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Make chipotle ranch dressing with cashews! This simple vegan salad dressing is made with pantry ingredients and requires minimal effort. Just soak, blend, stir, and serve!
It’s like ranch, but with chipotle
What’s better than a simple salad dressing made with pantry ingredients? My chipotle ranch is a mild and tangy take on classic ranch. You still taste the parsley and the onion and garlic, all with a kick of chipotle.
This vegan chipotle ranch dressing is perfect for all types of eaters including kids and is not limited to just salads. Feel free to experiment with different serving ideas like on a baked potato, as a dip for veggies, or drizzled on top of tacos.
Cashew dressings are the best
I’m a sucker for cashew-based salad dressings. They’re by far the most versatile option for making creamy non-calorically dense sauces, spreads, dressings – you name it. All you need to do is soak the cashews in water for about an hour, then blend with water and spices to create whatever flavor you want.
If you’re new to cashew dressings, don’t be afraid! I promise you’ll love them even if you’re not a plant-based eater. I know it sounds strange to take watered-down nut juice and make creamy sauces out of them but I’m asking you to trust me!
On the other hand, if you’re familiar with raw cashew dressings and are looking for more inspiration, you should check out some of my other nut-based dressings like
- Parsley & dill salad dressing
- Vegan caesar dressing
- Creamy cilantro lime dressing
- Creamy lemon dill dressing
What ingredients do you need to make chipotle ranch dressing?
To make about 2 cups worth of dressing, you’ll need just a few ingredients. First, for the base of the dressing, you’ll need a cup of raw cashews and some water. Next, you’ll need nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar for the ranch seasoning. And lastly, a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
Unfortunately, you won’t use the entire can for this recipe, but if you’re looking for additional ways to incorporate chipotle peppers into your meals, you should check out my chipotle pasta salad and chipotle roasted sweet corn recipes.
How do you make chipotle ranch dressing?
To make chipotle ranch dressing, you’ll need a small bowl, a measuring cup, measuring spoons, and a blender. Any kind of blender will do – I used my not so trusty Nutribullet which is on its way out after a good 7 years of companionship (Vitamix here I come!).
First, you’ll need to soak your raw cashews in a bowl for about an hour. Then, drain the cashews and add them to a blender along with more water, one chipotle pepper plus two teaspoons of adobo sauce, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar.
Blend the ingredients together until they’re smooth and creamy. Taste to ensure you don’t need to add any more spices, and then stir in the parsley. The dressing keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. It’s likely that it will thicken over time, but can easily be thinned out by adding a little bit of water before each use.
Serving ideas and substitution ideas
Salad is just the beginning with chipotle ranch dressing. Below are some ideas for serving and subbing
Make it spicy: My chipotle ranch dressing is very mild. If you’re looking to kick things up a notch, try adding an extra chipotle pepper or two. I will caution you that the heat sneaks up rather quickly, so only add one pepper at a time so you don’t overdo it.
Take out the chipotle to make it ranch: I have a handful of different ranchy dressings on my blog like this hemp seed ranch or this parsley and dill dressing, but if you’re looking for another ranchy variation, leave out the chipotle pepper and you’ve got a basic cashew ranch dressing.
Serve on roasted sweet potatoes: This chipotle ranch dressing is good for more than just salads. Try this vegan cashew dressing on top of roasted sweet potatoes with black beans and green onions.
Up your veggie tray game: Instead of your typical ranch dip, try our chipotle ranch dressing as a dip with your favorite veggies. We love these with tomatoes, carrots, snap peas and more.
Make elote: Instead of mayo, use this chipotle ranch dressing. Don’t forget the tajin and vegan parmesan cheese!
Add to nachos: Instead of sour cream, consider adding chipotle ranch dressing to a plate of nachos.
Spread on sandwiches: Use this chipotle ranch dressing in place of mayo on your favorite sandwiches! Definitely recommend this one on a TLTA (tempeh, lettuce, tomato, avocado).
If you liked this, you may like…
Chipotle ranch dressing is just the beginning. If you like this recipe of mine, you might like ones similar to it such as
- Chile de árbol hummus
- Green chili lentil sloppy joes
- Chipotle corn pasta salad
- Black bean lentil soup
- Southwest Avocado salad
Recipe jam
In this segment, I suggest a song for you to listen to while you make chipotle ranch dressing! You can even stream it right here in your browser. Today’s recipe jam is Living in an Open Place by De Lux.
If you try this recipe, I want to hear about it! Feel free to post your creations to Instagram or Facebook and tag Hell Yes It’s Vegan or #hellyesitsvegan. I look forward to seeing what you make!
Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Equipment
- measuring cup and spoons
- small bowl
- blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 ¼ cup water, (plus more for soaking)
- 1 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 2 tsp adobo sauce
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ Tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ Tbsp onion powder
- ½ Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Soak cashews in water for one hour. Drain and rinse.
- Add all of the ingredients into a blender except for the dried parsley. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Taste the dressing and add more seasonings if necessary. Stir in parsley and serve.