Silken Tofu Ranch Dressing
Silken Tofu Ranch Dressing is packed with protein and is low in fat but is so flavorful and the perfect sauce to add to your salads, veggies, pasta, and more. You will love this nut-free vegan ranch dressing that is ready in only 5 minutes! Meal prep and enjoy this flavorful sauce all week long.
Equipment
- 1 Blender or a food processor may be used, but how smooth it gets depends on the strength of your machine
- 1 Blender spatula not necessary, just makes it easier to get all of that vegan ranch goodness out of the blender!
Ingredients
- 16 Ounces Silken Tofu, see Notes section below for substitutions
- 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice, fresh is best but bottled is fine
- 1 Tablespoon White or Yellow Miso Paste, see Notes section below for substitutions
- 2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast, optional
- 1 Teaspoon Granulated Onion
- 1 Teaspoon Granulated Garlic
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Chives, or use 2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Dill, or use 2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill leaves
Instructions
- Blend the base: Add the silken tofu, lemon juice, miso paste, nutritional yeast, granulated onion, and granulated garlic to the the blender. Blend until smooth.
- Taste and adjust: Now is the best time to adjust the flavor of the base. Is it salty enough? If not, add a teaspoon of miso (or a quarter teaspoon of salt). Is it acidic enough? If not, add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Blend again and taste again. Adjust until you are happy with it.
- Add the herbs: Add the dried herbs (or chopped fresh herbs, if using). Pulse or blend on a low speed for 4-8 seconds until the herbs are fully mixed in but not pulverized.
- Store: Pour into a jar or airtight container and refrigerate your silken tofu ranch dressing for up to 5 days. It can be used right away, but if you want it to be cold, refrigerate it for at least 2-3 hours before using.
Video
Notes
- Silken Tofu: This recipe calls for 16 ounces silken tofu. You can find 16-ounce packages of silken tofu in the refrigerator section at your local grocery store, that's where I buy mine even in my little town that has almost nothing. But if you can only buy your silken tofu in the shelf-stable 12-ounce aseptic containers, you can either use 1 + ¼ of those, or just use one pack and add 2-4 tablespoons of soaked raw cashews, soaked raw sunflower seeds, cooked white beans, or dehydrated potato flakes.
- To Substitute the Silken Tofu: If you can only find soft or regular tofu (don't use firm), you can use this and just add a little plain unsweetened non-dairy milk (just enough to blend). If you don't want to use tofu at all, you can do 1+½ cups drained and rinsed canned (or cooked from dried) white beans, or 1 cup of either soaked raw cashews or soaked raw sunflower seeds (and you will need water or plain unsweetened non-dairy milk to blend, and how much depends on how long you soaked them so start with equal parts nuts/seeds and liquid and adjust from there.
- Yellow or White Miso Paste:This is to replace the salt in the recipe, but I also love the little hint of umami flavors. Per Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org, the soy in miso has a protective effect so the sodium in miso paste will not affect us negatively. If you're fine eating salt (or if you eat the potassium chloride salt substitute) you can go ahead and use that. If you are totally avoiding added sodium, you can leave it out.
- Thickens in the fridge: Because of the nature of tofu, silken tofu dressing recipes can thicken while in the fridge. To thin your silken tofu ranch dressing, add a tablespoon or two of lemon juice, plain unsweetened non-dairy milk (any), or water and stir (or place on an airtight lid and shake briefly).
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25 cupCalories: 48kcalCarbohydrates: 4.4gProtein: 4.5gFat: 2.2gSodium: 87.4mgPotassium: 195.4mgFiber: 0.9gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 0.8IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 39.5mgIron: 1.7mg
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