A good vegan salad dressing can take any salad from mundane to spectacular. Here you’ll find all your favorite vinaigrettes, creamy dressings and oil-free salad dressings made vegan!
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I know, I know. Vegans eat more than just grass and twigs (despite what so many meatheads believe).
However, a salad can be a great quick and easy lunch or dinner.
Not only are you sure to get your recommended dietary allowance of fibre (something most meatheads never get), there are also so many vegan high protein salads to keep you satiated for hours.
Best of all, you can make a salad out of pretty much anything. From leafy greens to beans and lentils to pasta salad, you’ll never run out of ideas.
Take whatever veggies you’ve got languishing in your fridge and combine them with a great vegan salad dressing.
I’ve scoured the internet to find the best vegan salad dressing recipes. From simple vinaigrettes to everyone’s favorite ranch dressing made vegan, there’s sure to be a recipe or several here to add to your meal rotation!
How to make vegan salad dressing
The most basic of salad dressings is a vinaigrette and the basic vinaigrette recipe is one part vinegar to every three parts oil.
Any type of vinegar and usually olive oil but you can also use avocado oil or grapeseed oil for a more neutral flavor.
From there you can add in so many things: Dijon mustard, maple syrup, herbs, garlic, chili flakes, miso, nooch, just to name a few.
If you’re an oil-free vegan, you can replace the oil with lemon juice or orange juice. Ground flax or chia seeds can thicken any liquid into a dressing that will cling to your salad components.
For creamy vegan salad dressings like ranch and Caesar, there are many different tricks.
Blended cashews, tahini, almond butter, coconut milk, avocado, silken tofu, peanut butter, and vegan mayo can all combine with spices and seasonings to make a creamy dressing.
My favorite way to make vegan ranch is by combining non-dairy yogurt with mayonnaise so that it’s creamy but not too fatty.
How long does salad dressing last in the fridge
Store-bought salad dressings contain preservatives which allow them to be stored open in the refrigerator for several months.
The shelf-life of homemade salad dressings is very difficult to guesstimate as it depends on the exact ingredients and how they react together.
In order to be safe and not give yourself food poisoning or botulism, it’s best to mix up just enough salad dressing for your meal.
If you do end up with leftover salad dressing or you are mixing up a batch for meal prep, then it’s best to consume it within 3 to 4 days.
FAQs
Store-bought or restaurant ranch dressing is not vegan because it contains dairy products such as sour cream or buttermilk. Bottled vegan ranch dressing is now available in many supermarkets. Look for the brands Hidden Valley Plant Powered, Follow Your Heart, or Daiya. You can also make vegan ranch dressing at home with one of the recipe below.
It depends. Some store-bought Catalina dressings are accidentally vegan such as Kraft Classic Catalina Dressing. Homemade recipes often call for Worcestershire sauce or honey, making it not vegan. As for other store-bought brands, you have to read the ingredients and watch out for non-vegan ingredients.
Caesar dressing is not vegan because it can contain any or all of the following non-vegan ingredients: anchovies, mayonnaise, egg yolks, Parmesan and Worcestershire sauce. You’ll find a vegan Caesar dressing recipe in the list below.
Balsamic vinegar is vegan and a simple balsamic and oil dressing is usually vegan. However, it’s common to add honey to vinaigrette as a sweetener making it no longer vegan. If you’re eating at a restaurant that offers balsamic dressing, you’ll have to ask for the ingredients to be sure.
Vegan vinaigrette dressings
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Creamy vegan salad dressings
Oil-free vegan salad dressings
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