This silken tofu salad dressing is creamy, tangy, and tastes just like classic ranch dressing! It's made in minutes with simple ingredients (no oil!), and you'd never guess it was totally dairy-free and vegan.
Vegan salad dressings aren't that hard to come by. There are a ton of options at grocery stores, and there are a million and one recipes. I even have a pretty substantial collection of vegan salad dressing recipes on this very site, even including a recipe for vegan ranch. But what if you're not only looking for a dairy-free salad dressing, but also one that's a little on the healthier side too? Let me introduce you to silken tofu salad dressing!
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Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe makes a super easy ranch-style salad dressing that's not only delicious, but also pretty darn healthy! Unlike most salad dressings, both store-bought and homemade, this one is totally oil-free, and it's a great source of plant-based protein.
Silken tofu is super smooth and creamy, so it makes a great salad dressing base. It's also available in shelf-stable packaging, which allows me to keep a few packs on hand at all times, so I can whip up a batch of this dressing whenever I want!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Silken tofu. Silken tofu is available at many grocery stores, either in the refrigerated area of the natural foods aisle, or in the international aisle. You may find it in soft, firm, and extra-firm varieties. Any type works for this recipe! I prefer soft. If you use firm or extra firm, consider adding a few extra tablespoons of liquid to the recipe. Read my guide to tofu if you'd like to learn more about silken tofu (or any other variety of tofu).
- Non-dairy milk. Use an unflavored, unsweetened milk. My guide to dairy-free milks can help if you need guidance.
- Lemon juice. Please use freshly squeezed juice! Bottled doesn't have nearly as much flavor.
- Salt and pepper.
- Onion powder.
- Garlic powder.
- Fresh parsley. This is super important. Use fresh (not dried) to get that classic ranch flavor.
- Fresh chives. Same deal. Only fresh will do.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Blend the base. Start with the tofu, milk, lemon juice, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Blend it all together until smooth. I'm using a blender, but a food processor also works fine.
Add the herbs. Chopped parsley and chives go in next. Add them, then just pulse the machine until they're mixed in but not pulverized. Give the mixture a taste at this point and make any adjustments you see fit.
Serve. Your silken tofu salad dressing is ready to enjoy!
Tip: You may notice tiny bubbles in your dressing, especially if you used a high-powered blender. If these bother you, just make the dressing a few hours in advance. The bubbles will settle over time.
Shelf-Life & Storage
Silken tofu dressing will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about five days. I definitely do not recommend freezing this dressing, as it will alter the texture of the tofu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is!
No, I don't recommend using regular tofu. It doesn't have the right texture, and will give you a dressing that's too thick and rather chunky. You'd end up with something that has a texture more like vegan ricotta cheese.
Unfortunately, probably not. It would be difficult to get the texture smooth enough without one of these devices.
Serving Ideas
- Salad dressing. Drizzle your tofu dressing over your favorite salad, or substitute it for the dressing in any of my salad recipes. Try it on my vegan cobb salad, Buffalo tofu salad, or roasted eggplant salad.
- Dipping sauce. Use your silken tofu ranch as a dipping sauce for veggies, baked tofu nuggets, or Buffalo tofu wings.
- Sandwich dressing. Use this dressing on a sandwich, like my barbecue tofu sandwich.
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Silken Tofu Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 (10.8 ounce/308 gram) package silken tofu (Notes 1 and 2)
- ¼ cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Place the tofu, milk, lemon juice, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder into a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Blend until smooth.
- Add the parsley and chives, then pulse the machine just until the herbs are well distributed in the mixture.
- Taste-test the dressing, make any adjustments to suit your taste, then briefly blend again.
- Serve immediately, or place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Different brands package silken tofu in different sizes. Anything between 10 and 12 ounces will work in this recipe.
- Silken tofu comes in different firmness levels. Soft will give you the creamiest dressing, but firm or extra-firm will also work. If using a firmer tofu, add an extra splash of non-dairy milk if needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Recipe makes about 1 ½ cups of dressing.
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How long will this last in the refrigerator?
About 4 days in an airtight container.
It curdled and separated into liquid and curds. It didn't taste good either on my salad or on my potato.
Just made this and it’s very good! I added fresh dill along with the fresh chives and parsley. These came from my garden and I suppose the freshness had contributed to the outstanding flavor. It was delicious made as written but I’m a salt freak so I actually bumped up the salt to a teaspoon. I added the salt in quarter teaspoons then tasted until I was satisfied. It’s in the fridge now and I’m sure it will be even better once all the flavors have time to play with one another! Great alternative if you’re looking to cut the fat and keep the flavor. Thanks!
I found 3/4 teaspoon of salt was perfect for me. I typically reduce the salt in many recipes, but this one definitely needed more, especially as a veggie dip! Loved it with my preferred amount of salt, even with dried herbs!
OMG!!!!!! This tastes even BETTER than regular ranch... I was so scared I was gonna mess it up because I used apple cider vinegar instead of regular since I didn’t have any on me, but it was still great! Used chives from my garden.Totally yummy and much healthier than vegan ranch products I’ve come across. Ate with celery and thinly sliced carrots!
Nowadays there's a variety of silken tofu. Extra firm, firm, soft... Which is the best to use? Thank you!
If you have the option I'd go with the firmest available, then just add extra non-dairy milk if it comes out too thick. Enjoy!
Am I draining the tofu?
With silken tofu there shouldn't really be anything to drain. If there's a little bit of excess water in the package you can throw it into the recipe.
just made it, just love it!
No non dairy milk, so just skipped.
Makes a great veggie dip, too
Thanks for doing the creative heavy lifting!
I like this. It’s nice and light! I added a little bit of Siracha. I usually make ranch with vegan mayo, which results in a very ranch like dressing. This is healthier. I will make this again. But, if I’m going for real ranch taste, I will use the vegan mayo recipe. Thank you!
I tried this but was disappointed mine was bitter??? Should i add maple syrup???
Oh no! Did you check the date on your tofu? That's the only thing I can think of that would make it bitter.
I have not made this yet but I have made Whipped Tofu Cream and frozen that. It was just as delicious as the fresh and I personally didn't notice any difference in texture. My guests loved it.
I just added 1 very ripe avocado (mashed) and used cilantro in place of the parsley and a few drops of sriracha sauce for a south west kick. Great on taco salad! or a baked potato.
That sounds delicious! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Joanna!
I used cashew milk, apple cider vinegar, and skipped the onion powder since I ran out. I have to admit I didn't measure anything except the milk. The way I made it didn't quite remind me of ranch but I still love it! Nice and refreshing, ate it with some buffalo cauliflower and it was the perfect addition. I will definitely make this again :)
Sounds delicious! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome post! Thank you so much for sharing. I can't wait to try this!!!
really good! I added some ground chipotle to make it chipotle ranch!
Oh yum! That sounds delicious! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I used apple cider vinegar and it tasted very good!
Nice! I get a lot of questions on substitutions for this recipe, so I appreciate the feedback. Thank you so much for sharing :)
Is there anything that can be used to substitute the unflavored milk? I usually have almond milk in the house, but I am guessing that would add additional flavor that might not work well with the ingredients.
You could leave the milk out completely. I've done this when I don't have any unflavored milks on hand. The dressing will be a little thicker, but still delicious. Your other option would be to just use a splash of water. I'd suggest going with the first option and then adding the water a bit at a time if it seems too thick - probably just don't go with the whole 1/4 cup because it might end up being runny. Good luck!
Great post! I can't wait to try this :)
Thank you! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!!
I just made this! I am on the ideal protein diet and tofu is an allowed food for the phase I am in. One thing we can have on this diet is unlimited lettuce. Because I am not a rabbit I need dressing on my lettuce and I could not find any dressings that were allowed AND taste good. It was either cheat(not an option) or eat my dressing with my nose plugged. Anyway, this is a perfect dressing!! It taste a little like guacamole to me which is fine because I like guacamole. I like the tang and can't wait for lunch tomorrow to eat a REAL salad! I think because I could not find fresh chives (I went to the grocery store when most normal people are asleep so I probably missed it) I bought some dried in a jar. I may need to add more next time. Thank you for sharing the recipe, you are a salad saver!
Yay! When I made this I was excited just about the fact that it's vegan, but I figured it would be great for people on special diets...I'm so glad to hear that it was!! I was wondering if dried chives would work - I've been making this quite a bit and it's hard to keep fresh chives on hand all the time without them going bad. Thanks so much for sharing and enjoy your salad lunch today :)
would this freeze well?
Unfortunately, probably not. The texture of tofu changes when it's frozen, so this probably wouldn't retain it's smooth consistency. If you're concerned about how long it will keep, my suggestion is to cut the recipe in half. Thanks for your question!
I love making homemade dressings!! I've never used silken tofu before - always greek yogurt - but I think this would be a lot less tangy and probably taste more like legit Ranch. How long would this keep in the fridge?
I've never tried ranch with yogurt before, but I think you're right. The tofu is pretty flavor neutral, so the chives and garlic really shine through. I actually added the lemon and vinegar for the purpose of making it more tangy. I haven't kept this around for more than a week (tending to drench my salads in it). I don't think it would keep much longer than that, as tofu usually gets funky after a week. I hope you enjoy this if you try it out!