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    You are here: Home / Sauces & Dressings / Silken Tofu Ranch Dressing

    LAST UPDATED: April 27, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: March 19, 2014

    Silken Tofu Ranch Dressing

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This creamy vegan ranch dressing is made by blending silken tofu with lemon, herbs and spices.

    Jar of Vegan Ranch Dressing with Spoon in the Foreground and Bowl of Salad in the Background

    A friend of mine went to a yoga retreat a while back. I'm sorry to admit that, despite being a yoga lover, I was secretly afraid to do such a thing myself. I've always thought of it as one of those things that I might sign up for but then end up being all "What did I get myself into?!" upon arrival. I imagined the worst. Will I be subjected to grueling 105 degree yoga practice for fifteen hours a day? Will I have to take a vow of silence for the duration of my stay? Perhaps most importantly, what will they feed me? I've heard rave reviews of the "healthy food" served at many a yoga retreat, and somehow I took that to mean that they essentially don't feed you, which would be extra awful, given the fifteen hours of hot, hot yoga I'd be doing every day.

    Monday after my friend's arrival home from her yoga retreat she arrived at work all glowy and relaxed. Hmmm...maybe starving and yogaing all day really is good for you? Maybe I just had this whole yoga retreat thing figured wrong.

    Silken Tofu Vegan Ranch Dressing

    I was wrong. So wrong. About everything. Apparently, at this retreat at least, the classes are easy and relaxing. You're allowed to talk as much as you want. And then there's the food...

    She raved about the food. Healthy food, but not of the healthy food=no food variety. More like healthy food=lots of the stuff I like...all vegetarian...the kind of stuff I blog about. I vowed to get my butt to a yoga retreat some time soon.

    The food item that I heard the most about was the vegan ranch, which was apparently made from tofu. This called for some kitchen tinkering.

    Silken Tofu Vegan Ranch Dressing

    What I ended up with was most definitely ranch, but way healthier and better than any ranch I'd ever tasted. If you've ever had a low-fat variety of ranch before, you know that it's lighter in consistency, but what's removed is replaced with something...eh...artificial tasting. Think light ranch without that artificial taste and that's what you've got here. Clean ranch, but still delightfully flavorful and creamy. The best part, I soon discovered after making this, is that you don't really feel guilty about dousing your salad with it. It's like "Oooohhh, I drenched my salad in tofu." Big whoop. Enjoy.

    Silken Tofu Vegan Ranch Dressing

    Oh, and if tofu isn't a part of your diet, don't worry! Check out this cashew-based vegan ranch dressing.

    Jar of Vegan Ranch Dressing with Spoon in the Foreground and Bowl of Salad in the Background
    4.6 from 10 votes
    Print

    Silken Tofu Vegan Dressing

    This creamy vegan ranch dressing is made by blending silken tofu with lemon, herbs and spices.
    Course Dressing
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 10 minutes
    Author Alissa

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb. silken tofu
    • 2 tbsp. fresh chives chopped
    • ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
    • 3 garlic cloves minced
    • ¼ tsp. onion powder
    • ¼ tsp. salt
    • ¼ tsp. pepper
    • ¼ cup unsweetened unflavored non-dairy milk
    • juice of 1 lemon about 3 tbsp.
    • 1 tbsp. vinegar

    Instructions

    1. Place tofu in blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
    2. Add remaining ingredients and blend until completely mixed.
    « Blender Silken Tofu Pancakes
    Pineapple Teriyaki Tofu Sandwiches »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bean A Foodie says

      March 19, 2014 at 2:12 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 19, 2014 at 7:54 pm

        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!

        Reply
    2. Rebecca-Lynn says

      March 22, 2014 at 5:07 pm

      would this freeze well?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 22, 2014 at 5:32 pm

        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!

        Reply
    3. KC says

      March 30, 2014 at 11:24 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 31, 2014 at 10:15 am

        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 :)

        Reply
    4. terrilovellrn says

      May 19, 2014 at 8:57 am

      Great post! I can't wait to try this :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        May 19, 2014 at 10:51 am

        Thank you! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!!

        Reply
    5. Leslie Rouder says

      June 26, 2014 at 8:22 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        June 26, 2014 at 11:37 am

        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!

        Reply
    6. Jackie says

      July 09, 2014 at 5:25 am

      I used apple cider vinegar and it tasted very good!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 09, 2014 at 8:59 am

        Nice! I get a lot of questions on substitutions for this recipe, so I appreciate the feedback. Thank you so much for sharing :)

        Reply
    7. Angela W Broyles says

      November 14, 2017 at 4:53 pm

      really good! I added some ground chipotle to make it chipotle ranch!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 15, 2017 at 8:52 pm

        Oh yum! That sounds delicious! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    8. Kara says

      April 18, 2018 at 3:02 pm

      5 stars
      Awesome post! Thank you so much for sharing. I can't wait to try this!!!

      Reply
    9. Danni says

      May 21, 2018 at 8:03 pm

      5 stars
      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 :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        May 26, 2018 at 10:58 am

        Sounds delicious! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    10. Joanna Pickelsimer says

      July 25, 2018 at 1:20 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 27, 2018 at 4:45 pm

        That sounds delicious! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Joanna!

        Reply
    11. Doreen Kerwin says

      December 06, 2018 at 1:56 pm

      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.

      Reply
    12. Cindy says

      June 30, 2019 at 4:59 pm

      I tried this but was disappointed mine was bitter??? Should i add maple syrup???

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 06, 2019 at 2:31 pm

        Oh no! Did you check the date on your tofu? That's the only thing I can think of that would make it bitter.

        Reply
    13. Jennifer says

      April 26, 2020 at 2:01 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    14. Dreamma says

      August 19, 2020 at 2:50 pm

      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!

      Reply
    15. Crystal says

      October 09, 2020 at 6:55 pm

      Am I draining the tofu?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 10, 2020 at 11:03 am

        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.

        Reply
    16. Janet says

      October 18, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      5 stars
      Nowadays there's a variety of silken tofu. Extra firm, firm, soft... Which is the best to use? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 18, 2020 at 8:01 pm

        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!

        Reply
    17. Elizabeth says

      November 03, 2020 at 7:06 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    18. Kathy Wesolek says

      October 26, 2021 at 9:39 pm

      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!

      Reply
    19. Ruby Ellis says

      April 02, 2022 at 7:38 am

      1 star
      It curdled and separated into liquid and curds. It didn't taste good either on my salad or on my potato.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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