Creamy vegan ranch dressing gets an upgrade from chipotle pepper. A tangy, spicy, savory dressing perfect for salads, cruditès, dipping, and more! 1 blender, ~30 minutes, and simple ingredients required.
Soak cashews in very hot water for 30 minutes. While cashews are soaking, measure out almond milk and add lemon juice and set aside to curdle (this makes your vegan “buttermilk”).
Drain and rinse cashews, then transfer to a small blender (a blender is preferred over a food processor for achieving a smooth texture) and add almond "buttermilk," garlic, salt, pepper, onion powder, vinegar, maple syrup (optional), ground chipotle chile, and dill. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes or until very creamy and smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt to taste, ground chipotle or adobo sauce for heat, maple syrup for sweetness, lemon juice or vinegar for acidity, garlic for garlic flavor, or herbs for a more herbal flavor.
Use immediately at room temperature or refrigerate for 3-4 hours to chill. It will thicken in the refrigerator, so you can add more almond milk or water later on to thin if needed.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional sweetener. *Learn more about the history of chipotles in adobo sauce here! *Recipe adapted from our Oil-Free Ranch Dressing.