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Make our cucumber cashew ranch dressing with simple ingredients. Just soak, blend, stir, and serve with salad, pizza, veggies, sandwiches and more.
Ranch is a midwest staple
Not sure if you’re aware, but I’m from Nebraska – basically the home of ranch dressing. I feel like it is a right of passage out there – you’re not truly midwestern unless you douse everything in Hidden Valley.
I must admit, I participate heavily in the “side of ranch” when I get the opportunity to do so. In fact, I love ranch so much this is the third variation of ranch dressing I have on my site – check out the others – oil-free hemp seed buttermilk ranch and parsley & dill salad dressing.
I really like both of my other ranch recipes – the hemp seed ranch is very earthy and healthy while the parsley & dill dressing calls for fresh herbs that pack a punch. I decided to make a variation that is less reliant on fresh herbs and spices but uses a little cucumber for extra flavor and freshness – enter cucumber cashew ranch dressing.
Why cashews?
I absolutely love making salad dressings from nuts. For one, nuts are oil-free which is a bonus for all of you WFPB folks. And for two, I always have them lying around. I can’t tell you how often I run out of vegan mayo or vegan sour cream only to be thankful I have a bunch of raw cashews on hand.
Of course, if you have vegan mayo you can use that instead, but I love a good cashew for the flavor, texture, and healthy fats.
What ingredients do I need to make cucumber cashew ranch?
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you’ll probably have most of the ingredients on hand in your pantry. And if you don’t, the ingredients are easy to find, so no weird amazon purchases needed to make this delicious dressing.
Cucumber: If you can locate an English / hothouse cucumber, I strongly recommend using one of those. They have more flavor than your standard cucumber which makes the dressing more flavorful. You don’t need the entire cucumber for this recipe – about ½ cup of sliced cucumbers will do.
Raw cashews: Raw cashews make up the base of this ranch dressing. I usually buy my cashews in bulk from Food to Live on Amazon and store them in the freezer. Otherwise, you can find raw cashews at most grocery stores.
Parsley: Dried parsley is the primary herb used in ranch dressing and this recipe is no exception. You’ll need a few tablespoons of parsley.
Apple cider vinegar: To add some tartness to the dressing you’ll need apple cider vinegar. If you don’t have this kind on hand, you can substitute lemon juice instead. This is important as it balances out the sweetness of the cashews.
Garlic and onion powder: Garlic powder and onion powder are the primary spices in cucumber cashew ranch dressing. They add that savory goodness that keeps you dipping over and over again
Nutritional yeast: Cashews on their own can be a little sweet. To help add some cheesy/milky flavor, you’ll need some nutritional yeast.
Salt and pepper: You’ll need some salt and pepper to taste as well. I really love using lots of fresh cracked rainbow pepper for this recipe if you have it on hand.
How to make cucumber cashew ranch dressing
Making cucumber cashew ranch dressing is really easy. All you need is a blender, a measuring cup, measuring spoons, and a whisk.
Start out by soaking the raw cashews in water for about one hour. If you’re in a hurry, you can alternatively boil the cashews for about 10 minutes on the stove. Once your cashews are soaked, drain the water and add the cashews to a blender along with 4-5 inches of cucumber and a little over a cup of water. Then add the nutritional yeast, the onion powder, and garlic powder. Next, blend the ingredients until they are fully incorporated.
Lastly, stir in the parsley and then add salt and pepper to taste. I like my dressing extra peppery, so I end up adding ½ – ¾ teaspoons pepper for the recipe. The dressing is ready to serve right away or can be chilled in the refrigerator and added to salads, sandwiches, pizza, and more.
Serving ideas
Looking for ways to serve our cucumber cashew ranch dressing? We have a few ideas.
Add it to our Sweet Tomatoes Salad: If you’re like me and miss Sweet Tomatoes, then make your favorite salad combo (Like this one from yours truly!) and toss on some cucumber cashew ranch dressing.
Dip some pizza in it: Not just the crust! The whole thing baby! I’ve been loving the new Daiya frozen pepperoni pizza and it tastes great with ranch dressing.
Add it to sandwiches: Hint: there might be a recipe for buffalo chicken sandwiches coming soon that you can slather this ranch dressing all over.
Charcuterie it up: Need a dip to add to your charcuterie board? Consider adding our cucumber cashew ranch dressing for all those veggies.
Baked potato topping: Add our dressing on top of baked potatoes with coconut bacon ranch and chives.
Want more recipes?
If you liked our cucumber cashew ranch dressing, you might like some of my other salad dressings like
- Chipotle ranch dressing
- Sesame ginger sauce
- Cashew Caesar dressing
- Beet salad with green goddess dressing
- Peanut salad dressing
- Vegan Russian dressing
Recipe jam
In this segment, I suggest a song for you to listen to while you make cucumber cashew ranch dressing! You can even stream it right here in your browser. Today’s recipe jam is The World is our Platform to Mean Something by Peachcake.
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!
Cucumber Cashew Ranch Dressing
Equipment
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- blender
- whisk
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 4-5 inch English cucumber
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 2 Tbsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in water for at least 1 hour. If you're in a hurry you can boil the cashews for 10 minutes instead.
- Drain the cashews and add to a blender with 1 ¼ cup water, apple cider vinegar, cucumber, nutritional yeast, onion powder, and garlic powder. Run the blender until the dressing is smooth.
- Add salt, pepper, and parsley and whisk to combine. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.