This plant-based, vegan ranch dressing tastes so rich and creamy, you won’t believe it’s dairy free. Serve with a wedge of lettuce or as a dip with vegetables.
Many dressings in the supermarket aisles, even the organic ones, are loaded with unnecessary sugar and refined oils. I love making my own dressings because I then know what is going into my body. The beautiful part about it is that they are just so quick and simple to make.
This protein-rich creamy ranch dressing is made with soaked cashews, beautiful fresh herbs, spices, and a dash of probiotic-rich apple cider vinegar to give it that tang.
Cashews, when soaked and blended with a little bit of liquid, creates a beautiful “cream”. No need for sour cream here!
Have a look at a few more plant-based dressings:
- Oil-Free Honey Mustard Dressing
- Tahini Dressing
- Green Goddess Dressing
- Mexican Chopped Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing
If you don’t have cashews on hand and still would love to make this dressing, you can use almond milk with….chia seeds! Chia seeds are super rich in Omega 3 fatty acids which are nourishing for your skin hair and nails, and for your muscles.
The chia seeds, when added to liquid, thickens and forms a fiber soluble gel-like consistency which helps lubricate your intestines and offers support for digestion. All ingredients are blended in the blender, and it’s as easy as that!
This dressing will last about a week in the refrigerator when stored in a sealed mason jar.
I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Plant-Based, Vegan Ranch Dressing Recipe! If you have a photo, post it on my Instagram page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!
This recipe is Plantricious Friendly because it meets the following guidelines.
The Trusted Seal for
Plant-Based Nutrition
- Must be whole food plant-based, contains no animal products
- May be minimally processed
- No added oil
- No added sugars
- No artificial additives or preservatives
- *Plantricious Friendly foods may include but are not limited to condiments, fermented foods, soups, sauces, beverages, dressings, marinades, etc.
Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked for 1 hour in hot water
- -OR 3/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- -plus 1 Tbl chia seeds (these will thicken the dressing after several minutes)
- 3 Tbl apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 plus 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbl minced fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
- 1 Tbl minced fresh dill weed or 1 tsp dried
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Place the cashews (or non-dairy milk and chia seeds), water, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a blender and process until smooth and creamy.
- Remove to your container and add the minced basil and dill weed.
- Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- Yield: 1 cup
Notes
RECIPE NOTE: Chia seeds take some time to gel and thicken.
Nutrition for 2 Tbl with Non-Dairy Milk and Chia seeds
Calories: 24
Total Fat: 1.7 g
Sat Fat: 0.2 g
Sodium 85 mg
Total Carbs: 1.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 1 g
Sugars: 0 g
Protein: 1 g.
Vit A & C: 0%
Calcium: 6%, Iron: 3%
Hi – could you tell me how long to soak the cashews? Also, is the 368 calories for the entire cup and if not, would you tell me what quantity it is for. Thanks so much – can’t wait to try it.
Glenna, I updated the recipe to make the instructions clearer. You should soak the raw cashews for about an hour in hot water. If you have a high-power blender, the soaking time can be less. If you use room temp water, more. Also, I updated the nutrition label to reflect both using cashews OR beans with a serving size of 2 tablespoons. Of course, cashew had a lot more fat and thus ups the calories. Hope that helps.
Hi❣️ I’ve been reading the Plant Paradox and it says Cashews are Lectin/toxic because they are part of the Poisin Ivy family!?
Hey Joan. Thanks for your inquiry. While cashews are toxic if eaten truly raw, the “raw” cashews we eat are actually steamed and not toxic to eat. As far as lectins go, I suggest watching these videos by Dr. Michael Greger from nutritionfacts.org who covers the misinformation on this hot topic. He also has a video reviewing “The Plant Paradox.” Thousands of studies have documented the health and longevity benefits of vegetables, nuts, seeds, and beans. Don’t let scare tactics keep you from gaining optimal health through a variety of foods on a plant-based diet. I hope this helps.
Hi Diane. I’m confused. The nutrition facts are for beans, but the recipe is for plant milk and chia seeds. If I use beans, how much do I need, and what kind works best? Thanks!
Hi Pam, I can see why you were confused. Because you can also make this with cannellini beans, I had put that on as the nutrition label. Oops, I updated the nutrition to include using unsweetened soy milk and chia seeds, which is actually an option in the recipe. If you want to use cannellini beans, I’d say to start with 1 cup drained and rinsed beans and see if it’s got a good consistency. If it’s too thin can add more. Sorry for the confusion!
I did the plant milk with chia and it’s like water. Is it suppose to be like that? Thanks! Hoping this works!
I think I’m going to toss this mixture back into the vitamix with a can of cannellini beans. Too watery.
Hey Patty, using cannellini beans is a great idea for creaminess in dressings! Chia seeds do take some time to thicken, so maybe that was it, but I’m going to test the recipe again and make adjustments, if necessary. Thanks for the feedback.
Hello,
I would like to know is it 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk?
Thanks,
Ken
Yep, it’s for unsweetened non-dairy milk. 👍
Great ideas for makking this recipe “your way”. I use a lot of lemon juice on salads as a dressing with a tad (sprinkle, of olive oil, however, oil free is great and great for you. I will try this out with the chia seeds and almond or oat milk and rather than use the garlic, onion powders, try out using the actual garlic and a bit of onion, and of course adjusting as it develops for a creamy “ranch type” rexture. Thanks for the yummy recipes!
Good suggestions. I love that you’re making it your own. We all have different tastes so why not.