Creamy onion & garlic salad dressing (vegan)

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Creamy onion & garlic dressing will have you absolutely craving leafy green salads. You’re going to want any excuse to enjoy this flavor-packed dressing loaded with the tastes of alliums.

It’s also amazing for dunking cauliflower, broccoli, fries, and fried pickles! Vegan & gluten-free.

Creamy garlic and onion dressing on top of salad with croutons.

Literally every single time I serve this creamy onion and garlic salad dressing, people ask for the recipe.

“So… is this on your blog?” they ask.

And yet, up until this point, it hasn’t been.

I have a variation of it – my vegan ranch dressing.

But over the years when making that salad dressing at home, I’ve simplified things by using a pre-made seasoning blend instead of adding my own individual dried herbs.

My secret ingredient is Trader Joe’s onion salt.

Many onion salts are just dehydrated onion and salt. But the TJ’s version is made with granulated onion, granulated garlic, minced onion, kosher salt, green onion, and dried chives. So many mouthwatering alliums!

In the end, you get a flavor that’s reminiscent of onion dip or sour cream & chive potato chips.

When onion salt is added to this simple salad dressing, it makes for a totally crave-able dressing that will have you making a meal of salad night after night.

In this post:

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Ingredients
Step by step instructions
Make it your own
Serving suggestions
Storage instructions
FAQ
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

Vegan mayo: Vegenaise is my preferred brand, but use whatever eggless mayo you enjoy.

Onion salt: I recommend using the Trader Joe’s version if it’s available. If not, use whatever onion salt you have.

Instead of onion salt, this dressing is also great with Penzey’s Fox Point or Justice seasoning blend. (By the way, Justice is salt-free.) For a while, either of these Penzey’s blends were my go-to for this dressing. However, they’re both considerably more expensive than Trader Joe’s onion salt, which is only $1.99.

Garlic: Depending on your preferences around raw garlic, you can choose a small or larger clove. I recommend using a zester grater or garlic press, so that large pieces don’t overwhelm individual bites. (Plus, with my favorite garlic press, you don’t even have to peel cloves before pressing!)

Apple cider vinegar: A splash of apple cider vinegar adds tang.

Lemon juice: Lemon juice adds additional tang. Freshly squeezed is best!

Non-dairy milk: Cashew milk is my go-to, but use any plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk you enjoy. Keep in mind that mayo thickness varies from one brand to the next. So that will affect how much non-dairy milk you’ll need to thin it out for dressing.

Step by step instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

Onion and garlic dressing being combined in bowl.

In a bowl, combine the following with a spoon:

Vegan mayo
Garlic
Lemon juice
Apple cider vinegar
Onion salt
Non-dairy milk

Cover and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

Make it your own

Vegetable platter with carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, and vegan salad dressing.

You can make this dressing your own by varying the ingredients and amounts.

For more or less tang, vary the amount of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar.
Depending on the thickness of your mayo, you may need more or less non-dairy milk to reach the ideal dressing consistency.
If you’re a big garlic fan, use a large clove. If not, use a small clove.
Vary the amount of onion salt you use. Instead of adding it by the teaspoonful, you can just shake it into the dressing until it tastes delicious to you.
Replace Trader Joe’s onion salt with Penzey’s Fox Point seasoning, or Justice for a salt-free alternative. Or use your favorite onion salt.
If you don’t have or don’t use spice blends, make vegan ranch dressing instead.

Serving suggestions

Impossible nugget being dipped into creamy onion and garlic dressing.

Obviously, creamy onion & garlic dressing is great on salads like vegan chef salad or taco salad. But it also makes a wonderful dipping & finishing sauce.

It’s amazing with baked fries for dunking.
Serve it alongside appetizers like fried pickles, fried zucchini, polenta fries, onion rings, or jalapeno poppers.
Drizzle it over BBQ jackfruit nachos (instead of ranch dressing.)
Add it to a veggie platter for dipping broccoli, cauliflower florets, and bell pepper slices.
Use it as a dipping sauce with vegan chick’n nuggets.
Toss it with shredded cabbage mix for a quick & easy coleslaw.
Spoon it into cooked pasta and raw veggies for a summery pasta salad.

Storage instructions

Hand dipping broccoli floret into creamy onion and garlic dressing.

Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for about a week.

To make it last as long as possible, be careful not to contaminate the dressing. Always use a clean spoon to portion out a serving, instead of just dunking fries or veggies directly into the stored dressing.

Because of the emulsification, mayo doesn’t handle freezing well. So I don’t recommend freezing this dressing.

Salads on table with onion and garlic salad dressing and croutons.

FAQ

What are more ways to use Trader Joe’s onion salt?

In addition to this onion & garlic dressing, Trader Joe’s onion salt can be used so many ways.
* Use it as the seasoning for air fried or roasted chickpeas
* Sprinkle it on (non-dairy) buttered baguette for air fried or grilled garlic bread
* Season Impossible burgers with it before browning in a skillet or grilling
* Sprinkle it on avocado toast or a bagel with vegan cream cheese
* Instead of plain salt, use it to season air fryer pumpkin seeds
* Add a dash to popcorn along with nutritional yeast
* Put a few generous dashes on mashed potatoes, air fryer baby potatoes, or oven roasted potato hash
* Sprinkle it on corn on the cob or air fryer spaghetti squash