Cashew-Based Clean Eating Ranch Dressing

Chicago summer has turned out quite nice. Given the warmer weather, I have been inspired to eat more salads lately. My favorite homemade dressing also happens to be clean eating. This cashew ranch dressing is all natural ingredients and lasts for up to ten days in your refrigerator. Plus, you can tweak this dressing base with a multitude of flavors to enjoy as your healthy ranch dressing. 

I grew up loving good old Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing. It is truly my favorite dressing to use on salads, dip veggies or fries into, and enjoyed many other ways. But the classic ranch is made from vegetable oil and a long list of other ingredients I do not know how to say in order to preserve freshness. Whenever I see an ingredient added to what you are eating to preserve freshness, it helps me leave it on the grocery store shelf. I have been on a journey to eat real food over the past several years. The ability to make a very similar ranch style dressing using all organic, real food ingredients will always be my favorite way to prepare a lovely ranch dressing.

I learned many years ago of the ability to make a creamy, ranch-like dressing by using cashews as the base. I have gotten this recipe down to a science and look forward to sharing the tasty ranch dressing that your body will appreciate you making!

I use a 1:1 ratio of cashews and water. I prefer to use raw cashews versus roasted and salted. For this batch, I only had salted and roasted cashews in my cupboard. The main reason I like to use the raw, untoasted cashews is it results in a white color that you see in a traditional ranch dressing. But it is totally okay to use the cashews you have on hand!  

Ranch has an onion and garlic flavor base that we create with dried and ground seasoning. It is always better to make this dressing a day ahead and let all the flavors marry together. It will only get better as time goes on, much like a batch of winter chili. It is always better the next day!

You add the lemon juice and vinegar to boost the flavor and finish it all with the fresh herbs. Once you taste this dressing, you will never want to go back to the store-bought brands. It is super quick and easy to make and it stores well in a jar in your refrigerator. Here are my tips for making a lovely summertime chopped vegetable salad with homemade cashew-based, creamy ranch dressing.

Cashew Ranch Dressing

Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe

Makes: 2 cups

Prep time: 10 minutes

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup water

2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/2  lemon, juiced (you might need a bit more, so taste and adjust)

1.5 teaspoon onion powder

1.5 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

Cracked pepper to taste

2-3 Tablespoons chopped chives

2-3 Tablespoons chopped parsley

2-3 Tablespoons chopped dill

1. Add all but the herbs to the blender. Turn it on and let it blend for up to a minute to allow the cashews to become completely smooth and creamy.

2. Once the dressing is nice and smooth, turn off the blender and fold in the chopped herbs. Keep it chilled, will last for up to 10 days.

Notes:

• As the dressing blends, it will slightly warm up in temperature, so the ultimate consistency will look a bit thinner than it will be once it gets cold in the fridge. If you prefer a thicker texture of dressing, use a bit less water than the cup on the recipe. Add 2/3 of the cup of water and as it blends, drizzle in more water as needed to get to your desired consistency.

Now that your delicious dressing is made and getting cold, it is time to prep our beautiful summertime chopped salad. I grabbed an assortment of vegetables from my fridge, chopped them up and dressed nicely with the cashew ranch. Feel free to use any and all vegetables you have in your kitchen.

Summertime Salad

2 cups organic salad greens

1/4 cup each of sliced radish, tomatoes, orange bell pepper, cucumber, sunflower seeds.

1/3 cup of the cashew ranch dressing

Pinch of salt and fresh cracked black pepper

1. Chop all the vegetables, mix with the salad greens and the ranch dressing. Save a small amount of each raw vegetable to sprinkle over the top of your salad to make it look extra gorgeous and enjoy!

I hope you have enjoyed reading about an amazing way to prepare a homemade, good for you delicious ranch dressing. It holds up well in your fridge and is packed with flavor. Try to make it the day before you need it so the flavors can blend together.

I will be teaching our Cooking For Life: Eating to Nourish Your Body and Mind class on Saturday, September 14 at 11:30am. Please join me to learn more about this delicious dressing and many other positive choices with food and food prep we can learn to nourish our bodies.