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    Home » Salads

    Vegan blue cheese dressing

    Published: Jul 28, 2020 · Modified: Apr 2, 2023 by Cadry Nelson
    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Text overlay: Vegan blue cheese dressing. Dressing being poured from pitcher onto salad.

    Vegan blue cheese dressing is filled with the savory flavors of parsley, oregano, and basil, along with chewy crumbles of tofu.

    It’s terrific on a diner-style salad. Use it as a dunking sauce. Or pour it over a buffalo-flavored sandwich.

    Vegan and gluten-free.

    Tiny pitcher with non-dairy salad dressing.

    Vegan blue cheese dressing reminds me of many a diner-meal – eating salads out of bread bowls or countering the spiciness of buffalo sauce on a fried appetizer.

    Sadly, vegetarian diners are hard to come by in my neck of the woods.

    (I miss you, Chicago Diner, Spiral Diner, Champs Diner, and Fare Well!)

    However, if you have a few common plant-based staples in the refrigerator & pantry, it’s easy to make your own vegan blue cheese dressing at home.

    This dressing is a cross between blue cheese and ranch.

    It has the chunky, crumbled bites that are reminiscent of blue cheese. No dairy here, though. The crumbles are made with tofu.

    The flavorings hearken to ranch with apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, and garlic powder.

    This non-dairy blue cheese dressing recipe has shown up on my blog multiple times over the years. It’s usually an add-on to other recipes that need something cool and creamy for balance.

    However, I thought it was high time to give it a post of its own.

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Step by step instructions
    • What kind of tofu should I use?
    • Can it be made without soy?
    • Serving ideas
    • Storage instructions
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

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

    Labeled ingredients for vegan blue cheese dressing.

    Tofu: I recommend super firm, vacuum-packed tofu.

    Vegan mayonnaise: Vegenaise is my favorite. But any eggless mayo you enjoy will work here.

    Non-dairy milk: Cashew is my go-to milk. But any kind will work including soy milk or almond milk.

    Apple cider vinegar: This vinegar adds tang and sweetness. It can be replaced with white vinegar or rice vinegar.

    Lemon juice: Lemon juice adds acid. For the best flavor, I recommend freshly squeezed.

    Herbs & seasonings: You’ll need dried parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, and salt.

    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.

    Mix the following in a bowl:

    • Vegan mayonnaise
    • Lemon juice
    • Apple cider vinegar
    • Non-dairy milk
    • Dried parsley
    • Dried oregano
    • Dried basil
    • Garlic powder
    • Salt
    • Crumbled super firm tofu

    If you’re using the dressing as a sandwich topper, I recommend going lighter on the non-dairy milk. A thicker dressing stays in place better on sandwiches.

    However, if you’re using it as a salad dressing, a little more non-dairy milk helps it to thin and spread out on leafy greens.

    What kind of tofu should I use?

    Blocks of super firm tofu in refrigerated case.

    I like to use vacuum-packed super firm tofu for the “blue cheese” part of this dressing.

    It isn’t packed in water. So it doesn’t add any additional liquid to the recipe or dilute the flavor.

    Usually I buy it at Trader Joe’s. It’s one of my favorite vegan Trader Joe’s products.

    But lots of other brands sell it too.

    If you don’t have access to vacuum-packed tofu, you have options. You can press it first.

    (Need some help? Follow the recommendations in my post on how to press tofu.)

    Or you can make it with drained water-packed tofu that hasn’t been pressed.

    Be careful to add the non-dairy milk into the dressing slowly, so that you don’t go overboard with the liquid.

    Can it be made without soy?

    Yes!

    If you need/want to avoid soy, make sure your vegan mayo is soy-free. (Vegenaise makes a soy-free version.)

    Then either omit the tofu crumbles. Or replace them with an equal amount of almond feta.

    Serving ideas

    Salad in bowl with non-dairy dressing.

    Since this is a salad dressing, some leafy greens are a good starting point.

    Add this dressing to any salad. It’s particularly nice with romaine or green leaf lettuce, which are milder, and really let the dressing shine.

    A vegan chef salad, perhaps?

    It would also be fun on an old school wedge salad with iceberg lettuce and crumbled seitan bacon.

    Buffalo chickpea sandwich topped with vegan blue cheese dressing.

    Blue cheese is also a nice counterpoint to spicy buffalo sauces. It provides cool relief.

    • Add it to the top of a buffalo chickpea sandwich.
    • Pile it on top of a buffalo Soy Curls sandwich.
    • Spoon it onto a bowl of buffalo hummus.
    • Roll buffalo hummus into tortilla pinwheels.
    • Fire up the barbecue, and make buffalo-style grilled corn on the cob.

    Storage instructions

    Keep the dressing in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

    Keep in mind that the tofu may absorb liquid as it sits, thickening the dressing.

    If you want to thin it out, add another splash of non-dairy milk and stir before serving.

    Tiny pitcher with dressing being poured onto salad.

    📖 Recipe

    Vegan blue cheese dressing being poured onto salad.

    Vegan blue cheese dressing

    Author: Cadry Nelson
    5 from 6 votes
    Creamy non-dairy blue cheese works wonderfully on a romaine or wedge style salad. Dunk your spicy cauliflower wings into it. Or use it as a sandwich spread on top of buffalo chickpeas.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 4 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 minute minute
    Servings: 4 people
    Course: Dressing
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Keyword: creamy dressing, easy salad dressing
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup crumbled tofu about 2.5 ounces super firm tofu*
    • ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise I use Vegenaise
    • 1 to 2 teaspoons non-dairy milk I use cashew milk
    • ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
    • ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
    • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
    • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
    • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
    • Pinch of salt

    Instructions

    • In a bowl, combine the crumbled tofu, vegan mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, and pinch of salt.
    • If you're planning on using this dressing for a salad or would just like a thinner dressing, add an additional teaspoon of non-dairy milk, and stir to combine.
      If you're planning on using the dressing for a sandwich spread, you likely won't need any extra non-dairy milk.
    • Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.
      Move dressing to a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

    Notes

    For the tofu, I like to use super firm tofu in vacuum packaging, because it’s not packed in water. Water-packed tofu may add too much additional liquid and/or dilute the flavor.
    You can use water-packed tofu, but you may want to press it first. (Here’s how to press tofu.)
    If you don’t want to wait, you can use drained tofu without pressing. However, slowly add the non-dairy milk to the dressing, because you may not need as much.
    The salad dressing will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days. If it thickens while storing, add another splash of non-dairy milk and stir before serving.
    There are more ideas of ways to use this dressing in the body of the blog post.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 24mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg

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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Yahoo, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

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    1. Ramona

      September 16, 2020 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      Hi Cadry,

      I was intrigued by your recipe and hurried to try it out. It turned out delicious, I used it as a spread on dark German bread. Honestly, I can’t even remember how blue cheese tastes therefore I can’t tell if what I made really relates to the taste of blue cheese – but who cares when you have a bowl of deliciousness in front of you. I’ll add this sauce/spread to my staple recipes. Btw, I added loads of nutritional yeast because I like the depth of flavor it brings to almost any savory dish.

      Thanks again for the recipe.
      Cheers,
      Ramona

      Reply
      • Cadry

        September 17, 2020 at 9:32 am

        Thanks for the great feedback, Ramona! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you also for adding me to your vegan food blogs list. Much appreciated!

        Reply
    2. Bianca Phillips

      July 29, 2020 at 3:42 pm

      Yum!! I never liked actual blue cheese dressing because the moldy stuff freaks me out. But I would love this!! Mold-free!!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        August 07, 2020 at 7:51 am

        Haha! Perfect. I agree that dairy-based blue cheese had a specific kind of funk that was never my favorite. This vegan version has none of that!

        Reply
    3. CC

      July 29, 2020 at 12:16 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this and having it on a kale salad and as a dip for baked tempeh. What a nice flavor and texture it has! It doesn’t taste like Maytag blue cheese because what does! But it has hints of blue cheese. I used Old Capitol Firmest tofu, made in Iowa City. I will definitely make this recipe again.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        August 06, 2020 at 10:29 am

        Thank you for the feedback, CC! I’m so glad you enjoyed the dressing. Good call on the Old Capitol tofu. Their tofu is delicious!

        Reply
    4. Aayush Bucha

      July 28, 2020 at 9:52 pm

      5 stars
      We want more vegan recipes like this. Yummmmmmmmm….

      Reply
      • Cadry

        July 29, 2020 at 11:41 am

        Happy to oblige!

        Reply
    5. Shell

      July 28, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      5 stars
      There is so much goodness in this post! I love blue cheese, buffalo, wedge salads, hummus, etc. Yum!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        July 29, 2020 at 11:41 am

        Thanks, Shell! Glad to hear you’re a fan!

        Reply

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