Oil-Free Vegan Ranch Dip & Dressing
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!
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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!
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.
Then, add parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, dill, white pepper, paprika and salt to a small bowl and set aside.
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.
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.
More oil-free dressings
- Oil-Free Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing & Dip
- Oil-Free Salad Dressing (Lemon Herb)
- Oil-Free "Honey" Mustard
Oil-Free Vegan Ranch Dip & Dressing
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
Notes
Nutrition
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Is this something you can freeze and then thaw later?
Hi Hannah, I've never tried to freeze this to see how it turns out. My suggestion would be to freeze a small batch and see how the consistency holds when it thaws out.
Absolutely delicious. I want to eat spoonfuls of this. Definitely more of a dip consistency than a dressing. I added a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and extra dill. I am so happy I found this recipe and this site!
Thank you so much, Leslie! I'm so glad you enjoyed the dip, and I will have to try it with the nutritional yeast...that is a great idea! 🙂
I love ranch dip so much it's not even funny! This looks so good and I am going to bookmark for later!
Thank you, Christie! Hope you enjoy the dip! 🙂