Vegan Tahini Ranch Dressing Recipe

Ranch dressing may be one of the nation's favorite condiments, especially in the Midwest — this region consumes more of the stuff than anywhere else. One group, however, may be missing out, as vegans can't eat the standard kind of ranch dressing that's typically made with buttermilk. Here, however, developer Julianne De Witt makes her ranch dressing recipe plant-based by using coconut yogurt. She describes this dairy-free substance as having a similar consistency to that of Greek yogurt but assures us that it doesn't make the dressing taste like coconut.

Yet another ingredient De Witt uses to flavor her ranch dressing is the Middle Eastern or Mediterranean style of sesame paste known as tahini. Not only does it have a nutty flavor, but it's also high in healthy fats, manganese, phosphorus, and Vitamins B1 and B6. Coconut yogurt is rich in calcium, so these ingredients combine to make a creamy and light dip. The vegan ranch is also easy to make, as it takes just five minutes to stir the ingredients together.

In addition to the aforementioned coconut yogurt and tahini, you will also need some lemon juice to mix up the dip. For the seasonings, De Witt uses a combination of dried parsley, fresh dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to achieve this effect. While she favors fresh dill, she says you can replace the 1 ½ tablespoons called for here with 1 ½ teaspoons of the dried kind if that's more convenient.

Add the yogurt, tahini, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to a medium-sized bowl.

Whisk the ingredients together.

Add water and whisk until desired consistency is reached.

Serve with crudités or salad.

If you wish to keep this recipe vegan, De Witt says that you can substitute any other type of plant-based yogurt in for the coconut kind. She suggests using yogurt made with almond or soy milk, while cashew or oat milk yogurt would also work. In a pinch, you could also opt for pureed silken tofu, or use either vegenaise or some type of plant-based sour cream or cottage cheese as a replacement. If you just want tahini ranch and don't mind dairy, though, Greek or regular yogurt would also work.

If you do use any of these substitutes in place of the coconut yogurt De Witt favors, you might find that your dressing has a different consistency than hers. In such a case, she suggests that you simply adjust the amount of water in the recipe. If your yogurt substitute is on the thin side, you may wish to omit it entirely, but if you use something thick, you can stir in a little more liquid until your dressing is just the way you like it.

De Witt likes to use her tahini ranch dressing as a dip for raw vegetables, which are also called crudités when served as a platter. She notes that it tastes pretty good with french fries, too, and can also be used as a topping for cooked vegetables — try some on an ear of corn or a baked potato.

Yet another way to use this dressing is, of course, on a salad. If you will be pouring it over a green salad, you may wish to thin the dressing out with a little water or plant-based milk. If you'd like a tarter dressing, you could also mix in some extra lemon juice or a splash of white wine vinegar. You'll want to leave the dressing thick, though, if you'll be using it in a cream-based salad such as potato, pasta, or (for non-vegans) egg or tuna. You could also do as De Witt suggests and mix the dressing with mashed chickpeas, then spread it between two slices of bread as a meat-free alternative to a tuna sandwich.