Ranch dressing was my favorite when I was growing up. I LOVED the stuff. I ate many meals at Perkins that consisted solely of a bread bowl (sans salad) and ranch dressing. I get quite a few requests for a vegan ranch dressing recipe, so I guess I’m not the only one who’s a fan of the stuff. And while I do have an older, lighter version of silken tofu ranch on the site (which I love) tofu just doesn’t cut it when it comes to recreating the richness of dairy-based ranch dressing. Know what does though? Cashews!
What You’ll Need
Raw cashews. They absolutely need to be raw. Roasted cashews will make your dressing taste like cashew butter. You’ll also need to soak them in water for 4 to 8 hours to soften them up. Tip: If you forget to soak your cashews, try boiling them in water for 20 minutes. Water. Lemon juice. Use fresh squeezed to give your dressing the best flavor! Fresh parsley. Fresh chives. Spices. We’re using onion and garlic powder. Salt & pepper.
How to Make Vegan Ranch Dressing
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dressing. Scroll all the way down if you’d prefer to skip right to the recipe!
Drain your soaked cashews and place them in a food processor or blender with a bit of water. Tip: Consider doubling the recipe if your blending device is very large. If it’s not full enough you’ll constantly be scraping the sides! Blend the cashews and water to a smooth paste. This may take a few minutes, depending on how powerful your blending device is. Add some more water and blend everything again until creamy. Now add your flavorings: lemon juice, parsley, chives, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pulse your blending device until everything is finely chopped and well mixed.
Tip: Taste-test your dressing and make adjustments before taking it out of your blending container. This might mean thinning it with additional water, adding more herbs or spices, or seasoning the dressing with extra lemon juice, salt and/or pepper.
Shelf-Life & Storage
Vegan ranch dressing will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 5 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. It might separate a bit during storage. This is totally normal and nothing to worry about! Just stir it back together before using it.
More Vegan Dips & Dressings
Vegan Spinach Dip Poppy Seed Dressing Vegan French Onion Dip Cashew Queso
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