A few weeks ago I cut out dairy in an effort to get rid of intermittent migraines. And it worked. I think I was eating too much aged cheese and chocolate. The great thing was it gave me the chance to dig into some healthy dairy-free options, like this ranch dressing recipe.

I usually make my ranch dressing from my SCD cookbook, using mayonnaise and yogurt (or coconut milk), but I switched to this dairy-free, egg-free ranch dressing made with cashews.

The trick to preparing cashews for dairy-free recipes is to soak them in water for a few hours. After soaking, rinse and pulse them in a high speed blender or food processor with water or other liquid. Blend or process the cashews until you have a creamy consistency.

If you want to speed up the soaking process, you can soak the cashews in a bowl of hot water for at least 10 minutes.

That’s it!

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Ranch Dressing {dairy free}

Updated on 3/31/2019: I increased the salt from 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon, increases the lemon juice to 2 tablespoons, and reduced the herbs to 1 tablespoon each. I prefer even a bit more lemon juice, so I go close to 2 1/2 tablespoons.

To use dried herbs, use 1 teaspoon of dried dill and parsley. The general formula for is one tablespoon of fresh herbs to one teaspoon of dried herbs.

I add the cashews to a bowl of water, with about an inch or so of extra water covering them because they tend to expand a bit. If the cashews are done soaking before you're ready to use them, rinse them and then store them covered in the refrigerator for a day.

To speed up the soaking process, you can soak the cashews in a bowl of hot water for at least 10 minutes.

I've been using cashew pieces from Trader Joe's because they're a bit cheaper than whole cashews, and you can just measure them by weight.

For the seasonings and herbs, fresh is best, but if you don't have it, use dried herbs. I tend to use dried onion and garlic along with fresh dill and parsley, so that's what this recipe uses. Also, feel free to add black pepper to taste. Sometimes I add dried oregano as well. If you're using dried dill and parsley, use 1 teaspoon for every tablespoon of the fresh herb.

And finally, 3/4 cup of water is a good amount for a thick dressing. To thin it, it's best to add additional water while you're blending the cashews. About 1 cup or a bit more will get you a thinner dressing.

Servings: tablespoons or 1 cup

Calories: 45kcal

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews soaked in water for a few hours and rinsed; or soak in hot water for at least 10 minutes
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 large lemon
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon fresh dill no stems
1 tablespoon fresh parsley no stems

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine the soaked cashews and water in a high speed blender or food processor, and blend until creamy.
Add the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, and parsley and pulse to mix it up.
Use for salads, dips, sauces, etc. Store sealed in the refrigerator for a week.

Nutrition

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Comments

Rebecca

September 21, 2020 at 12:34 pm

Can you use dried herbs and if so how much?

- Erica
  
  September 21, 2020 at 9:52 pm
  
  Yes! It’s in the headnotes: To use dried herbs, use 1 teaspoon of dried dill and parsley. The general formula for is one tablespoon of fresh herbs to one teaspoon of dried herbs.
  
suzanne

November 6, 2017 at 5:57 am

How long can this be kept in frig?

- Erica
  
  November 6, 2017 at 7:56 am
  
  I’ve kept it as long as 2 weeks.
  
Julia

September 25, 2017 at 6:58 am

Is there another recipe you might have that does not use nuts?
My daughter can’t have them. Thank you.

- Erica
  
  September 25, 2017 at 7:59 am
  
  Cashews are the only nut that gets this consistency and taste of dairy (that I know of). You can substitute dairy-free yogurt and mayonnaise (about half and half) which is the recipe in my SCD cookbook. Or use mayonnaise and coconut milk. Mayonnaise isn’t usually egg-free though.
  
JANET CARMICHAEL

September 25, 2017 at 5:01 am

Is there a nut that works if your are low FODMAP? Cashews aren’t allowed.

- Erica
  
  September 25, 2017 at 8:00 am
  
  Cashews are the only nut that gets this consistency and taste of dairy (that I know of). You can substitute dairy-free yogurt and mayonnaise (about half and half) which is the recipe in my SCD cookbook. Or use a combination of mayonnaise and and dairy-free milk. Mayonnaise isn’t usually egg-free though.