Are you a Ranch dressing fan who adheres to a vegan diet or has a dairy intolerance? Well, I’m here to tell you, dairy-free vegan Ranch dressing isn’t just possible – it’s really good! Ranch dressing has been the classic American dip/salad dressing for decades. Steve Henson of Hidden Valley Ranch fame came up with the recipe and served it at the ranch back in the 1950’s. It was so popular, he and his wife, Gayle, built a business around it, took it mass market, and it’s been a fixture on dinner tables and crudite trays ever since. Have a kid who’s veggie-averse? Let them dip or drizzle with Ranch dressing and suddenly they’re reaching for more!
My daughter’s had to avoid dairy for several years now, and there are plenty of non-dairy dressings you can buy or make. She typically uses a balsamic on salads, but sometimes you want a cool, creamy dairy-like dressing. We had a Cobb style salad for dinner recently and that just seems to scream for Ranch dressing so I gave it a go.
Coconut yogurt subs for buttermilk in this creamy, tangy, dairy free, soy free, vegan Ranch Dressing.
The classic Ranch dressing recipe uses buttermilk, lemon juice, garlic, onion, spices and herbs. I thought coconut yogurt with its fermented slightly tangy flavor and creamy consistency could be a good substitute for the buttermilk. A little white wine vinegar enhances the acidity just enough. A mixture of dried seasonings, Dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice and herbs bring that classic Ranch flavor we’ve all come to know and love! You can thin this vegan Ranch dressing to whatever consistency you like with coconut milk beverage (the kind in the big cartons, not canned coconut milk.)
Make someone happy with dairy free soy free vegan Ranch dressing!
I’m not dairy-free myself so I think I kind of underappreciated how much joy a dairy free Ranch dressing would bring. My daughter so enjoyed having a Cobb salad with creamy white Ranch dressing. Part of it is when you’ve been denied something that’s kind of ubiquitous and most people take for granted, it’s a treat to be able to have it again. But this was seriously good, too! The rest of us did not miss the dairy a bit!
- One 6 oz container plain coconut yogurt
- 1 ½ Tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1 ½ Tbsp finely chopped chives
- ¼ tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ tsp dried dill weed
- ¼ tsp granulated garlic
- ½ tsp granulated onion
- ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp canola oil (or other light flavored oil)
- 1 Tbsp coconut milk beverage or more (the thin kind for drinking that comes in cartons, not the thick canned coconut milk)
- Mix all ingredients except coconut milk beverage well. If you’re using this as a dip you might not need the coconut milk.
- Mix in coconut milk beverage (1 Tbsp or more) to reach the desired consistency.
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