Make Wings, Salads, and Crudites Sing With This Vegan Ranch Dressing

Ranch dressing has a bad reputation, at least in terms of health—and for good reason, since most of what you’ll find in grocery stores is full of hydrogenated oils and artificial flavors. Skip the over-processed version and opt for this vegan and Paleo-friendly ranch made from soaked raw cashews, apple cider vinegar, and plenty of herbs. Try it with our cauliflower buffalo “wings” for the ultimate appetizer. 

Vegan Ranch Dressing

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1 small bunch chives, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Place cashews in a large bowl and cover with twice the amount of water. Let soak 15 minutes.

Drain and discard water and add cashews to small food processor along with garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, and water. Process until smooth, slowly adding additional water as needed until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the parsley, chives, and black pepper. The dressing will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Photo credit: Paul Delmont