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Home » Zesty Cashew Cream "Ranch" Dressing

Zesty Cashew Cream "Ranch" Dressing

August 1, 2018 by erica.l.adler

Salad with purple daikons

If y'all know anything about me, then you know I love a good, hearty salad. But if I'm being honest with myself, it's not the actual salad I'm pining after. Don't get me wrong, I love me some veg just as much as (probably more than...) the next gal. But there's no denying that in my heart of hearts, what I'm actually craving is a good vehicle for SAUCE.

Friends and family know this about me. Quentin often cooks GLORIOUSLY moist and delicious pork chops for us for dinner. No matter how juicy and tender those chops are, he's undoubtably rolling his eyes at me midway through the meal when I'm reaching for a lil' sumpin' saucy. I can't help myself. I'm mad about dips!

Which is why I've been working on perfecting this "ranch" style dressing for...months? And I think I've finally cracked it! If there's anything that beats your standard sauce, it's a creamy dip. And that's what we have on our hands here friends.

This dip is:
  1. Aforementioned CREAMY AF
  2. Totally vegan
  3. Gluten-free
  4. Egg free (yes, duh, it's vegan Erica...but this has been huge for me. I have a newly discovered egg intolerance, so finding a creamy sauce that isn't mayo-based has been a game changer.)
  5. Zesty
  6. Perfect for dressing, dipping, and spreading
  7. Delicious!

Platter of vegetables with vegan ranch dipping sauce

Check her out and let me know what you think!

Salad with purple daikons
Print Recipe

Zesty Cashew Cream "Ranch" Dressing

Prep Time10 mins
Soaking time1 hr
Course: Appetizer, Salad
Keyword: dairy free, gluten free, vegan

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ c raw cashews
  • 4 ¾ c water, divided
  • ¼ c fresh parsley
  • 3 tbsp fresh dill
  • 1 tbsp fresh chives
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • juice from ½ a lemon (~1 & ½ tbsp)

Instructions

  • Bring 4 cups water to a boil, add to a separate bowl with cashews and set aside. Allow to soak for 1 hour*
  • Drain and rinse cashews. Add to a high power blender with ¾ c room temperature water and blend on high for at least 3 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary--until creamy texture is achieved.
  • Finely chop herbs.
  • Transfer cashew cream to separate bowl. 
  • Mix in herbs, onion and garlic powder, salt, and lemon juice. Stir and add additional salt to taste. Allow to set in fridge from 30 min. Dip, dress, and spread away!

Notes

*You can also soak your cashews overnight. I prefer the boiling method because it's faster and requires less forethought!
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