Homemade Ranch Dressing (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, No Mayo)
Creamy, fresh, and slightly tart, ranch dressing is a favorite American salad (and pizza, wings, chips, etc.) accompaniment. This homemade ranch dressing is incredibly healthy, plus it’s vegan and contains no mayo, eggs, milk, or soy. In fact, the entire dressing uses just 8 ingredients- 2 for the right creamy mouthfeel, and the other six to give a great flavor. So if you’re vegan, have an allergy, or just want to reduce the amount of animal products you use, this homemade ranch dressing is a great way to remove the eggs and dairy without sacrificing on flavor. It’s thickened with aquafaba (a cheap, common and magical vegan egg replacement- read more below) and oil, and the whole process takes less than 15 minutes.
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Why Make Homemade Ranch Dressing?
While ranch dressing was first developed in the early 1950’s, it’s been the favorite dressing of Americans since 1992- which is literally my entire life. In fact, a 2017 study showed that 40% of American’s name it as their dressing of choice! But since ranch dressing isn’t exactly the healthiest choice, it’s worth it to make yours at home. Our recipe isn’t the healthiest version out there either- we still kept in the vegetable oil- but it is better for you than the original! It’s also cheap and easy to make, and not filled with preservatives, which is a win in our book.
Why Make Vegan Homemade Ranch Dressing?
There are so many great reasons to ditch dairy and make homemade vegan ranch dressing, first of which is you can’t tell the difference! If there’s no compromise in taste, there’s no reason to hold back. Most of our bodies don’t actually handle milk well, and soy and eggs (two other common ingredients in ranch) are also common allergens. Additionally, meat and dairy products are some of the worst offenders when it comes to greenhouse gasses and resource usage, so a vegan ranch dressing can also be thought of as a gift to the environment and future generations. Lastly, cows and chickens are horribly mistreated in factory farms across the country- consuming dressings with milk and egg products in them contribute to that mistreatment.
Looking for Salads? Try one of these!
- Greek Goddess Vegan Quinoa Salad
- Summer Tomato Vegan Caprese Salad
- Vegan Tuna Salad (Made with Jackfruit, not Chickpeas!)
- Mayo-Free Radish Mint Pasta Salad
- Massaged Chard Salad with Flax, Pumpkin Seeds and Golden Raisins
What is Aquafaba?
Aquafaba is the magical egg replacement mentioned in the first paragraph- it’s an ingredient you’ve probably poured down the sink countless times, without even thinking twice. It can be whipped into stiff peaks for meringues, or frothy chocolate mousse, but my favorites are savory aquafaba recipes. Aquafaba is the liquid that comes in a can of chickpeas (or other beans, but chickpeas are commonly used for their neutral flavor). It is an incredibly cheap ingredient- a single can has enough to make about 2 batches of this ranch, plus you get the chickpeas, and typically costs around 99 cents. The bean starch from this liquid is what gives it the magical lifting abilities, and that’s what helps to create a smooth and creamy ranch. If you’re left wondering what to do with the chickpeas, try these simple spicy roasted chickpea snacks!
How to Make Homemade Ranch Dressing
This ranch dressing can be made quickly, in one jar, with the help of a single tool- the immersion blender. It works to whip the aquafaba, and to chop the fresh garlic (you could substitute garlic powder, but we liked the spicier, fresh garlic more). Give the aquafaba a quick blend alone first- it will go from yellowish to white and frothy very quickly. Add the all the other ingredients aside from the oil, and blend more- it will become less frothy at this point. Finally add the oil slowly, blending all the time. It won’t be super thick at this time, but it will be tasty! Feel free to use right away, but if you want a thicker dressing just leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
Homemade Ranch Dressing (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, No Mayo)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup aquafaba (the liquid inside a chickpea can)
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. whole grain mustard
- 1 tsp. dried dill
- ½ tsp. dried parsley
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup vegetable, canola oil, or other neutral flavored oil
Instructions
- Add the aquafaba to immersion blender safe cup, and use your immersion blender to blend for about a minute. Add the garlic, vinegar, mustard, dill, parsley and salt and blend some more, until the garlic is well incorporated.
- With the immersion blender still on, slowly drizzle the oil down the side of the cup so that it emulsifies into the aquafaba blend. Once all incorporated, blend for another minute or so and then place in a jar in the refrigerator. For best results, allow to sit overnight to thicken.
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Hi Becky,
I’ve never tried an oil-free version of this one, but I might try using silken tofu and blending it all in a regular blender. Hope that works!