Vegan Ranch Dip

This recipe for vegan
ranch dip is simple, very creamy, and totally nut free. This dip is the perfect
vegan contribution to a party or for snacking on while watching a movie. If you’re
in need of a vegan ranch dressing, simply thin it out with a bit of plant milk
and Bob’s your uncle!

Are you having trouble
finding Just Ranch? You’re not alone; apparently there is some kind of Just
Ranch shortage that’s been going on since at least the beginning of the year.

If you’re normal, you
love everything ranch and the sudden disappearance of Just Ranch and other
Hampton Creek products must be hitting you hard. I’m sorry.

So what are you gonna
do, cry about it or suck it up and make your own? Well, if you’re here it’s
because you’ve chosen the second option. Good for you cuz vegan ranch dip is
super easy to make and you can tailor it exactly to your taste!

How to make vegan ranch

I did a quick perusal of vegan ranch recipes on the internet and noticed that most are cashew-based. I’m way too cheap to buy cashews and since vegan yogurt has now become readily available, it’s become my go-to base for all creamy dips and sauces from vegan tzatziki to vegan green goddess dressing.

Vegan yogurt also
makes a much more “authentic” tasting vegan ranch than cashews as it’s closer
in texture and tanginess to the sour cream or Greek yogurt used in most
non-vegan recipes.

So to make vegan ranch
dip simply combine your preferred plain unsweetened vegan yogurt (I like soy)
with vegan mayo, dried or fresh herbs, garlic and onion powder.

The ratio of yogurt to
mayo is a matter of taste. Some (non-vegan) recipes call for half and half,
some for all mayo and others for a bit more yogurt to mayo. I tested out a few different
ways and my preference is for mostly vegan yogurt with a bit of mayo mixed in
for creaminess. It doesn’t taste overly oily but the bit of fat gives it a nice
“mouth feel”.

I also tested with
both fresh and dried herbs. There’s not too much of a difference since most of
the flavour comes from the garlic and onion powder. Each time I make this
recipe I change it up depending on what fresh herbs I have (or don’t have) in
my fridge. It always comes out delicious and tasting like ranch.

This recipe as written
makes a dip cuz I just love dipping ripple chips in it! It goes without saying
that you can also dip veggies into it too so don’t go down to the comments and
tell me how uNhEaLtHy potato chips are, I ain’t got time for your food shaming.

If you want this for your salad, to drizzle over this buffalo chickpea pizza or in your ranch veggie wraps, you can easily convert this recipe into vegan ranch dressing by simply adding a few splashes of your favourite unsweetened plant milk to thin it out to a pourable consistency.

How to make vegan ranch without mayo or oil

Although I explained
why I like to add a bit of mayo to my ranch dip, if Just Mayo is your preferred
vegan mayo you might be out of luck finding that too. Or maybe you just don’t
like mayo and that’s cool.

No worries, you can
simply substitute the mayo in this recipe with additional vegan yogurt. In
fact, I often make it this way when I have some yogurt that needs to be used up
before going bad. Still tastes good and still tastes like ranch.

My preferred vegan
yogurt is plain, unsweetened soy (I can’t find vegan Greek-style). Of the
varieties I’ve tried, it’s the thickest and most neutral in flavour for this
application. Feel free to try cashew, almond, Greek-style, or coconut (may
affect flavour) if you prefer that over soy. Just be sure that you choose
unsweetened.  

How long does vegan ranch last?

I mean, who cares? It’s
going to be gone in 10 minutes anyway. Just kidding, you might be wondering if
you can make this vegan ranch dip ahead or how long the leftovers will keep (there
won’t be any).

It’s actually better
to make this recipe at least an hour or two before you need it. The flavours
mingle and get stronger the longer you leave it in the fridge. Even better, make
it the night before.

In terms of how long
you can keep it, that will depend on the expiration date of your yogurt but I’d
say try to eat it within a week. If you use all dried herbs, it will hold up
better than using fresh herbs.   

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