
Chuck Underwood
Not too long. It'll probably get watery after a few days but you can mix it back up. The general rule in my house it to toss anything after 3-5 days.
Cat
That's a bit wasteful!
Anne
It’s looks like it would be easy to half the recipe if you think if wouldn’t get eaten before it needed to be trashed.
Irina Ivon
Food poisoning is wasteful. Uses up lots of resources.
Emily
I think eating fresh foods without preservatives will mean there will be some waste. Unless you make a plan to use it for several specific recipes. I’m bad at planning ahead so I have food that goes to waste But it’s better than the alternative I think. .
Gina
OH. My. Goodness! I've been wheat and dairy free for many years now due to allergies and have just gone vegan within the last year, but I have never found a really good ranch dressing recipe - until now! This is so good I couldn't quit licking the drips and the spatula after transferring from blender to bottle, and could almost drink it. Wow!
zemanfamily
We made this for dinner tonight for our taco salads. It was delicious! Thank you for your recipes. We are new to WFPB eating and are always looking for good recipes.
CruznV
Is there something that can be substituted for the Miso... Don't have any and over 30 miles to the city...
Chuck Underwood
Leave it out
Jim
Oh mercy sakes alive! This recipe is excellent. It makes about a pint and a half so plan to use in multiple ways. A winner, Chuck.
Jessica Sorenson
I like it! It's very good on cucumbers. I used 1 tsp dried dill weed since I didn't have ground seed. I didn't remember to soak the cashews for an entire hour... I soaked in very hot water (but not boiling) them while I was getting the rest of the ingredients and my storage jar ready. I used my VitaMix blender. It's got a good texture and a tang.
Sam
Would dried dill weed work?
Jessica Sorenson
I used 1 tsp dried dill weed and I liked the result.
jem
Roasted or raw cashews?
Chuck Underwood
Raw, unroasted, unsalted
jem
Thx.....I have those!
Wilma Laura Wiggins
This was delicious and passed the test with my non-vegan oil-eating, ranch loving family.
Stephanie
Where do you buy miso? Is it a powder or a paste? Does it have to be refrigerated or is it shelf stable? I have no clue here 🙂 Thanks!
Chuck Underwood
Miso comes in a tub, much like Cream Cheese or Sour Cream. It will be refrigerated as it has live cultures - much like yogurt. It is a paste. You can find it in most health food stores, Whole Foods, New Seasons, etc. Some traditional grocery stores carry it too - like my Fred Meyer (Kroger).
GeeksWife
Asian markets and some grocery stores. It would be in the refrigerated section by the tofu. In some Asian markets its on a shelf but needs to be refrigerated after opening.