Here’s an easy, delicious recipe for Vegan Ranch Dressing that can be made in 5 minutes. It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, and low-calorie, made creamy with silken tofu. It’s perfect for salads or as a vegan ranch dip for veggies. It tastes like the real thing!
Hooray for spring! The farmer’s markets are open and full of beautiful tender salad greens just waiting to come home with us! I have a little spring fever after this extra-long winter in the Pacific Northwest.
I love to use this vegan ranch as a salad dressing tossed with greens or as a flavorful dip with fresh farmer’s market veggies. My husband even likes this- and doesn’t realize it is vegan, and no I don’t tell him. 😉 It has a delicious depth of flavor and a tanginess we all love and crave.
Why you’ll love our vegan ranch dressing
- This vegan ranch dressing recipe is super punchy, creamy, and flavorful. It is perfect for those of you who are watching your calories, cholesterol, oil, or fat intake but still craving something creamy.
- It originates from our vegetarian restaurant, and our customers constantly requested the recipe—well, here it is! Read all the 5-star reviews!
- Make it in 5 minutes! This vegan ranch recipe is almond and cashew-free- which both typically require soaking time beforehand.
- It’s made with creamy silken tofu instead of overly processed store-bought vegan mayonnaise or vegan sour cream. Silken tofu, if unfamiliar, is loaded with protein and naturally very low in fat, but it offers a very creamy consistency when blended.
Why make your own?
Store-bought vegan ranch dressings are often made with low-quality seed oils, which may cause inflammation in the body. So always read the label. Ours is made with olive oil, and we opt for organic, non-GMO tofu.
Vegan Ranch Dressing Ingredients
- Silken tofu—Use firm or extra-firm silken tofu, which is usually not refrigerated and found in most grocery stores. It is not the same as regular tofu. It has a very silky, grain-free texture, perfect for sauces, soups, dressings, and desserts. Opt for organic and non-GMO. Because it is not refrigerated, it doesn’t go bad, so I always have some on hand in the pantry!
- Extra Virgin Olive oil – for richness and added polyphenols (or for an oil -ree version, sub with water — or use half olive oil, half water)
- Fresh garlic cloves (or sub-granulated garlic powder)- for a fresh, punchy flavor.
- Onion powder (or sub a few slices of shallot or onion)
- Salt and black pepper
- Vinegar- a lighter vinegar like apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
- Fresh herbs (oregano, dill, tarragon, chives, or parsley) or use dried herbs: dried dill, chives, or oregano
- Optional additions: miso paste and nutritional yeast– both add punchy depth.
How to make Homemade vegan ranch dressing
Step 1: Place all ingredients in a blender, Vitamix, mini blender, or food processor.
Add a enough 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 it. The dressing will thicken as it chills and tastes better cold. 
Storing vegan Ranch Salad Dressing
Vegan ranch salad dressing lasts up to 7 days in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.
Chef’s tip
To preserve the vegan ranch dressing a little longer in the refrigerator, use vinegar, not lemon juice and 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 12 days.
Ways to use Vegan Ranch
- Toss with salad greens
- Drizzle over vegan pizza or veggie burgers for a little bit of creaminess.
- Use a dip for healthy veggies.
- 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!
- Citrus Vinaigrette
- 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
Print
Homemade Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 heaping cup
- Category: salad, vegan, Dressings, Condiments
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American,
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A delicious recipe for Creamy Vegan Ranch Dressing that can be made without oil! Low calorie & made with silken tofu. Dairy-free, Nut-free, Gluten-Free and ZERO Cholesterol! Perfect for salads, wraps, bowls or as a veggie dip!
Ingredients
- 1 package silken tofu ( 12.3 ounces) firm
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or sub with water for oil-free version)
- 2 fat garlic cloves (or 2 teaspoons granulated garlic)
- 1 rounded teaspoon onion powder (or one tablespoon of shallot or onion)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider or sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1 teaspoon miso paste (optional)
- 1/4–1/2 cup fresh herbs- dill, basil, Italian parsley, or cilantro or a blend (or use 1-2 tablespoons fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dry oregano)
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and add just enough water or olive oil to get the blender going. Scrape down sides as necessary.
- Blend until creamy and smooth!
- Taste. For extra richness or creaminess, add more olive oil. Add any extras that you like- see notes.
- Chill. The dressing will thicken as it chills.
Notes
Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for 7-10 days. See chef’s tips in post body extending the shelf life.
Other additions: Cajun spice (for Cajun Ranch), white miso paste, for extra depth, if using it as a dip. Jalapeno, chipotle, or hot sauce for added kick!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons ( includes the 2 Tablespoons olive oil)
- Calories: 61
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 292.7 mg
- Fat: 4.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.6 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Whoa this recipe blew my mind. Totally delicious and creamy!! It has a quarter of the calories and fat as regular ranch, with B vitamins and a little protein too! I opted for fresh garlic for the nutritional benefit. Also I couldn’t find the exact package of tofu you used so I used a 14oz package of silken tofu and it still came out perfectly.
I’m going to be eating this over a BLT salad with tempeh bacon. YUM!
Great to hear!
Are you meant to blend the herbs too?
Yes. Add it at the end and pulse them in if you prefer them less blended.
Easy to make and Delicious. Great pared with spicy cauliflower wings.
Great to hear! Thanks for circling back and rating!
Should the tofu be drained? If I am using a different brand.
Hi Kim, yes I would drain it. Is it silken tofu?
Hi David- sorry this is not what you were looking for. I would try our Dilly Ranch Dressing, it’s more of a traditional recipe.
LIFE SAVER RECIPE! I am in awe by the flavor & richness of this salad dressing which I made as directed but with no oil and only dried herbs: garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, parsley, and chives. I included the Tbl of nutritional yeast, as well. I used water instead of oil. I am so grateful to have an oil free dressing and one that tastes FABULOUS. I will be making it forever and can’t wait to try it with FRESH herbs. Thank you, thank you, Sylvia!!!!
That is so wonderful Pam, happy to hear this!
Excellent!
These are great ingredients! I like the recipe. Thank you.
Thanks Meggie!
Yummy
I have made similar ones before from other sites
I used dried parsley, dill and basil
Perfect!
Tasted way better than I expected. I used firm tofu because that’s all I had and probably added a little more water and oil to compensate once it was in the blender.
Did you use firm “silken” tofu? Or regular tofu?
Silken.
Who gave this recipe less than 5 stars? Ok, found the review. They said it’s garlicky. Fair. It is. It’s still a five star recipe though. I’m not a big fan of garlic. I cut the amount in half. Best ranch dressing I’ve ever had.
Haha! Love this Lori- I’m glad you enjoyed it too.
Really amazing! So creamy and tasty! I would l never guessed it’s made of tofu. It’s the first recipe that says garlic and onion can be used instead of powder and how much of it. I am new to cooking so its been very helpful! Thank so much you for this great recipe!
Thanks so much and happy this worked for you!
I’m always on the search for a tasty creamy dressing that is vegan. So glad I found this. Amazing! My search is over. I used the soft silken same brand you like and it worked fine; excellent consistency. Wondering why you choose firm or extra firm instead of soft.
I used mostly water and a tad bit of olive oil. Used dill and parsley from the garden. Four garlic cloves. And I ended up adding a tiny bit more apple cider vinegar and salt.
My husband is going to nuts for this dressing.
Thank you, yet again!
Thanks Melissa- glad you like this one! Any of the silken tofu (firm, soft, extra firm) will work well here. I used what I had on hand that day. 😉
I think this is supposed to say 1-2 cups of fresh herbs not 1-2 tablespoons. Otherwise it just tastes like tofu and olive oil. Also I doubled the vinegar. Then its awesome.
Hi Lindsay- I used fresh oregano here- which you want to go lighter with. But if using fresh basil, parsley, cilantro- yes, of course, you can bump these up. I updated the recipe to reflect this. Thanks for pointing that out!
Hi, I hear your concern and I see you truly mean to be helpful. To clarify- this dressing or “dip” is not designed to be consumed on its own. It is designed to be tossed with a big salad or used a as a dip -a few tablespoons served with veggies. If you were eating it straight out of the jar, yes, the salt concentration would be very high, but we are diluting it here, with veggies – hopefully.;)
Perfection! I even included the nooch. Thanks! This is so much healthier than the vegan Hidden Valley Ranch. Stay cool Sylvia!
So glad to hear this Andre!
Made this with my own ranch seasoning but the tofu-water-oil-vinegar ratio gave it the perfect consistency and tang, and I happy to report it froze wonderfully, just a quick stir when thawed! This will be my go-to for tofu when it’s got to be used or go bad.
Awesome to hear Linda- really helpful! Thankyou!
This is so good I love it ❤️
Glad you are enjoying Barbara!
This is delicious! Will definitely be a staple in our home. I’m wondering about the nutrition info. Yours says it’s 2T and 8 servings, but when I made it I got about 16 2 T servings.
Glad you liked this! Yes mine made about 1 cup. Did you use one package of silken tofu?
This was really good, and so happy to have a lower-fat version if began ranch, which is hard to find. Thank you!!
Awesome!
Wow, I made this without oil and it is awesome! I’m new to plant based and when I tasted this I thought, “Wow – I might actually be able to do this.”
Awesome Elaine!
Very nice recipe! Will definately be making it again!
Thanks Andrea!
Best vegan Ranch I’ve tasted! Kudos Sylvia and thank you for sharing!
thanks Jill!
Just made this! Added 1/4c almond meal for texture, 2T fresh dill, a dash of basil and oregano, and extra pepper. So good!
Great Caitlin! sounds good!
This recipe is surprisingly good. There is no tofu taste, and since I love garlic I put four cloves in. I also used dried chives rather than parsley or oregano. Thank you!! I used NO oil and the extra two tablespoons of water. I also cut the salt in half. Thank you!!!
Glad you like this!
amazing trying right now <3
I just made this recipe tonight but added a little bit of lemon juice, pickled jalapeño juice and a few pickled jalapeños and it was AMAZING!!! Thank you for sharing this!!! Finally can enjoy salads with diff option dressing than just Dijon mustard 🙂