No oil, no nuts, vegan, nutritarian, super-low fat, tofu ranch dressing. Yup, say hello to your dream dressing!
All of that creamy goodness is here. We’re talking legit.
We’re talking months in the making to get it all just right. We’re talking no added fat (no oil, no nuts) and no added salt–and it’s damn delicious!
WARNING: This is a nutritarian dressing recipe and that means it’s very different from traditional vegan recipes. This recipe uses no oil, no added salt and this particular Ranch Dressing recipe is low-fat, without using nuts. I do not suggest making this dressing recipe unless you have been eating nutritarian (specifically no more than 400mg added sodium daily) for at least 2 to 3 months diligently. Your taste buds need time to neuro-adapt before a dressing like this will taste “good” to you, so please keep that in mind before trying.
You know that salad is the key to weight loss success, you know those fresh raw veggies are going to protect you from disease and have your body running at it’s absolute best.
If you’re looking to achieve health excellence through a plant-based, whole food, no-oil, no-added-salt diet (like Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian plan) then you know that finding a decent conforming salad dressing is freaking hard!
I’m so excited to add this ranch dressing to your arsenal of delicious, nutritarian dressings!
In case you’ve missed it, here’s what we have so far:
- No Oil Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Beet Hummus Dressing
- Walnut Vinaigrette Dressing
- Tahini Date Dressing
- Cilantro Cashew Cream Dressing
Get ready to take your raw veggie powers to a whole new level!
This tofu ranch is oh-so-dip-able that you’re goal of 1 pound of fresh veggies is going to be a breeze to achieve.
And guess what?
You could eat all 2 cups of this tofu ranch recipe batch and it wouldn’t matter one. bit.
That’s right! This is the world’s cleanest ranch recipe. There is nothing bad for you in this dressing: no dairy, no salt, no oil or added fat.
Try eating 2 cups of regular ranch in one day and see how you feel after.
And it’s all about that base…
See most of the vegan ranch dressing recipes use Vegenaise or cashews and seeds to give that rich taste that we all crave from ranch.
After weeks of trial and error, I’ve finally found a way to make that creamy “buttermilk”-like base without the fat!
All you need for this tofu ranch is a bowl and a blender–it comes together in less than 5 minutes.
You can use fresh or dried herbs. I’ve made this recipe with both dried and fresh and, honestly, if you don’t mind a bit of chopping, I’d say go fresh if you can–that’s where all the flavor lives!
Fold in the chopped herbs, don’t blend them with the base!
I know you might be tempted to throw all the ingredients in the blender and leave it at that, and if it just so happens to be St. Paddy’s Day I say go right ahead–cause it’s going to be green.
Incidentally, green ranch turns me off and yes I made that mistake while developing this recipe. I do not like green ranch and veggies, I do not like them Sam I Am.
You get the point, take the time to chop and fold your herbs!
This ranch will turn out thick–but you can modify it.
It’s definitely a dip-like consistency. Personally I like a thicker ranch, but if you’re in the mood for something more drizzle-able just add in more water till you find your happy-magic-ranch-place!
Yes, happy-magic-ranch-place does exist, and you just found it!
No-Oil Tofu Ranch Dressing
Welcome to the nutritarian ranch dressing holy grail! Oil-free, no nuts or seeds, no-added-salt, and completely conforming to Dr. Fuhrman's aggressive weight-loss, whole food, plant-based program!
Ingredients
- 14 oz package firm tofu
- 1/2 cup water, divided
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp fresh curly parsley, finely chopped (sub 1 1/2 tbsp dried)
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped (sub 3/4 tbsp dried)
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped (sub 3/4 tbsp dried)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika or Cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
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Start with the "buttermilk" base: Add tofu, 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, onion and garlic powders, pepper, and smoked paprika or Cayenne pepper to blender.
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Blend on high for about 2 to 3 minutes until you get a smooth, creamy consistency.
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Empty "buttermilk" base into mixing bowl. Fold in dill, parsley and chives.
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Adjust your consistency by adding 2 tbsp. of water and mixing, until you get the thinness you want. Adjust easonings as necessary.
Recipe Notes
This recipe is savory with a flavorful punch from the fresh herbs. If you typically get overwhelmed by herbs, I would suggest starting with half the recommended amounts and add more to your liking after giving it a try.
Please leave a comment if you give this tofu ranch recipe a try, I love getting your feedback!
Just found you and must say the pictures of the food are luscious, so colorful! I am just starting out, Day 3 of ETL, and know three things for sure: I will be successful if there is variety, meals that taste good, and ready-to-eat foods available always. I love the way your blog is set up and am happy to have found it and the Facebook support group. There is so much support and encouragement that I feel I will be successful.
Hi Elle!
Yay!! I’m so happy you are enjoying the site and content–all of this is here to help you be successful!
I am on a short blogging break until the beginning of August, but get ready! There are more yummy recipes and resources to come!
xo, Kristen
This recipe was a waste of tofu it came out bland and pretty disgusting
Hi Becca,
Wow, I’m so sorry you were disappointed with it 🙁 I would say that because it is Eat to Live compliant (and you can’t use dairy, oil or salt) it’s the closest to a fat-free ranch that I have found.
You can always add 1/4 cup soaked cashews and some salt to make it taste better for you! It’s one of my all-time favorites, but everybody is different 😉
xo, Kristen
Hi, I just found you when I began looking into SOS free for all the weight I have to lose. I am not used to really cooking REAL food and am a bit overwhelmed. I’m not used to so many ingredients and amounts of food to buy, but I know I NEED this. I was wondering for a family of 4 what should I be spending weekly that will cover the whole week. If you could give me a general idea that might be helpful. Right now we spend almost $170 and that is about $50 more than I would like to spend. Is this way of life even possible for us or just for me. Thanks for all of your help and effort you put into your website, it has been a whole day of studying your site and writing down lists and so on. It gives me hope.
Hi Shannon!
So happy you found the site and are embarking on a new lifestyle!
It really depends on the ages of your kids to know if it is feasible to have them start with you. My two are under age 7, so they don’t eat nutritarian–we focus on having them eat their veggies first, try to minimize processed foods and do fruit for dessert. As they get older I will expose them to more.
When you say SOS, does that mean you’ve read Dr. Fuhrman’s books or were introduced to the lifestyle another way?
If you focus on weekly meal prep you can really trim your grocery budget because you are batch cooking–you can read up on it here.
Let me know about your kiddos ages so I can give you more tailored advice!
xo, Kristen
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love Ranch dressing so I’m hoping this will be a good substitute. I’ve never used tofu before and there are quite a few different ones in the store and to be honest I don’t know which to buy – they all look a little scary! Do you have any suggestions on how to buy good tofu? Which brand do you use? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Barbara!
I suggest you just buy “firm” organic tofu! I buy mine in bulk from Costco the brand is called “House Foods.”
I’m so excited for you to try this recipe–it’s really amazing how creamy it is!!
xo, Kristen
This was excellent, I added smoked paprika and i wanted to eat with a spoon. The only adjustment i will be making is less pepper cause it was supposedly “too spicy for my 5 year old lol!
Hello! I am so excited to try this recipe and SO happy to find this Nutritarian ranch! My only question is that in the directions it says to blend red pepper in the base, but red pepper isn’t listed in the ingredients for the recipe. I also saw radishes in the picture with the dressing so I just want to make sure that when I make this that I’m not making it incorrectly by not using these things. Thanks!
Hi Raelyn,
Thank you so much for catching that! There is no red pepper in the recipe–I have them and radishes in the picture just to add color!
I’ve fixed the recipe–it should have read: smoked paprika or Cayenne pepper!
Hope you love it as much as I do!
xo, Kristen
This is one of the best tofu ranches I’ve come across! Thanks so much for this great recipe. I subbed silken firm tofu bc I always have it on hand and I didn’t add any water. The consistency turned out great for dipping.
Hi Amber!
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a recipe review and I’m so, so glad you liked it!
xo, Kristen
Making this now! Wondering why in the list of ingredients it says “1/2 cup water divided” but then you put the entire half cup in at once? Did I miss something?
Hi Ellen!
I had to re-post all my recipes when my site was switched over so, I will go back into my files and make sure the measurement is correct. I do know that the ranch consistency is thick so I usually add more water to get it to more of a dressing consistency versus a dip.
Thanks so much for pointing this out–I will double check and update!
xo, Kristen
Hi Kristen!
This looks so yummy! How long can I store in the fridge?
Hi Elyse!
If you store in a glass container (I use Mason jars with plastic lids) then it will keep for at least 1 week! Hope you love it!
xo, Kristen
I have mason jars with metal lids. Will the metal react with the tofu? Should I put a bit of plastic wrap between the dressing and the lid?
I’m hoping your recipes will encourage me to make my own dressing. I am a pretty good cook and have made all kinds of vegan foods, but for some reason, salad dressings scare me. Doesn’t make any sense, but there it is. Also, I’m always afraid I won’t use up the dressing since it is only me. I don’t want to waste the ingredients, so it’s important to know that these will keep at least a week. I will probably just make half batches, tho, to see how it works out.
I tried this ranch today. I am vegan, mostly plant based. I have been trying to be as plant based as I can. The one thing I miss is all the yummy-oil-sauces. This for me wasn’t ranch-ish, but still a good dipping sauce! I dipped buffalo cauliflower into the dip and it was a delicious snack! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Carlie!
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know how you liked the ranch-ish sauce 😉 That might have been a better thing to call it! Y
Yes, I completely agree on missing oil sauces! This ranch is really healthy because it uses no nuts, but if you want more of that richness you can always add in cashews next time!
xo, Kristen
Made this today and loved it! I’ve been eating my salads topped with fresh salsa, avocado chunks and a generous dousing of apple cider vinegar. I enjoyed, guilt-free, having a salad drenched in dressing…like I always wanted to do with conventional ranch dressing. Today’s salad was mixed leaves, shredded carrot, diced orange bell pepper, and red onion slivers, all topped with this amazing tofu dressing and sprinkled with sunflower kernels.
Thank you for the recipe!
This looks so great and I can’t wait to try it!
Out of curiosity though, how much dressing does this recipe make?
Hi Madison!
That’s a great question! I’ll have to pay better attention next time I make it–but I want to say about 2 cups (since my Mason jars fit 2 cups)!
Hope you love it and I’ll update the recipe with the yield amount soon!
xo, Kristen
Hi! THANK YOU!!! I just whipped up a batch and I am in heaven!!!! I didn’t see where it mentioned this, so forgive me if you did and I overlooked it, but what is the fridge life for this?
Hi Kelli!
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review and I’m so, so happy you like the ranch dressing!!
It will last up to a week in a glass container!
xo, Kristen
Oh my! This is incredible! I just whipped this up, and it is great! The perfect addition to some veggies. Thank you for great recipes like this one, your site is so encouraging! I’m on week 3 and having your recipes and journal have been essential!
Hi Brittany!
YAY!! So, so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!!
One of my all-time favorite savory dressing recipes on the blog and low fat to boot!!
Thanks so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and for your lovely comment!
HUGE CONGRATULATIONS ON 3 WEEKS!!! Woop woop!!
xo, Kristen
I have a sensitivity to yeast, do you think I could just skip it? Or would it affect the texture/taste too much?
Hi Mandy!
I don’t think it would work out flavor-wise. I think you’d be better off with this No-Oil Herb Tahini dressing instead!
xo, Kristen
Hi,
I am so glad to have found your blog. I went Nutritarian 3 yrs ago, but have gotten off the plan and am trying to get back on track. Just made the ranch dressing (ranch-ish,ha!). So good, I did add a little salt, I think it will take time for me to readjust to no salt. But, the flavor and consistency was really good. Love that I have a dressing that isn’t vinegar based, it gets old eating the same thing.
How long will this keep in the frig?
I made this recipe tonight with firm silken tofu. In my opinion, it gets an average rating. I thought the amount of nutritional yeast was overwhelming, and added extra herbs and lemon juice and also apple cider vinegar to compensate, and give it a “tangy” flavor. I put it in salad, and probably will use the rest for sandwiches or dip? Not sure if I’ll make it again or not, but thanks for the recipe idea!
Thanks for the delicious ranch tofu dressing Kristen. I did add salt which made me think… maybe I need to cut back on salt – haha! I look forward to exploring your blog and trying other recipes!
My first reaction was nonono, but it is growing on me. I think the expectation of ‘ranch’ threw me off and set the mayonnaise-and-buttermilk soaked bar too high. The fresh herbs make it. The buttermilk base is really creamy and the texture is spot on. However I did not think the buttermilk base tasted close enough to buttermilk, it was too yeasty. I added vinegar in an attempt to amp it up. It’s good for a healthy dose on salad. I look forward to revisiting after it has a few hours to set up.
I did feel the nutritional yeast was over powering and the dressing tasted bland… But as a base it works… Anyone can tweak according to personal preference. I added salt, more lemon juice, some more seasonings. Mine was thinner in consistency… Perhaps attributable to the silken tofu I had, which I didn’t press it before hand
Hi Megan!
Thanks so much for leaving such a helpful comment on this recipe!
I completely agree that it can easily be modified for personal preferences!
xo, Kristen
I am fairly new to Tofu. I like it and have used it several times. Every recipe I have done says to press and drain the tofu. Yours does not. Do I use the tofu as it comes out of the package with the leaky water-like stuff? I am thrilled to find some no fat vegan dressing recipes. Many thanks.
Hi Geneva!
For this recipe the water in the tofu acts to help thin-out the dressing consistency.
That being said, I would definitely drain the water that the tofu is packaged in before adding it in!
Hope you enjoy it!
xo, Kristen
I cannot wait to try this!!! I am starting on the road to nutritarian. Please let me know where on your blog I can find success tips. I have tried going Nutritarian a lot of times now and always fall and not just a little it seems to get worse every time. I wish I was already living this way consistently but sadly I have a hard time sticking with it. I’m hoping tasty salad dressings will help me this time!!
So wonderful to meet you Caryssa!
I completely understand the starting and stopping part of this journey. Trust me I went through the same thing for years! But I promise you every single time you eat a nutritarian meal is a WIN! It’s a “win” for your health and a “win” for you mentally to see that this lifestyle is doable.
With this recipe in particular keep in mind that it will likely taste “bland” to you if you have not been eating nutritarian for at least 3 months. Your taste buds may not be ready to go without salt in the beginning, so if you need to add some in to get started, do that!
I recommend you go to my START HERE page to get yourself ready to relaunch your nutritarian journey!
Wishing you all the best!
xo, Kristen
I so wanted this to be ‘the’ recipe that my 5 yr old grdaughter would love. She is so picky! I really like it better than others I have tried, but alas I could not win her over.
Hi Judith,
It might be a stretch for a 5yo to enjoy such a low-fat and un-salted recipe. I would recommend that if you’re kiddo isn’t used to nutritarian eating that you go for more of a traditional vegan ranch recipe that would use salt and some nuts or oil!
But thanks so much for taking the time to review and comment!
xo, Kristen
Hi Kristin! I found your website a while back but never thought I could handle eating salads everyday. I have been eating WFPB for three years now but have found almost twenty pounds creeping back on as I have been allowing junky vegan foods in my diet. Those processed foods have real addiction properties and messed my mojo all up! 😐. Since I originally lost over fifty pounds following a high carb low fat WFPB diet it was hard to grasp thinking I had to eat this way to get back into weight loss mode. For me I think it is more about re-setting my taste buds and finding something that “works” for me. I am starting day 6th day today and each day gets easier and easier. Your website, and content and the seven day guide have been such a blessing to get started and make it easy. I have been using the hummus dressing or just vinegar all week on my salads so I am going to try this ranch-ish recipe today. I think the hardest part about any weight loss journey is realizing it’s a lifestyle not a temporary way of eating and your resources here will make it easier for sure. Thank you!
It’s so wonderful to meet you Jamie!
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and share a bit about your journey! Tell me about it with the processed vegan food–it’s just as addictive as SAD processed food in my book!
I’m SO happy to hear that you’re finding the site and Salad Cleanse helpful in your nutritarian journey! Wishing you all the best to come!
xo, Kristen
Hi. Did you press the tofu or just use it out of the container? Thanks.
Hi Christine,
I didn’t press the tofu, but I did drain well. Since it’s blended up the extra water helps with a thinner consistency. If you like a thicker consistency just add the additional water gradually until you get what you like. Hope you enjoy it!
xo, Kristen
Hi Kristen!
I made this for lunch today. It was great! I did add salt.
thank you!
Hi Melissa,
SO happy to hear you liked it–and adding salt is definitely okay with me if you’re not yet used to low-sodium living!
Thanks so much for taking the time to review the recipe as well!
xo, Kristen
It def not ranch dressing but I’m going to eat it. Too much yeast and not enough of something else to balance it out. Good job, though, because coming up with your own recipes is not for the everyone. Thanks, Kristen!
I found the “ranch” dressing bland too. I just made it so am hoping that after it sits for a few hours it will taste like something. Maybe balsamic vinegar?
Hi Diana,
You may need to add salt especially if you’re not used to low-sodium cooking. It takes your palate about 6 months of low-sodium living for your taste buds to reset.
Keep in mind that it’s a nut-free and no-added-salt ranch dressing!
xo, Kristen
I hate leaving negative comments, but I also value reading honest reviews.
I knew this wasn’t going to taste like the holy grail of Hidden Valley Ranch, but I thought it would at least resemble some sort of ranch-y dressing. Unfortunately, it didn’t for me. If I were to pick a flavor, it would be mildly cheesy, but not in a good way. I’m not going to throw it out, but rather put it in a jar in the fridge and taste it each day until I find a good way to modify it or find a different use for it.
This was my first recipe from Hello Nutritarian, and I was super excited for this to work, but it didn’t come close to anything I’m willing to put on my salads. And it definitely isn’t ranch. There are a few other recipes, like the cheese sauce, that I’d like to try, and I hope they turn out better than this one.
Hi Sara,
This site has nutritarian recipes so they are a bit different than typical vegan recipes.
Nutritarian recipes use no added salt and no oil. Sodium is kept at 300 to 400 mg for the whole day.
It takes your taste buds about 6 months of dedicated salt restriction to reset and neuro-adapt.
This specific dressing recipe has no nuts and is very low-fat, so if you’re not used to eating this way it’s not going to taste very good. I’ve updated the recipe with a warning to this effect so there won’t be disappointment in the future.
xo, Kristen
1/2 cup water, divided? Please explain what that means.
Hi Heather!
It just means you’ll use some of the water at one time in the recipe and the rest later in the recipe!
xo, Kristen
Thank you! I miss creamy dressings and I can make this work for me. I added 1/3 cup soaked cashews, a few dashes of Frank’s hot sauce and doubled the lemon juice, I used silken tofu I had on hand so I left out the water. Thank you so much for your terrific blog! You’ve done a wonderful job and I really appreciate your recipes & ideas. I’m on week 4 of ETL, recovering from autoimmune disorders. You’ve really helped me get organized and creative, which helps me stay consistent. Thank you for all the work you do and for sharing with us!
I have been WFPB for over 6 years now. When I tried this recipe it fit right into the program and it gave me the creamy dressing I was looking for. The lack of salt did not other me because the herbs more than made up for it. I am rather salt sensitive anyway. I especially love it as a topping for my baked potatoes. Thank you so much for posting it!
Oh I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the Ranch recipe, Helen! It definitely helps when your palate has adjusted to low-sodium living!
Thanks so much for leaving a rating and lovely comment!
xo, Kristen
Hi – I have a question…..I am not going to the grocery store during the coronavirus pandemic and my shopping service brought me refrigerated SILKEN tofu, which I have never used. If I wanted to use it in this Ranch Dressing recipe, (1) do you think it would work and (2)would you reduce the water in the recipe?
I have been nutritarian for almost 10 years, so I kinda’ know what to expect.
Thanks!
Hi there! Yes, I think that would be a wise way to substitute with silken tofu for this recipe. You can always adjust the water at the very end!
Also, HUGE congratulations on your 10 years strong!
Wow I thought this was a Fuhrman recipe originally, so awesome to see food vloggers adopting the nutritarian lifestyle! This tasted amazing and closest healthy alternative I’ve tasted that actually compares to real ranch. Will definitely be checking out your other recipes.
SO happy to hear that, Brandon!
Thank you for taking the time to leave a recipe rating and review–this is so helpful for the site!
Kristen
This dressing was EXACTLY what I was looking for! Perfect.
Oh I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this dressing Teresa!
A for effort for putting this recipe together. Much lower grade on taste. Doesn’t taste anything like Ranch dressing
So sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the taste–if you’re not accustomed to no-salt foods it can be quite a big adjustment!