This Vegan Ranch Dressing is just as tangy and creamy as the traditional recipe, but it’s oil-free, dairy-free, and it gets its silky smooth texture from cashews!
After I posted a recipe for Buffalo cauliflower wings , so many readers asked me to share the recipe for the vegan ranch dressing I paired them with, and the answer was: I bought it at the store. (Yep, even food bloggers rely on those store-bought convenience items.)
It turns out, you all really wanted a recipe for homemade vegan ranch dressing, so I rolled up my sleeves and got to work developing a creamy, tangy, dairy-free ranch dressing that was even better than my beloved brand of bottled dressing.
Well, here it is! This from-scratch vegan ranch dressing is unbelievably tasty, with that signature tangy flavour you expect from any decent ranch dip and, of course, that luxuriously creamy texture. Whip it up in minutes and add it to all the things !
(Cashews are one of my favourite tricks for making recipes creamy without dairy! Try my Cashew Milk , Cashew Whipped Cream , and Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese for some more ideas.)
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
- Raw cashews – Soak these in water overnight; this softens them up so they can be blended into a smooth consistency.
- Water
- Garlic
- Lime or lemon juice – Lemon juice is a more traditional choice, but lime juice is a nice change of pace!
- Dried onion
- Dried chives
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh dill – Fresh dill is miles better than dried dill when you’re making homemade ranch dressing, but dried certainly works too; use one-third the amount.
- Sea salt
How to Make Vegan Ranch Dressing
Here’s how to make your own plant-based ranch at home!
Combine the ingredients. Place all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender .
Blend. Turn on the blender and slowly increase the blender speed until it’s running on high. (Or use your blender’s dressing setting if it has one.) Blend the dressing until it’s completely smooth, with no bits of cashews or large chunks of garlic.
Finish. Season to taste; add more water for a thinner dressing, or more lime or lemon juice for a tangier flavour.
Tips for Success
While this vegan ranch dressing is easy, I have a bunch of tips to help you get it just right.
- No blender? No problem! You can make this in a food processor instead, but keep in mind that the texture may not be quite as smooth.
- Add the liquid first. Then layer on the solid ingredients. This helps create a vortex that pulls the solid ingredients to the blade, making it harder for air pockets to form.
- Chill if needed. If your blender is running for a while, the dressing may end up being a little warm. If this happens, just pop it in the fridge until it’s chilled.
- Add the dill later, if desired. If you want that classic white ranch dressing, blend the dressing without the dill, then stir it in later. As written, this recipe will give you a dressing with a slight green hue to it since the dill is blended with everything else.
Variations
There are so many ways to customize vegan ranch dressing. Ranch is often paired with spicy foods to temper their heat, but you can add the heat to the dressing instead by stirring in sriracha or your favourite hot sauce.
You can fancy things up by adding cracked black pepper and nutritional yeast for plant-based peppercorn Parmesan ranch, add more herbs, blend in chipotle for some smoky heat—don’t be afraid to experiment!
Serving Suggestions
Obviously, you can use this vegan ranch dressing on a salad (like my Vegan Crispy Cajun Fried Tofu Salad !), but it’s also amazing as a dip for fresh veggies. If you’re one of those people who likes ranch and pizza, try it with my Cauliflower Pizza Bites . I love it as a topping for Quinoa Burgers too!
How to Store
Store your homemade vegan ranch in the fridge for up to a week. It will thicken when chilled, so let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze this dressing for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator before using it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews , soaked overnight in water in a jar (this results in about 1 ¼ cups puffed cashews) and rinsed OR just easily boiled for 5 minutes*
- 3/4 cup fresh water
- 3 garlic cloves , peeled
- 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried onion
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill , chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a high speed blender, blend all the ingredients together until blended and completely creamy and incorporated. You can use your blender’s dressing setting or blend for at least 2 minutes or until blended.
- NOTE: the dill may turn it a slight light green hue, so you can always fold this in afterwards finely chopped. Taste and add more salt or lime/lemon juice if necessary. Add more water if you want it runnier . Serve on salads, with buffalo cauliflower wings or on veggie burgers.
- Store it in the fridge for about a week. Before serving on salad, allow it to sit out of the fridge for about 15 minutes first since it can thicken up if you want it runny.
Notes
This Vegan Ranch Dressing is just as tangy and creamy as the traditional recipe, but it’s oil-free, dairy-free, and it gets its silky smooth texture from cashews!
After I posted a recipe for Buffalo cauliflower wings , so many readers asked me to share the recipe for the vegan ranch dressing I paired them with, and the answer was: I bought it at the store. (Yep, even food bloggers rely on those store-bought convenience items.)
It turns out, you all really wanted a recipe for homemade vegan ranch dressing, so I rolled up my sleeves and got to work developing a creamy, tangy, dairy-free ranch dressing that was even better than my beloved brand of bottled dressing.
Well, here it is! This from-scratch vegan ranch dressing is unbelievably tasty, with that signature tangy flavour you expect from any decent ranch dip and, of course, that luxuriously creamy texture. Whip it up in minutes and add it to all the things !
(Cashews are one of my favourite tricks for making recipes creamy without dairy! Try my Cashew Milk , Cashew Whipped Cream , and Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese for some more ideas.)
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
- Raw cashews – Soak these in water overnight; this softens them up so they can be blended into a smooth consistency.
- Water
- Garlic
- Lime or lemon juice – Lemon juice is a more traditional choice, but lime juice is a nice change of pace!
- Dried onion
- Dried chives
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh dill – Fresh dill is miles better than dried dill when you’re making homemade ranch dressing, but dried certainly works too; use one-third the amount.
- Sea salt
How to Make Vegan Ranch Dressing
Here’s how to make your own plant-based ranch at home!
Combine the ingredients. Place all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender .
Blend. Turn on the blender and slowly increase the blender speed until it’s running on high. (Or use your blender’s dressing setting if it has one.) Blend the dressing until it’s completely smooth, with no bits of cashews or large chunks of garlic.
Finish. Season to taste; add more water for a thinner dressing, or more lime or lemon juice for a tangier flavour.
Tips for Success
While this vegan ranch dressing is easy, I have a bunch of tips to help you get it just right.
- No blender? No problem! You can make this in a food processor instead, but keep in mind that the texture may not be quite as smooth.
- Add the liquid first. Then layer on the solid ingredients. This helps create a vortex that pulls the solid ingredients to the blade, making it harder for air pockets to form.
- Chill if needed. If your blender is running for a while, the dressing may end up being a little warm. If this happens, just pop it in the fridge until it’s chilled.
- Add the dill later, if desired. If you want that classic white ranch dressing, blend the dressing without the dill, then stir it in later. As written, this recipe will give you a dressing with a slight green hue to it since the dill is blended with everything else.
Variations
There are so many ways to customize vegan ranch dressing. Ranch is often paired with spicy foods to temper their heat, but you can add the heat to the dressing instead by stirring in sriracha or your favourite hot sauce.
You can fancy things up by adding cracked black pepper and nutritional yeast for plant-based peppercorn Parmesan ranch, add more herbs, blend in chipotle for some smoky heat—don’t be afraid to experiment!
Serving Suggestions
Obviously, you can use this vegan ranch dressing on a salad (like my Vegan Crispy Cajun Fried Tofu Salad !), but it’s also amazing as a dip for fresh veggies. If you’re one of those people who likes ranch and pizza, try it with my Cauliflower Pizza Bites . I love it as a topping for Quinoa Burgers too!
How to Store
Store your homemade vegan ranch in the fridge for up to a week. It will thicken when chilled, so let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze this dressing for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator before using it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews , soaked overnight in water in a jar (this results in about 1 ¼ cups puffed cashews) and rinsed OR just easily boiled for 5 minutes*
- 3/4 cup fresh water
- 3 garlic cloves , peeled
- 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried onion
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill , chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a high speed blender, blend all the ingredients together until blended and completely creamy and incorporated. You can use your blender’s dressing setting or blend for at least 2 minutes or until blended.
- NOTE: the dill may turn it a slight light green hue, so you can always fold this in afterwards finely chopped. Taste and add more salt or lime/lemon juice if necessary. Add more water if you want it runnier . Serve on salads, with buffalo cauliflower wings or on veggie burgers.
- Store it in the fridge for about a week. Before serving on salad, allow it to sit out of the fridge for about 15 minutes first since it can thicken up if you want it runny.
Notes
Vegan Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked overnight in water in a jar (this results in about 1 ¼ cups puffed cashews) and rinsed OR just easily boiled for 5 minutes*
- 3/4 cup fresh water
- 3 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried onion
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a high speed blender, blend all the ingredients together until blended and completely creamy and incorporated. You can use your blender’s dressing setting or blend for at least 2 minutes or until blended.
- NOTE: the dill may turn it a slight light green hue, so you can always fold this in afterwards finely chopped. Taste and add more salt or lime/lemon juice if necessary. Add more water if you want it runnier . Serve on salads, with buffalo cauliflower wings or on veggie burgers.
- Store it in the fridge for about a week. Before serving on salad, allow it to sit out of the fridge for about 15 minutes first since it can thicken up if you want it runny.
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan Ranch Dressing https://jessicainthekitchen.com/vegan-ranch-dressing-oil-free/ August 10, 2022
This Jamaican jerk tofu recipe is an easy weeknight dinner that’s loaded with authentic flavour. It’s the real deal made by a Jamaican!
If you’ve been reading Jessica in the Kitchen for a while, you know I’m Jamaican. And since I’m Jamaican, maybe you’ve wondered, “Why don’t you have a jerk tofu recipe on your website?!”
Well, friends, I’ve finally gotten around to sharing my Jamaican jerk tofu recipe. And while the internet is full of jerks (er, jerk recipes, I mean), you can feel confident knowing that this recipe is authentic. It’s also saucy and spicy; sweet and savory; chewy and crispy.
Basically, it’s everything good, all in an easy to make, highly meal prep-able package. That’s a win, right?
What Is the Best Jamaican Jerk Seasoning?
The secret to perfect jerk tofu is starting with the best Jamaican jerk seasoning. You can definitely make my homemade Jamaica Jerk Sauce which is 100% authentic and absolutely delicious. Or, you can save time and effort by buying it, and my favourite is Walkerswood. It’s made in Jamaica, it’s vegan, and it’s miles better than the dry jerk seasoning blends you can buy in American grocery stores.
You can order Walkerswood jerk seasoning online, but if you need to substitute it with something else, be sure to use a wet jerk seasoning rather than dry.
What Is in Jerk Seasoning?
Jerk seasoning is a Jamaican spice blend that typically includes allspice, thyme, Scotch bonnet peppers, and cloves. Some jerk seasonings also have ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Everyone has their own favourite blend, with slightly different flavours or proportions of ingredients!
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
- Extra-firm tofu – Press the tofu for 30 minutes. (Learn more: How To Cook Tofu 101 + Best Tips on Making the Most Delicious Tofu )
- Veggie broth – Use store-bought or homemade vegetable broth .
- Poultry seasoning – This is a blend of herbs and spices, so it’s almost always naturally vegan.
- Cornstarch
- BBQ seasoning
- BBQ sauce – Why BBQ sauce? Well, you need a little extra sauce to coat the tofu, but adding more jerk seasoning would make this way too spicy. BBQ sauce makes your jerk tofu perfectly saucy, without making it fiery hot.
- Wet jerk seasoning
- Oil – Any neutral oil with a high smoke point is fine here.
How to Make Jamaican Jerk Tofu
This jerk tofu requires very little hands-on time, although you’ll have to account for the hour of pressing and marinating in your planning.
Marinate the tofu . Tear the tofu into uneven pieces and place them in a bowl. Pour the vegetable broth and poultry seasoning over the tofu and stir to coat. Marinate for about 30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
Add the cornstarch . Sprinkle a tablespoon of cornstarch over the top of the tofu, then stir to coat. Add another half tablespoon if needed.
Cook the tofu . Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook until it’s golden brown on each side, about 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Season . Add the BBQ sauce and jerk seasoning to the tofu. Stir to coat, then let the mixture sit for about 3 minutes before serving.
Tips for Success
Here are some hints and tips for perfect Jamaican jerk tofu:
- Don’t skip pressing the tofu . It’s important to get all the liquid out so the tofu can soak up the flavours you add to it.
- Choose your BBQ sauce wisely . You want the jerk seasoning to be the star here, so just go with a basic barbecue sauce rather than something fancy with flavours that will distract from the jerk.
- Be careful with the jerk seasoning. It is hot , so add 1 teaspoon at a time and taste between additions. You could also use a mild jerk seasoning if you prefer.
Serving Suggestions
I love using this jerk tofu as a meal prep option with brown rice (or cauliflower rice ) and Jamaican Rice and Peas . Round things out with Balsamic Roasted Vegetables , a slab of grilled pineapple, or a simple salad.
You can also fold your Jamaican jerk tofu into warm tortillas for jerk tacos, or pile it onto a bun to make it into a sandwich.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Store leftover jerk tofu in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. It can be reheated in the microwave, or on the stovetop over low heat; you may need to add a splash of water or broth to loosen it up a bit.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
You can freeze jerk tofu in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat it according to the instructions above.
Ingredients
- 1 lb block extra firm tofu
- ⅓ cup veggie broth
- 1 teaspoon bbq seasoning
- 1-2 teaspoon poultry seasoning , pretty much every poultry seasoning is vegan
- 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅓ cup bbq sauce
- 1 tablespoon wet jerk seasoning , Walkerswood works great or use my homemade own
- 2 teaspoons oil
Instructions
- Press your tofu for 30 mins. Tear into uneven pieces. Add to a bowl and pour over your vegetable broth, bbq seasoning and your poultry seasoning. Mix everything together and let it marinate for about 30 mins, until everything is soaked up.
- Add cornstarch and stir everything together again. Start with 1 tbsp, add the extra ½ if you need more to coat it all!
- In a pan over medium high heat, add 2 teaspoons oil. Once hot, add in all your tofu. Crisp it up on each side until golden brown, about 4 to 8 minutes.
- Remove and (you can add this directly into the pan too) add to a bowl or leave in your pan (I just rinse out the same one it was marinating in). Add your bbq sauce and your jerk seasoning. Please note that this is hot, add 1 teaspoon at a time to see if you can manage it. Stir everything together and let it sit for like 3 minutes to absorb. Serve with Rice and Peas and enjoy!
