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Vegan ranch dressing (in just 5 minutes!)

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Text overlay: Vegan ranch dressing. Dressing being poured over salad.

Vegan ranch dressing is dotted with dill, parsley, and basil. Granulated onion and garlic gives it bite. It makes a veggie platter all the more craveable. And of course, it’s great for dunking French fries. Fun fact: I hear it can also go on salads. Vegan & gluten-free.

Salad on plate with potato salad.

Where I come from, people take ranch dressing very seriously.

During the 2020 caucus season, a politician was interrupted by an Iowan looking for ranch at a campaign event in a restaurant. It was caught on film & provided plenty of fodder for late night talk show hosts.

Our local t-shirt shop has no fewer than 20 different designs involving ranch. They include pithy sayings like: ranch against the machine, don’t talk to me until I’ve had my ranch, and I’d rather be drinking ranch.

Growing up, in addition to having it on every salad, ranch showed up in unexpected places. My mom mixed the lettuce with ranch before it went into tacos or burritos. (That was great, by the way.)

Dressing being poured over salad.

So when it comes to ranch, I have opinions.

I prefer for it to be mayo-based, as opposed to using something with more of a halo around it like cashews. I want the dressing to feel a little indulgent.

I want it to remind me of those dressings I ate in restaurants at age 16, alongside salty fries. I like a little tang from apple cider vinegar that’s reminiscent of buttermilk, but not so much that it overpowers.

French fry being dipped into dressing.

This vegan ranch dressing ticks all of the boxes. It’s equally great on a Cobb-style salad as it is as a dipping sauce with cauliflower florets.

Plus, it’s lightning fast to make. I’m talking five minutes or less. You couldn’t shove past a presidential candidate in less time.

Since I use dried herbs, it’s easy to have all of the ingredients on hand. It’s super pantry-friendly.

Ranch dressing is usually not vegan, because the mayo that’s typically used includes eggs. However, it’s super easy to veganize with eggless mayo like Vegenaise.

How to make vegan ranch dressing

Ingredients for vegan ranch dressing: Mayo, non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, lemon, and spices.

Here’s what you’ll need to make vegan ranch dressing.

Bowl with vegan ranch dressing, surrounded by ingredients.

In a bowl, combine the following:

  • Vegan mayonnaise
  • Non-dairy milk
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Lemon juice
  • Dried herbs: basil, dill & parsley
  • Onion powder
  • Granulated garlic
  • Salt & pepper

Salad topped with ranch dressing on flowered plate.

Can I use fresh herbs instead?

Yes! If you’d prefer to use fresh herbs over dried, that’s no problem.

Dried herbs have a more intensified flavor. So you’ll want to increase the amount of fresh.

Following the general guidelines, instead of using ½ teaspoon of dried, you’ll need ½ Tablespoon of freshly chopped. But feel free to adjust based on your preferences.

Fresh basil has the most noticeable flavor difference from dried. So you’re going to get more of a pesto flavor with fresh. 

When using fresh herbs, I recommend using a food processor or blender to make sure everything is finely cut down & incorporated. Keep in mind that may turn your ranch a little green.

If you’d rather use fresh garlic, I recommend mincing or using a Microplane zester to make the garlic fine & paste-like. That way you won’t have any big chunks of garlic in a bite. Depending on the size, I’d use 1 or 2 cloves.

Ranch dressing on vegan chick'n strip.

How to use it

Vegan ranch dressing is great on salads, of course.

Mix it into the leafy greens of:

  • Kale salad with roasted chickpeas
  • Southwest salad with grilled corn
  • Taco salad

It’s also a classic dipping sauce for:

  • Veggie platter with carrot & celery sticks
  • Fried or baked French fries
  • Fried pickles

Use ranch instead of blue cheese dressing with buffalo sauce:

  • Buffalo chickpea sandwich
  • Buffalo Soy Curls sandwich
  • Buffalo corn on the cob
  • Buffalo hummus
  • Tortilla pinwheels

Fried pickle chip being dipped into ranch sauce.

How to store

Keep leftover ranch in a covered container in the refrigerator. It will last for about a week.

Hand holding pourer with vegan ranch dressing.

Salad on plate with potato salad.

Vegan ranch dressing

Ranch dressing isn't just for salads! It's also a crowd-pleasing dip for carrot sticks, vegan chick'n strips, French fries, and fried pickles.
Makes about 3/4 cup ranch dressing
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dressing
Cuisine: American, Vegan
Keyword: dipping sauce, easy salad dressing
Prep Time: 4 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 184kcal
Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 4 teaspoons non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • Pinch salt
  • Dash pepper

Instructions

  • In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients with a spoon.
  • Mayonnaise varies by viscosity. If you'd like your dressing to be thinner & more pourable, add another splash of non-dairy milk, and stir it in completely. If you'd like your dressing to be thicker, add another spoonful of vegan mayonnaise, and stir it in completely. Taste for salt, and add more if needed.

Notes

My favorite vegan mayonnaise is Vegenaise, but feel free to use your preferred brand.
If you'd rather use fresh herbs, replace ½ teaspoon dried with ½ Tablespoon of freshly chopped. Feel free to adjust based on your preferences.
When using fresh herbs, I recommend using a food processor or blender to make sure everything is finely cut down & incorporated. Keep in mind that may turn your ranch a little green.
If you’d rather use fresh garlic, I recommend mincing or using a Microplane zester to make the garlic fine & paste-like. Depending on the size, I’d use 1 or 2 cloves.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. It lasts about a week in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!
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Posted On: March 14, 2021
Comment: Leave a Comment

About Cadry

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.

Comments

  1. Shell says

    March 15, 2021 at 10:03 am

    5 stars
    So quick, easy, versatile and yummy!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      March 15, 2021 at 10:33 am

      That’s great to hear. Thanks!

      Reply
    • Vern says

      March 30, 2021 at 12:28 pm

      Thank you for your response to my question on the serving size!
      That helps me!
      Thank you again.
      Vern

      Reply
      • Cadry says

        March 30, 2021 at 2:33 pm

        You’re welcome, Vern! I’m glad to help. 😀

        Reply
  2. Mandy says

    March 15, 2021 at 10:26 pm

    Hehe!! You had me at dunking French fries in it 🙂 But I can definitely see how delicious this would be in salads…especially a kale salad with crispy chickpeas! Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the cashew based ranch dressings, but sometimes you just want to go all out indulgent with mayo. I have all of these ingredients on hand, so I’m going to make it this week!

    P.S. – I got a good laugh at the ranch sayings….sounds about as serious as some people are with coffee 😉 Also, your mom mixing the lettuce with ranch BEFORE going in a taco or burrito is kind of genius!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      March 22, 2021 at 9:30 am

      I agree! I always have cashews on hand, and they’re terrific in salad dressings. Some of my all-time favorites are made with them. But other times, you want something that feels a little more indulgent. Plus, no blender to clean afterwards!

      Reply
      • Mandy says

        March 26, 2021 at 1:24 pm

        5 stars
        Cadry!!! I keep meaning to come back to let you know we made this and loved it…twice! It’s Willow’s new favorite dressing 🙂 it tastes so much like the ranch dressing I ate as a kid and even had the same mouthfeel! We had it with kale salad, raw veggies, and dipped fries in it. As you mentioned above, it was SO nice to not have to clean a blender…I’m a huge fan of mixing up something quick in a bowl. We’ll definitely be making this again…and again! I hope you have a beautiful weekend, my friend!

        Reply
  3. Vern says

    March 30, 2021 at 10:15 am

    In you nutrition segment you say 185 calories per serving (6), but don’t mention the serving size? Or did I just miss it?

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      March 30, 2021 at 11:06 am

      This makes about 3/4 cup of dressing. So divided by 6, that’s 2 Tablespoons in a serving. I hope you enjoy it, Vern!

      Reply

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Welcome

Hi, I'm Cadry Nelson. I'm the recipe creator, writer, and photographer behind Cadry's Kitchen.

Cadry's Kitchen is a vegan food blog featuring comfort food classics. Most recipes are ready in about 30 minutes.

Contact me at cadryskitchen@gmail.com.

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