Ranch was one of my staple condiments growing up. I added it to EVERYTHING! So I felt like I had to recreate one of my all time childhood favorites; and make it vegan of course.

When deciding on the ingredients, I knew fresh herbs were essential. Parsley and dill were on the top of my list because of their particularly pungent taste and smell. I have experimented with dill in other recipes and it always works best in ‘creamy’ sauces.

For spices, I kept it basic and chose onion powder because of my love for onions and its universal use in recipes. I almost always add onions to anything sautéed or grilled to really enhance the flavor. Salt and pepper were of course added for a flavor boost.

As I read through several other vegan ranch recipes, I noticed lemon as the common acid base, and for good reason too. Lemon juice boosts any and all flavors with dishes, hence why you see so many recipes with “use a squeeze lemon to garnish.”

However, for my acid base, I wanted to break away from the norm and experiment with something new. That is exactly what led me to use apple cider vinegar!

Along with acting as the acid base for the ranch, it helps balance out the pungent herbs, salt from the vegan mayo, and the added sea salt. Health-wise, it’s been shown to help reduce glucose and insulin responses to food too!

As for garlic, it’s my right-hand man in kitchen. Anytime I cook or prepare food, garlic is usually involved.

Since raw garlic is pretty intense to eat whole, I had to find a way to tone it down, without roasting it. So I used a technique I learned awhile back to form it into a rough paste.

Crushing it ensures for a more balanced flavoring, without the chunks. You don’t have to worry about a large chunk of raw garlic ruining your dressing.

This Thick and Creamy Vegan Ranch takes about five minutes to prepare and tastes phenomenal! Use it for with a veggie dip at your next party, as dressing on your salad, a dip for Buffalo Tempeh Chik’n Tenders, and even sweet potato fries!