Made from heart-healthy cashews and hemp seeds, packed with flavor from fresh herbs and tanginess from lemon juice, this vegan ranch can be used anywhere you'd use the "real thing"! (This happens to also be accidentally paleo...)
4tbspfresh dill, parsley and/or chives(mix and match to preference)
Instructions
Soak the cashews in hot water for 15 minutes. You can pour boiling water over them, or alternately, put them in a dish with water and microwave for 2 minutes, then let stand. Then, drain the cashews and rinse them well.
Add the drained and rinsed cashews to a blender along with the hemp seeds, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, water, and the fresh garlic clove if using. Blend until completely smooth, which may take several minutes depending on the power of your blender.
Add the garlic powder if using, onion powder, salt, pepper, and celery seed if using, and blend to combine. Finally, stir the fresh herbs into the
Video
Notes
CELERY SEED: Kind of a traditional ingredient in ranch, but it does have a unique and strong flavor so it's not for everyone. Also, you may not want to buy celery seed just for this recipe, totally fair! Therefore, it's optional - I tested the recipe with and without it.FRESH HERBS: Longtime readers will know I'm not the biggest fan of dried herbs (except for woody herbs like rosemary or thyme). For this recipe, you can substitute dried herbs at a ratio of 1 tsp dried per 1 tbsp fresh; but I'm better endorse the flavor when fresh.FOR THE UTMOST AUTHENTIC "RANCH" FLAVOR: If you absolutely must have a tangy buttermilk flavor then you can add a pinch of nutritional yeast for umami, and a pinch of lactic acid, to the recipe.RANCH DIP: Reduce the water to 1/2 cup, adding more to thin as needed from there.