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!
Ranch Dressing {dairy free}
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
Instructions
- Combine the soaked cashews and water in a high speed blender or food processor, and blend until creamy.
- Add the lemon juice, 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
Can you use dried herbs and if so how much?
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.
How long can this be kept in frig?
I’ve kept it as long as 2 weeks.
Is there another recipe you might have that does not use nuts?
My daughter can’t have them. Thank you.
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.
Is there a nut that works if your are low FODMAP? Cashews aren’t allowed.
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.