The Best Three Vegan Salad Dressings

These Three Vegan Salad Dressings really are delicious, and are great for warm roasted vegetables, fresh kale salads and for serving with breads. Choose from Salt and Pepper Tahini, Smokey BBQ Ranch or Green Goddess Dressing.

Nothing beats a good salad dressing to turn a limp bowl of lettuce and kale into the most delicious meal-worthy salad. I have tried my fair share of dressings and a lot of them fall short. I hardly ever buy salad dressings pre-made, nor do I like restaurant ones which tend to be too oily. These Three Vegan Salad Dressings are next level. They are creamy, smooth, zingy, fresh and vibrant and are the perfect way to upgrade your meal.

Why will I love these salad dressings?

These dressings really are the best (as the name suggests) they are:

• Creamy, smooth and indulgent
• Zingy, herby and fresh
• Made with wholesome ingredients
• Naturally vegan, gluten-free with nut-free options
• Made without excess added sugar, salt and oil
• Great for salads, meals and vegetables
• Highly versatile
• A great choice for meal prep
• An easy way to take your meals to the next level

If you already love the sound of all three of these recipes, skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipes in more detail.

Which salad dressing should I pick?

The three dressings I’ve worked on are all very different and delicious in their own ways:

• Salt and Pepper Tahini: creamy, smooth, “nutty” and savoury. It has a rich depth of flavour and is great for kale salads.
• Smokey BBQ Ranch Dressing: warming, creamy, thick and smokey. Slightly sweet from the BBQ, it’s hearty and wholesome and delicious with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas.
• Green Goddess Dressing: vibrant, fresh and zingy this one is packed with fresh green herbs and is great for a real health boost. I love it drizzled over buddha bowls or for dipping my carrot and cucumber into.

What ingredients do I need?

The ingredient lists are not long for any of the dressings.

Let’s start with the Salt and Pepper Tahini:

• Tahini: good quality tahini is always best as it’s creamier, runnier and much smoother. The taste is less bitter and it still has that “nutty” savouriness. I like the ones from Belazu or shop your local supermarket in their world food aisles for the best brands.
• Lemon: fresh lemon or lemon juice for zing.
• Apple cider vinegar: for a little zing and tanginess. This is also great for gut health.
• Maple syrup: for a little sweetness and to balance out the zing and tang. You can use other syrups like agave or vegan honey.
• Fresh oregano: this is so good with the tahini and adds a Mediterranean vibe to the dressing. Make sure to chop it really smooth so that it disperses evenly throughout.
• Garlic: I use garlic granules but fresh garlic will also work.
• Salt and pepper: use as much or as a little as you like.
• Water: to reach the perfect consistency.

Now onto the Smokey BBQ Ranch Dressing:

• Cashews: this is what makes the ranch so creaming without the need for mayonnaise or anything similar. Make sure to soak these first so they are soft and plump. For a nut-free option, swap these for sunflower seeds. For a quick route, you can use cashew or sunflower seed butter.
• Plant-based milk: to reach the perfect consistency. Make sure this is unsweetened milk like oat, almond or coconut.
• Vegan BBQ sauce: this adds the BBQ aspect to the sauce and most sauces are naturally vegan, just read the labels.
• Lemon juice: for zing.
• Fresh chive: for a herby element to this sauce.
• Garlic and onion powder/granules: powders or granules work best here and add a depth and warmth to the recipe.
• Cayenne, chilli or chipotle powder: this adds the smokey element and all three powders work. If you prefer your dressings hotter, add more chilli.
• Salt and pepper: for seasoning.

Finally, the Green Goddess Dressing:

• Dairy-free yoghurt: the creamy base of the dressing is down to the yoghurt so make sure you use a good one. I like the natural or light Cocos Organic coconut yoghurt the most.
• Fresh herbs: the herbs make this dressing extra special and you can use what you like, really. I used a mix of mint, parsley and chive. The most important thing is that these herbs are fresh. You could also add coriander or even some oregano.
• Garlic: I like fresh garlic here for a punchier flavour, but you can use garlic granules, too. ½ tsp garlic granules will work in place of the garlic clove.
• Lemon: for zing and freshness. Either use fresh lemon or lemon juice.
• Salt and pepper: for seasoning.
• Chilli flakes: to serve, I like to add some chilli flakes but this is optional.

How do I make these?

The three dressings come together slightly differently but all verry easily:

• Salt and Pepper Tahini: whisk together all the ingredients till smooth. You can also shake them all together.
• Smokey BBQ Ranch: blend together the ingredients till smooth in a blender.
• Green Goddess: add all the ingredients to a blender and process till smooth.

How long will these last?

You can keep these dressings in the fridge for 2-3 days (maybe longer) in a sealed container.

Are these nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free and gluten-free?

All of these recipes are dairy-free, egg-free and gluten-free. To make the Smokey BBQ Ranch nut-free, swap the cashews for sunflower seeds and make sure that all your other ingredients do not contain nuts (e.g. the yoghurt and plant-based milk).

What recipes can I use these dressings in?

The Best Three Vegan Salad Dressings are really versatile and here a few recipes to use them in:

• BBQ Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Bowls with Smokey BBQ Ranch Dressing
• Ginger Roasted Squash and Chickpea Salad with the Salt and Pepper Tahini
• Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls with the Green Goddess Dressing
• Salt and Pepper Tofu Summer Rolls with the Salt and Pepper Tahini
• Kale Orange and Feta Salad with the Green Goddess Dressing
• Sweetcorn and Red Pepper Fritters with the Smokey BBQ Ranch

I love these simple recipes, what else can I make?

I hope you are going to love The Best Three Vegan Salad Dressings and for more staple recipes, how about my:

• Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
• Minty Pea Hummus
• Gluten-Free Vegan Buckwheat Bread
• Easy Vegan Homemade Cashew Cheese
• Edamame and Butterbean Hummus

I look forward to hearing what you think of The Best Three Vegan Salad Dressings so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make these recipes, I’d love to see them so please tag me, @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With salad dressings of love x