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Southwest Vegan Ranch Dressing – A creamy, tangy, herby, dairy free ranch dressing with a hint of southwest flavors. This dressing is super versatile! Try it on salads, burgers, baked potatoes, stirred into soup, as a dip for raw veggies or french fries…the possibilities are endless!
If you thought you had to give up ranch dressing because you follow a plant based diet, it’s your lucky day. You don’t have to!
There are plenty of store bought options for dairy-free ranch these days, but personally I haven’t found one that is worth spending the money on.
With just 10 ingredients and a blender, you can whip up this homemade version in less than 5 minutes!
Jump to:
🌿Ingredients
Traditional ranch dressing ingredients usually include mayonnaise or oil with buttermilk, garlic, onion, herbs and spices. They are popular because they are creamy and tangy and full of flavor.
This recipe is certainly creamy and tangy and full of flavor and herbs like dill, oregano, and chives, but my homemade version is dairy free, gluten free, and even oil free!
I added some cumin and smoked paprika for a little southwest flare. The cumin and paprika are not at all overpowering and this dairy free dressing would work on pretty much anything you could throw it’s way. But, the added flavors do bring just a little extra something to liven up your food.
🔪Instructions
If you don’t have a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you’ll need to soak your raw cashews in hot water water for a couple of hours to ensure they blend up smooth and creamy.
Then, just throw all the ingredients into the blender and purée until perfectly smooth.
If the dressing seems too thick, you can add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
🌶Substitutions/Adaptations
Following the original recipe ingredients and instructions will give you the best results, but here are some adaptations that will work if need be.
This recipe can easily be made without the cumin and smoked paprika for a more traditional ranch flavor.
If you can’t have nuts, you can sub with sunflower seeds or white beans. If you use white beans, start with 1/3 cup of water, instead of 1/2 cup, and add more if needed.
If you don’t like dill, oregano, or chives – you can replace with parsley.
Like a kick of heat? Feel free to add a small pinch of cayenne.
🥗Serving ideas
There is no wrong way to use this easy vegan ranch dressing. It’s great on salads, anything southwest or Mexican flavored, veggie burgers, baked or roasted potatoes, for dipping raw veggies or french fries, or even a little dollop or swirl on soup would be great!Here are a few recipes we love to pair with it:
Here are a few recipes we love to pair it with:
- Millet Black Bean Patties (instead of the Chipotle sauce, which is a bit too spicy for the kids)
- BBQ Lentils
- Buffalo Chickpea Taquitos
- Southwest Pasta Salad
- Vegetarian Taco Salad (pictured above)
More Vegan Salad Dressing Recipes
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.
Snap a photo and share on Instagram! Be sure to mention @veggie_inspired and tag #veggieinspired so I’m sure to see it!
📖 Recipe
📋Southwest Vegan Ranch Dressing Recipe
A creamy, tangy, herby, dairy free ranch dressing with a hint of southwest flavors. This dressing is super versatile! Try it on salads, burgers, baked potatoes, stirred into soup, as a dip for raw veggies or french fries...the possibilities are endless!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews, (soaked for 1 to 2 hours if you don't have a high speed blender)
- 1/2 cup water
- Juice of 1 lemon, (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon snipped chives
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Add additional water by the tablespoon if needed to thin.
- Enjoy!
Notes
~ This dressing will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for several days.
~ This recipe makes about 1 cup in total. Nutrition facts calculated assuming 2 tablespoons per serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
8 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 66Saturated Fat: 1gSodium: 146mgCarbohydrates: 4gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
Dorothy Endres says
I am eager to try this but cannot use cashews. What amount of white beans are needed when substituting them for the cashews? Thanks!
Jenn Sebestyen says
Hi, Dorothy. Same amount of beans as cashews, but use less water. See the post for details.
Aileen says
Hi, I made the recipe as shown. I found it a bit too sharp. I would definitely leave out the apple cider vinegar. I might add just a touch of maple syrup.
Jenn Sebestyen says
Thank you for your feedback, Aileen!
Aileen says
Just to add,my friend who came for lunch thought it was just delicious without any changes. Great on the salad and over the falafel.
Tracy T says
Wow! This is wonderful
Jenn Sebestyen says
Thank you, Tracy!
Alexandra Coleman says
Sorry I think I just left a comment about the buffalo chicken taquitos on the ranch recipe. Please move over to the correct recipe. Thanks!
Jenn S. says
HaHa! OK! I was so confused for a minute. This makes sense. Thanks!
Judy Stone says
No kidding, this dressing is awesome and goes with everything! Cumin is one of my favorite spices and since I found this recipe a few months ago it is a staple in my fridge. Green salads, vegetable salads, rice and veggies, jackfruit carnitas and tonight I had it on a a bowl of brown rices with chopped arugula and blueberries. It was so yum I had to tell you; thank you so much!
Jenn S. says
Thank you so much, Judy! I want to come eat at your house – all of that sounds so good!! Thank you for your comment! 🙂
Kori says
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! I will definitely be keeping this in my personal recipe book. I made it tonight to top homemade tacos and also put it into a mason jar taco salad for my husband’s lunch tomorrow. I have a hard time finding delicious, vegan dressings and this one definitely takes the cake. Yum!!
Jenn S. says
Thank you so much, Kori! I’m so happy you love it! We put it on almost everything around here! If you like tahini – I just posted a new Citrus Tahini Dressing that is quickly becoming my new favorite. Thanks again for your great feedback!
Shanasy says
Thanks for this delicious versatile dressing! I’ve share this with my FB group “Super Quick Plant-Based Recipes” https://www.facebook.com/SuperQuickPBRecipes/ – where I feature recipes that only take 20 min or less to prepare and use as few ingredients as possible! I think my group will love this AND your site!
Jenn S. says
Oh, thank you so much!! I’ll definitely have to check out that group.
Pucca says
Hi Jennifer
Finding your website gave me hope for more interesting vegan recipes. Why raw as supposed to roasted?
Thanks
Jenn S. says
Hi, Pucca! Thank you! I hope you find lots of delicious recipes to love. Raw cashews get really creamy and don’t have a strong flavor, so they are perfect for turning into sauces! Let me know if you give it a try!
Gina says
About how much does the recipe for creamy cumin ranch dressing make? I’m just wondering because of the calories due to the cashews. Thanks =)
Jenn S. says
Hi, Gina. It makes about a cup. I figured about 2 tbsp per serving when I calculated the nutrition info. Enjoy!
Kristina Niemiec says
Hi! I want to try your recipe but we are peanut & tree nut free in our house….any ideas on how we can make this with Sunbutter (like peanut butter, but with sunflower seeds) instead of cashews? Have you ever tried making it with cashew butter instead of whole cashews? Wondering if I would need to omit the water. What do you think?
Thanks!
Kristina
Jenn S. says
Hi, Kristina. I haven’t tried using Sunbutter or sunflower seeds, but I’m sure you can make it work. If you go with the Sunbutter, I still think you would need some liquid, but just start with a little and work your way up to the texture you want. Also, Sunbutter has a very distinct flavor, whereas raw cashews are pretty mild, so you may need to adjust the seasonings a bit too. Just taste as you go. Report back if you try it with what works or didn’t work. Good luck and enjoy!
Kristina Niemiec says
Thanks! I tried making it with a little less tha a cup of Sunbutter, for a double batch of dressing, I found a formula online that said 2.5 cups of cashews would make 0.9cups of cashew butter, so that’s what I went off of. I still used the same amount of everything else and it is delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Jenn S. says
Oh, that’s great! I’m so glad it worked out. Smart to look up that conversion online. And I’m thrilled that you loved the recipe. Enjoy!
Wendy says
We are peanut and tree nut free in our house too. I sub white beans all the time and things turn out amazing! I just tried it in this recipe and it tastes great. It might need less liquid though.
Jenn S. says
That’s great to know, Wendy! Thank you. I’m so glad you liked it!
Elizabeth says
Love it!!! How long will this stay good for in the fridge?
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Elizabeth. I’ve kept it for 4-5 days. I would imagine it might even keep longer, but we always use it up by then. 🙂
Nicki Escudero says
Hi, Jenn, I made these to go with the chickpea and artichoke taquitos — what a perfect accompaniment! I also made some Mexican rice, and this was perfect with the rice, as well. Thanks for the amazing recipes! Nicki
Jenn S. says
Awesome! This dressing goes with basically everything! Thank you so much for your feedback. Enjoy the rest of your week!
Kim says
This is one of the best things I have EVER tasted! I thinned it a bit so it hits every morsel, or I’d be tempted to eat the whole bottle in one sitting! YUM! Even my non-veggie friends loved this. I’m going to use this to make a southwest coleslaw to a family potluck this weekend. Thank you SO much!
Jenn S. says
Oh, I’m so happy to hear that, Kim! It’s definitely lick-off-the-spoon worthy! 🙂 I have a Black Bean Pasta Salad on the blog that uses this ranch as the dressing. Check it out too! Coleslaw also sounds amazing! Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know. Have a great family potluck!!
Lisa says
I am always hesitant to try new vegan recipes as I am just venturing into being vegan. I have thrown a lot of expensive ingredients away and wasn’t too sure about making this. Boy, am I glad I did! It is sooooo delicious! I can think of so many things to put it on! This is a keeper for sure!!! YUM!!!
Jenn S. says
Oh, yay! I’m so glad you went for it, Lisa! We make this weekly around here and really do put it on everything! 🙂 Thank you so much for your feedback. Good luck in your vegan journey. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to reach out! Thanks again!
Cooking Chat says
Sounds tasty! We are nut free here due to an allergy, but I’m thinking I might be able to duplicate some of the flavor here with silken tofu.
Jenn S. says
Yes, David, I bet tofu would work well too! If you give it a shot, let me know how it turns out! Thanks!
Krista Aasland says
This is incredible! I’m on a dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free journey at the moment, and a lot of pre-made dressings don’t qualify. I love ranch dressing, but this is even better! I will be making this all the time now. Thank you for sharing!
Jenn S. says
Thank you so much, Krista! I’m glad you love it! I put this dressing on EVERYTHING!! Literally, everything! Well, except sweets. 🙂
The Vegan8 says
Jenn I’m so not exaggerating when I say that this dressing is one of the best I have ever had. I probably could have just poured it in a glass and drank it. I, honestly, usually have to spruce up sauce recipes to tweek them to my liking, but this one I followed your recipe to a T and it was absolutely perfect. Smoky, tangy, creamy and perfectly seasoned. I’m almost out of it already, lol! So happy I finally tried it after so many weeks! Will be in my regular rotation for sure, thanks girl! Tagged you on IG with a photo too and had it on tostadas, fries and next will be the remaining drops on pizza, lol!
Jenn S. says
Brandi, THANK YOU so much!!! I’m so glad you loved it! It really does go with everything…I’ve had it on roasted potatoes too (similar to fries I guess). I’ve gotta go check out IG now. I so appreciate all this awesome feedback and thanks for sharing!
pragatibidkar says
I have never really been able to enjoy ranch because it is mayo based..seeing the cashews gave me hope ?..this is on my list now…dill is what I am unsure about…lol..cumin is my old friend ?
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Pragati! If you don’t like dill, you can leave it out…use parsley or more chives…or whatever herbs you like! Let me know how it turns out!
Dawn says
How long will it keep in the fridge?
Jenn S. says
Hi, Dawn. We usually eat it within a few days, so I’m not entirely sure. I would say probably best to use it within 3-4 days.
Dawn says
How long will it keep in the fridge?
We made this and your taco salad tonight! I loved it. Thanks!
Jenn S. says
Hi, Dawn! Just got your other comment too. So glad you loved the salad and dressing!! The dressing will keep a few days. It’s great on almost everything (veggie burgers, roasted veggies, beans and grains bowls, quesadillas, etc!), so you’ll probably use it up before it goes bad. 🙂
Healing Tomato (@healingtomato) says
Cumin is the way to my heart. I love the idea of using it in a ranch dressing. This is a very delicious recipe.
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Rini! I love cumin too! I feel like I use it everything, but it’s just so good! 🙂
Levan Wee says
Jennifer, this looks absolutely fabulous!!! That dressing is to die for. Thanks for sharing another amazing recipe!
Jenn S. says
Thanks so much, Levan!
Howie Fox says
I LOVE cumin! Lots of herbs and tangy is deffo also my thing 🙂
The more I read about it the more I thought about trying it. Thanks for sharing!
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Hauke! This dressing definitely has a little extra something, but it’s still mild enough to use on pretty much everything!
melmcdonald2 says
Yum! I could just drink it….it looks so good! Fabulous idea to serve it with veggie patties too.
Jenn S. says
LOL! Thanks, Mel!
Audrey @ Unconventional Baker says
That looks amazing <3 Love a good creamy dressing and love finding new ways to use up all the chive bushes in my garden. When we moved in I discovered the previous owners must have REALLY loved their chives — soooo many bushes haha 😀
Gwen @SimplyHealthyFamily says
I am beyond thrilled to have found this!!!! Can’t wait to make a huge batch!! How long do you think it will keep in the fridge?
Jenn S. says
Hi, Gwen. I’m not really sure. I have kept it for a week, but nothing longer because I never have any left after that. I hope you love it!
The Vegan 8 says
I still need to try this!! It looks so dang incredible! I be the flavor is outstanding!
Jenn S. says
It’s so good! And even though there are some southwest spices in here, it really is a mild flavor that goes well with everything! Thanks, Brandi!
Pretty Practical Pantry says
I love homemade dressings – certainly helps to keep sodium at bay!
chrysta2014 says
Yesss! Ok so in my opinion ranch is good on pretty much anything. This is such a good condiment to have on hand for some quick and tasty meals. Thanks for sharing!!
Jenn S. says
Oh yes, I totally agree…it goes with EVERYTHING! Thanks, Chrysta!
Madiha says
This is a lovely sauce that I can eat with just about anything!
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Madiha! It does go with pretty much everything!
Linda @ Veganosity says
I have all of the ingredients in my kitchen and can’t wait to make this to put on my salad this afternoon. Thanks Jenn!
Jenn S. says
Great, Linda! Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Nichole Kraft, Food Writing Copyeditor says
I love ranch, I love cumin, and I love smoked paprika! This is ranch dressing heaven! I bet it would be great on baked potatoes. Mmmm… Thanks for sharing!
Jenn S. says
Yes, Nichole! I used it on roasted potatoes just a few days ago…delicious! Thanks for stopping by!
Nichole Kraft, Food Writing Copyeditor says
Now I have ranchy potatoes on the brain! And you’re welcome–I plan to follow along and see what other yummy things you have up your sleeve. 🙂
Sophia @veggies dont bite says
Look delicious Jenn! Love that you are on the sauce train. Brandi and I made up a hashtag to use for our sauces that I’ll be posting on IG about tomorrow…we must get sauces to take over the world! Buahahahaha!!!
Jenn S. says
Ooooh, I love it! Let me know what the hashtag is! The sauce makes the meal!!!
veggiesdontbite says
The sauce definitely makes the meal! I could eat sauce all day!
Jenn S. says
I know you could!! I could too! Sauces rule!
The Vegan 8 says
This looks sooooo good Jennifer!!! I LOVE the idea of adding cumin and smoky paprika! Oh my! Can’t wait to try it! Oh, and I do the same exact thing with my Mexican Black Bean burgers….I crumble them up and put them in burritos as taco meat! So good! Your salad looks gorgeous!
Jenn S. says
Thank you so much, Brandi! It was the perfect dressing for that taco salad, but I drizzled it over roasted potatoes today and it was divine!! 🙂
Natalie says
Give me a carrot stick, there’s dipping to be done!
Jenn S. says
For sure! It goes with everything!
Strength and Sunshine says
Now this is a ranch I can fully support! Yum!
Jenn S. says
🙂 Thanks!!