Vegan Ranch Dressing (2024)

Here’s a creamy, delicious recipe for Vegan Ranch Dressing, dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free. It’s low-calorie, made creamy with silken tofu. Perfect for salads, wraps, bowls, or as a veggie dip! This can also be made oil-free.

Hooray for salad season! The farmer’s markets are open and full of beautiful tender salad greens just waiting to come home with us. Here’s a homemade ranch dressing that is perfect for some of you out there, watching your calories, cholesterol, oil, or fat intake but still craving something creamy- Vegan Ranch Dressing! This recipe is made with silken tofu, instead of cashews or vegan mayo. Silken tofu is loaded with protein and naturally very low in fat, but it still has a very creamy consistency when blended.

Use it as a salad dressing, toss it with your favorite greens, or serve it as a flavorful dip with veggies. This vegan ranch recipe has a delicious depth of flavor and a tanginess we all know and crave.

Vegan Ranch Ingredients

• silken tofu– use firm or extra-firm Silken Tofu,found in most grocery stores and is usually not refrigerated. It is not the same as regular tofu. It has a very silky, grain-free texture, perfect for sauces, soups, dressings and desserts. I like this brand because it is non-gmo and organic. I also like it because it is not refrigerated and doesn’t go bad. I always keep a few in my pantry.
• olive oil (or sub with water — or use half oil, half water)
• garlic cloves (or sub granulated garlic powder)
• onion powder (or sub a few slices of onion)
• salt
• crushed peppercorns ( or stir these in at the end)
• apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
• nutritional yeast (optional)
• fresh herbs (oregano, dill, tarragon, chives, or parsley) or use dried herbs: dried dill, chives, or oregano

How to make a vegan ranch dressing

Step 1: Place all ingredients in a blender.

Add a little liquid ( use olive oil or water) to get the blender motor going.

Step 2: Blend until very very smooth!

Taste and adjust salt, pepper, acid and olive oil to your liking. For extra richness, feel free to add more olive oil.

Step 3: Refrigerate.

Chill. The dressing will thicken as it chills and tastes better cold.

Chef’s tips

Store the Creamy Vegan Ranch Dressing in a sealed jar in the fridge for 7- 10 days.

To preserve the dressing a little longer in the refrigerator, use vinegar, not lemon juice. Use garlic powder and onion powder rather than fresh garlic or onion, and use dried herbs rather than fresh herbs. This will extend its life up to two weeks.

Ways to use Vegan Ranch

1. Toss with salad greens
2. Drizzle over vegan pizza or veggie burgers for a little bit of creaminess.
3. Use a dip for healthy veggies.
4. Add to sandwiches and wraps.

Vegan Ranch Dressing Variations

• Add cajun spice! Viola-Cajun Ranch.
• Add jalapeno or chipotle.
• Add a couple of tablespoons of pesto! Vegan Pesto Dressing.
• Try other herbs- cilantro (for a Mexican twist) and a few slices of jalapeno, or fresh dill, fresh basil, etc.
• For extra depth- like to create a “dip” add 1-2 teaspoons of white miso paste.

More Favorite Vegan Salad Dressing!

• Creamy Herby Hemp Seed Dressing
• Creamy Avocado Dressing
• Vanilla Fig Dressing
• Peanut Dressing
• Miso Dressing
• Greek Salad Dressing

Enjoy the best Vegan Ranch Dressing! This simple, basic recipe is perfect for you to fiddle with and perfect to your own tastes. I hope you embellish it and have fun with it.

Have a great week!

xoxo

Sylvia

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