Name: Oil-Free Vegan Ranch Dip & Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 130 min
Ingredients: 1/2 block of a 16 oz. package of refrigerated organic silken tofu, or 8 oz. of MORI-NU non-GMO soft silken tofu, *excess water drained; 2 tbsp unsweetened, plant-based milk ((Ensure you are using an oil-free milk; use a nut-free milk to keep this recipe nut-free)); 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, divided; 2 tbsp aquafaba ((liquid from canned chickpeas)); 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1 tsp fine sea salt or kosher salt, divided; 1/4 tsp ground mustard (aka dry mustard, mustard powder); 2 1/2 tsp dried parsley; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp dried chives; 3/8 tsp dried dill weed; 1/8 tsp white pepper; 1/8 tsp paprika

A creamy, tangy and flavorful Oil-Free Vegan Ranch Dip and Dressing made with silken tofu that's lower in both calories and fat than the traditional! With no gluten, no dairy, no nuts and no added sugar, you'll want to use this oil-free ranch on everything!

Jump to Recipe

overhead of vegan ranch dip in an orange bowl with veggies around it on a wooden board

You know that person at parties who hangs out by the veggie tray, constantly reloading their plate with globs of the vegan ranch?

No?

Well, now you do because that person is...

Me!

Ranch has always been one of my weaknesses.

I. Just. Can't. Stop. Dipping.

The problem is not with the abundant amount of celery, carrots and broccoli being dipped; the problem is the ranch itself.

Most vegan ranch is made some sort of oil as the base.

And if you don't stick to the suggested serving size, the fat and calories start adding up very quickly.

In fact, I compared the labels of three store-bought vegan ranch dressing brands and found the fat content to range from 13-15 grams for a 2-tablespoon serving while the calories ranged from 130-150 per 2 tablespoons.

Start doubling or tripling the serving size and WOWZERS!

overhead of ranch in an orange bowl with veggies around it and a spoon on a wooden board

Like I said, it adds up quickly.

On the other hand, this oil-free version only has approximately 17 calories and 1 gram of fat per 2 tablespoons (Please note that this is only an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator).

I was actually inspired to make it after I made my oil-free vegan mayo.

That's when I had the idea to create an oil-free vegan ranch using my homemade mayo as the base.

However, I chose to leave out the mayo's optional agave for the dressing as I found it wasn't necessary to achieve the ranch flavor.

I wanted the flavor to be similar to the vegan ranch dressing I made using store-bought oil-based vegan mayonnaise; however, I had to tweak a few of the measurements and ingredients.

So, what ingredients are in this recipe?

Silken Tofu
Aquafaba
Apple Cider Vinegar
Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
Salt
Ground Mustard
Unsweetened Plant-Based Milk
Dried Parsley
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Dried Chives
Dried Dill Weed
White Pepper
Paprika

How to Make Oil-Free Vegan Ranch Dip & Dressing

Place the silken tofu on a plate for 5-10 minutes to remove any excess water.

Carefully hold onto the tofu and tilt the plate over the sink to drain the water off the plate.

While the tofu is draining, add plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar to a pint-sized mason jar to create a vegan "buttermilk."

Stir and set aside.

Plant-Based milk and apple cider vinegar in a mason jar

Then, add parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, dill, white pepper, paprika and salt to a small bowl and set aside.

Seasonings for the ranch in a small bowl

Now, make the mayo base.

You can use an immersion blender (my preferred method), a food processor or a standard blender.

If using an immersion blender, add the tofu to the blending cup that came with your immersion blender.

If you are using a food processor or standard blender, add the tofu to the bowl or your food processor or to your blender.

Then, add the aquafaba, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt and ground mustard.

Use the immersion blender, food processor or blender to combine the ingredients.

See the vegan mayonnaise post for more photos.

Add the homemade mayo to the the milk and apple cider vinegar mixture.

Stir to combine.

Vegan mayo added to the plant-based milk and apple cider mixture in the mason jar

Next, add the seasoning mix. Stir to combine.

Tightly cap the mason jar and shake a few times to further incorporate the ingredients.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to infuse the flavors and firm up the dressing.

Serving Suggestions

Use as a salad dressing or a dip for veggies, tofu nuggets, chick'n or chickpea nuggets or whatever floats your boat!

You can also use it on top of our Buffalo chickpea burgers or our Buffalo chickpea meatballs.

It also makes a great addition to a wrap or bowl!

Storing the Dip/Dressing

Store in the closed mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Overhead of ranch in an orange bowl with lots of veggies around it on a wooden board

More oil-free dressings

Oil-Free Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing & Dip
Oil-Free Salad Dressing (Lemon Herb)
Oil-Free "Honey" Mustard

overhead of ranch in an orange bowl with veggies around it

Print Recipe Save Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Oil-Free Vegan Ranch Dip & Dressing

Course Condiment

Cuisine American, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Keyword dairy-free, egg free, gluten free, plant based, ranch, ranch dip, ranch dressing, vegan

Prep Time 10

Chilling Time 2

Total Time 2 10

Servings (makes approximately 20 tablespoons total)

Calories 17kcal

Author Sherri Hall

Ingredients

½ block of a 16 oz. package of refrigerated organic silken tofu, or 8 oz. of MORI-NU non-GMO soft silken tofu, *excess water drained [OR for a slightly thicker version use 8 oz. of MORI-NU brand non-GMO firm silken tofu and for a super thick version that's best for pasta/potato salads use 8 oz. of MORI-NU brand non-GMO extra firm silken tofu]
2 tablespoon unsweetened, plant-based milk (Ensure you are using an oil-free milk; use a nut-free milk to keep this recipe nut-free)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, divided
2 tablespoon aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt, divided
¼ teaspoon ground mustard (aka dry mustard, mustard powder)
2 ½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ tsp dried chives
⅜ teaspoon dried dill weed
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
⅛ tsp paprika

Instructions

Open the package of silken tofu and carefully remove the block. Transfer the block to a plate and cut it in half. Keep half on the plate and store the other half in an airtight container in the fridge for future use. Leave the tofu on the plate for 5-10 minutes to remove any excess water. Carefully hold onto the tofu and tilt the plate over the sink to drain the water off the plate.
While the tofu is draining, add plant-based milk and 1 teaspoon of the apple cider vinegar to a pint-sized mason jar. Stir and set aside.
Add the parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, dill, white pepper, paprika and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to a small bowl and set aside.
Make the mayo base. Add the tofu to the blending cup that came with your immersion blender. If you are using a food processor or standard blender, add the tofu to the bowl or your food processor or to your blender. Add aquafaba, 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon salt and ground mustard. Use the immersion blender, food processor or blender to combine the ingredients. Blend until you've achieved your desired consistency, scraping down the sides as needed. See notes below for tips.
Add the homemade mayo to the the milk and apple cider vinegar mixture. Stir to combine.
Add the parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, dill, white pepper, paprika and salt seasoning mixture. Stir to combine. Tightly cap the mason jar and shake a few times to further incorporate the ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to infuse the flavors. It will also firm up while refrigerating.

(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)

Suggested Equipment/Tools

Immersion Blender

Notes

*To drain the excess water if using the refrigerated silken tofu or MORI-NU soft silken tofu: Place the tofu on a plate for 5-10 minutes. Carefully hold onto the tofu and tilt the plate over the sink to drain the water off the plate.

If using the MORI-NU firm or extra firm silken tofu, you do not need to drain it on a plate. Instead just drain off the water that surrounded it in the packaging.

Store any unused portions of silken tofu in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3 days.

When blending using the immersion blender, I start off by quickly pressing and letting go and then hold the button down for longer spurts as things start to incorporate, being sure not to overblend. For me, the entire blending process takes less than 30 seconds.

If you are using a food processor, start off by pulsing and then blend on low until you've reached your desired consistency, scraping the sides down as needed. If you are using a standard blender, blend on low until you've reached your desired consistency, scraping the sides down as needed.

Store in the closed mason jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Please note the nutrition calculation for this recipe does not include the aquafaba since there is limited information regarding its nutritional composition. According to this Healthline article, there are approximately 3-5 calories in 1 tablespoon of aquafaba.

Nutrition calculation was made using oat milk. Another plant-based milk will change the calculation slightly.

Nutrition

©Watch Learn Eat. All content and images are copyright protected. Recipes and images are not to be used or republished without prior permission. If you adapt this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, and link back to this post for the original recipe.