Here’s a creamy, delicious recipe for Vegan Ranch Dressing, dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free. It’s low-calorie, made creamy with silken tofu. Perfect for salads, wraps, bowls, or as a veggie dip! This can also be made oil-free.
Hooray for salad season! The farmer’s markets are open and full of beautiful tender salad greens just waiting to come home with us. Here’s a homemade ranch dressing that is perfect for some of you out there, watching your calories, cholesterol, oil, or fat intake but still craving something creamy- Vegan Ranch Dressing! This recipe is made with silken tofu, instead of cashews or vegan mayo. Silken tofu is loaded with protein and naturally very low in fat, but it still has a very creamy consistency when blended.
Use it as a salad dressing, toss it with your favorite greens, or serve it as a flavorful dip with veggies. This vegan ranch recipe has a delicious depth of flavor and a tanginess we all know and crave.
Vegan Ranch Ingredients
- silken tofu – use firm or extra-firm Silken Tofu, found in most grocery stores and is usually not refrigerated. It is not the same as regular tofu. It has a very silky, grain-free texture, perfect for sauces, soups, dressings and desserts. I like this brand because it is non-gmo and organic. I also like it because it is not refrigerated and doesn’t go bad. I always keep a few in my pantry.
- olive oil (or sub with water — or use half oil, half water)
- garlic cloves (or sub granulated garlic powder)
- onion powder (or sub a few slices of onion)
- salt
- crushed peppercorns ( or stir these in at the end)
- apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
- nutritional yeast (optional)
- fresh herbs (oregano, dill, tarragon, chives, or parsley) or use dried herbs: dried dill, chives, or oregano
How to make a vegan ranch dressing
Step 1: Place all ingredients in a blender.
Add a little 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. The dressing will thicken as it chills and tastes better cold. 
Chef’s tips
Store the Creamy Vegan Ranch Dressing in a sealed jar in the fridge for 7- 10 days.
To preserve the dressing a little longer in the refrigerator, use vinegar, not lemon juice. 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 two weeks.
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!
- 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
Creamy Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 heaping cup 1x
- 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 — or use 1 T water and 1 T oil– for lower calories)
- 2 fat garlic cloves ( or 2 teaspoons granulated garlic)
- 1 rounded teaspoon onion powder (or a couple slices white onion)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider or sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (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)
- 1 teaspoon crushed peppercorns (or stir these in at the end)
Instructions
- Place 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
Should the tofu be drained? If I am using a different brand.
Hi Kim, yes I would drain it. Is it silken tofu?
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.;)
It’s 2 tablespoons for 300mg of sodium. That’s a lot even if you use it as a dip, because what you’re dipping isn’t usually very calorific & if it is it usually has a decent amount of sodium already in it. Saying it’s meant just as a snack doesn’t downplay the overwhelming amount of sodium in it. Most foods nowadays are way over the 1:1 of sodium to calories so even having this as a treat will keep people above a healthy amount of sodium. I’ve studied health & wellness for over 20 years now so maybe take that 1:1 ratio a little more seriously if you care about yourself & others.
I will be trying your recipe though, minus a lot of sodium, because my father goes through a ton of the stuff! Best wishes & thank you for the recipe!
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 🙂