There’s nothing like a cool, home-made, herbal, creamy ranch dressing to accompany a crisp salad, fresh veggie platter, hearty grain bowl, veggie sandwich, or breakfast wrap. The best thing is that you can include your own ingredients in this recipe, and avoid any unwanted ingredients, such as sugar and preservatives. You can whip up a batch of my Easy Vegan Ranch Dressing lickety split—it’s almost as simple as reaching into the fridge and grabbing a bottle of pre-made dressing.
Based on a few essential ingredients—light vegan mayo, plant-based milk, vinegar, garlic, and fresh herbs—this 5-ingredient recipe (not including pantry staples) is a cinch. Just mix it up in a small bowl, and you’re ready to go. I love to utilize my herb garden for making this ranch dressing, which calls upon freshly chopped herbs of your choice. In the summer, I turn to basil, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, thyme, and chives for the vegan ranch seasoning in this recipe; and in the winter I turn to cooler weather herbs, like dill, cilantro, and parsley. You can also substitute dried herbs for fresh if you don’t have them available.
You can change the flavor profile of this dressing based on the herbs you add, too. If you favor a more Latin profile, try cilantro and oregano; for a Mediterranean flavor, try basil, oregano, and rosemary; a French twist can be encouraged with tarragon, parsley, and thyme; and for a Scandinavian flair, try dill, parsley and tarragon. If you haven’t tried growing your own herbs, I encourage you to give it a try. It’s one way you can grow a bit of your own food, even if you don’t have access to digging in the soil outdoors. You can try growing an herb pot in a sunny kitchen window, on your doorstep, or balcony. Not only will it flavor your favorite foods with fresh, herbal tastes, it will be a lovely accent to your home. Learn more about small pot gardening here. And grab my Grow Your Own Food starter toolkit here.
Based on only 5-ingredients, this gluten free Easy Vegan Ranch Dressing recipe is a cinch to make, and it’s great served with salads, appetizers, grain bowls, entrees, and beyond.