Recipe tips for making a modified ranch-like dressing

October 19, 2019 7:48 AM

I've been making my own vegan ranch dressing, and it's wonderful. But after eating multiple batches of it, I'm getting a bit tired of it – and I'm looking for something that tastes a little different.

I found a recipe for vegan ranch dressing that I like a lot. I'd like to come up with some variations on the same basic recipe, but ones that have a slightly different flavor. My instincts for cooking are not the best. I'm looking for tips on how to alter the herbs and spices to come up with something new and wonderful.

I'm not necessarily looking for full-blown recipes – I'm willing to experiment. It's fine if you just say, "Instead of the dill and parsley, use some dried oregano and fresh cilantro, add some harissa, and a spoonful of apple sauce". Or whatever. If you do post a recipe, it's also fine if it's not vegan. I can veganize it.

The original recipe is copied below. When I make it, I reduce the amount of garlic and non-dairy milk, add some Tofutti sour cream, and substitute fresh dill and fresh parsley.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup vegan mayo
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup non-dairy milk any unsweetened original flavor
• 1.5 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1/2 Tbs dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried dill
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• Salt to taste

Instructions
Mix together all ingredients in a bowl.
If mixture is too thick for your preference, add a little more milk.
Store in a jar in the fridge. The flavors will really come through after about 4 hours

posted by JD Sockinger to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

Here’s my favorite vegan creamy Italian. You just put all ingredients in a blender for two minutes:

1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water overnight, then drained
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
posted by FencingGal at 8:05 AM on October 19, 2019 [1 favorite]

You can definitely spice this up with the addition of your favorite BBQ sauce. Or really spice it up with siracha sauce. Add some complementary herbs like cilantro. All to taste.
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 8:20 AM on October 19, 2019

Superiority Burger's tahini ranch! Add some bread and butter pickles to your salad or the dressing for maximum awesomeness.
posted by snaw at 8:36 AM on October 19, 2019

I highly recommend A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches by Tyler Kord. The sandwiches are interesting but the recipes for the components of them are where it's at. I think most could be made vegan with some substitutions.

The one i am planning to try very soon is "bacon" mayo. It could be a good jumping off point for you to add fresh herbs or other spices to for a different flavor profile.

2 tsp Lapsang souchong tea leaves
1.5 cups mayo (use vegan mayo)
.5 tsp ground allspice
.5 tsp ground black pepper
1 finely minced garlic clove
1 tsp grape jelly (i think smuckers brand is vegan)
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Toast the tea leaves at 250 for 10 minutes. Crush into a powder. Whisk everything together. Let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour or up to 4 days.
posted by August Fury at 8:38 AM on October 19, 2019 [1 favorite]

Swap the apple cider vinegar, dill, and parsley for lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro respectively. Add a spoonful of the liquid from a can of chiles in adobo (or any other thicker chili sauce you enjoy). Baja-ish ranch dressing.
posted by Mizu at 8:40 AM on October 19, 2019

I would Caesar-ize your base:

mayo, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy and parmesan for the non-vegan; sub in vegan worcestershire/aminos for the anchovy and nooch for the parm.
posted by sarajane at 9:07 AM on October 19, 2019

Some ingredients to add in or use instead of others: avocado, tahini, fresh basil, smoke flavor, smoky paprika, a dash of cumin. Not all at once.
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 11:05 AM on October 19, 2019

That is a nice base ranch dressing recipe. A simple add on would be a few (or more if you like spicy like we do) drops of Habanero Tabasco (or other hot sauce). So good.
posted by WalkingHorse at 11:14 AM on October 19, 2019

I make an amazing vegetarian Caesar, and you could easily make it vegan. I don't even use a recipe anymore.
Mayo (or vegan mayo)
fresh zest and juice from one lemon
soy sauce (you can also use a tiny dab of Marmite for umami flavor)
fresh garlic, a couple cloves
apple cider vinegar
black pepper
I like to use some fresh grated parmesan, but nutritional yeast would do the same thing
dijon mustard

Start with the mayo base, add the rest to your taste and depending on how much you need to make. Mine is super lemony and garlicky so you might tone down if that's not your thing.
posted by nakedmolerats at 1:08 PM on October 19, 2019

My all-time favorite salad dressings are from Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz: green goddess dressing (which is super herby and garlicky and nothing like the crap in the store), Sanctuary dressing (a ranch dressing that is not vegan mayo based), and the Cesar Chavez dressing (which is hands down my favorite dressing and I want to put it on everything). I really like her recipes because they aren't mayo-based, you can find all the ingredients at the grocery store, and they're a bit more healthy. Most non-vegans can't tell these are vegan.
posted by wasabifooting at 1:18 PM on October 19, 2019

celeriac remoulade? I made this yesterday, and only tasted, because I was going out for dinner. When I came home the kids had emptied the container! I did three things slightly differently: I grated the celeriac quite finely, using a food processor, so it was more like a dressing and less like a salad. I used a whole grain Dijon mustard because I like the look of it. And I had forgotten to buy lemons, so I use a bit of vinegar instead.
It gets better after resting a couple of hours in the fridge.

I wonder how your recipe would work with fresh grated horseradish instead of garlic and paprika? I love horseradish, and wasabi.
posted by mumimor at 2:39 PM on October 19, 2019