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Home » Oil-Free Ranch Dressing

Oil-Free Ranch Dressing

August 28, 2016 By Diane Smith 12 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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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.

Vegan Ranch Dressing

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.

Vegan Ranch Dressing

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.

"Cooking with Plantricious Friendly Guidelines" Seal

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.

Vegan Ranch Dressing
Print Recipe
3.95 from 39 votes

Ranch Dressing

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.
Prep Time40 mins
Total Time40 mins
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

  • Measuring Cups and Spoons
  • High-Speed Blender
  • 8 oz Glass Jars

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)
Prevent your screen from going dark

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

Nutrition for 2 Tbl with Cashews
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%

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Ranch Dressing
Amount per Serving
Calories
107
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
8.3
g
13
%
Saturated Fat
 
1.5
g
9
%
Sodium
 
76
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
6.2
g
2
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
1.2
g
1
%
Protein
 
3.5
g
7
%
Vitamin C
 
0.8
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
10
mg
1
%
Iron
 
1.4
mg
8
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Tag @PlantBasedCooking on Intagram!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Glenna Boutilier

    July 29, 2017 at 5:45 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      July 29, 2017 at 7:11 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Joan

        July 20, 2018 at 2:34 pm

        Hi❣️ I’ve been reading the Plant Paradox and it says Cashews are Lectin/toxic because they are part of the Poisin Ivy family!?

        Reply
        • Diane Smith

          July 22, 2018 at 11:40 am

          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.

          Reply
  2. Pam in Sacramento

    September 2, 2017 at 8:12 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      September 3, 2017 at 11:17 am

      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!

      Reply
  3. Patty

    September 3, 2018 at 8:47 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      September 4, 2018 at 10:57 am

      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.

      Reply
  4. Ken Uyeda

    September 15, 2020 at 1:26 pm

    Hello,
    I would like to know is it 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk?
    Thanks,
    Ken

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      September 15, 2020 at 1:32 pm

      Yep, it’s for unsweetened non-dairy milk. 👍

      Reply
  5. Patti

    July 16, 2021 at 8:42 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      July 17, 2021 at 10:46 am

      Good suggestions. I love that you’re making it your own. We all have different tastes so why not.

      Reply

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