Vegan French Dressing
Looking for the perfect French dressing that’s vegan and dairy-free? This classic vegan French dressing recipe will quench your desire for something sweet, smoky, and tangy to top your favorite salad.
It’s incredibly easy to make, using basic kitchen tools and ingredients. Just soak, blend, and serve. You may find that this French dressing disappears pretty quickly, so be sure to have extra on hand. We’ve also listed the most popular vegan French dressing brands below.
Also check out our Making the Best Vegan Salad guide—it’s chock full of sweet and savory salad recipes for you to try, both fruit and veggie!
Why You Must Make Your Own Vegan French Dressing!
Here’s why this oil-free French dressing recipe is so awesome. It’s…
- Super Creamy and Smooth. Blended cashews make the texture rich, silky, and perfect for drizzling on salads or dipping veggies.
- Sweet, Tangy, and Savory. This dressing has the best balance of flavors in every bite.
- Easy to Make at Home. It comes together fast and tastes fresher than most store-bought versions.
- Great for More Than Salads. You can use it as a sandwich spread, veggie dip, grain bowl sauce, or even a marinade for tofu and roasted veggies.
- Easy to Customize. You can make it sweeter, tangier, smokier, or even a little spicy depending on what you like.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions in This Vegan French Dressing
Once you make your own dressing, you’ll wonder why you ever bought it bottled. Here are a few tips and substitutions to make this dairy-free French dressing quick and easy:
- Soaked Cashews – Make the dressing creamy and smooth without needing dairy. Soak them in hot (or boiling) water for about 20–30 minutes if you’re short on time. Blend really well for the smoothest texture. Raw sunflower seeds work well for a nut-free option. Silken tofu can also make the dressing creamy.
- Ketchup – Gives vegan French dressing its classic tomato flavor, sweetness, and bright orange color. Use a ketchup you already enjoy since the flavor really comes through. A little extra ketchup makes the dressing thicker and sweeter. Tomato paste plus a small splash of maple syrup works in a pinch. Chili sauce can add a little extra kick.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Adds the tangy flavor that makes French dressing taste balanced. Start small and add more to taste if you like extra tang. White wine vinegar also works great. Lemon juice can add a brighter citrus flavor.
- Spices (Smoked Paprika, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Salt) – Give the dressing its savory, smoky, and bold flavor. Let the dressing sit for 10–15 minutes (or overnight) before serving so the flavors blend together. Regular paprika works if you do not want a smoky flavor. Garlic granules and onion granules can replace the powders. A pinch of cayenne can add a little heat if you like spice.
Serving Tips and Suggestions
Homemade dressing is such a treat because you can make it to your own taste and flavor preferences. It’s all up to you!
- Drizzle It on a Crunchy Taco Salad – This egg-free French dressing tastes amazing on a big vegan taco salad loaded with lettuce, crunchy tortilla strips (or potato skin crisps), and a corn and bean salad with avocado.
- Use It as a Sandwich Spread – Spread a little on veggie burgers, collard wraps, or deli-style BLT sandwiches for extra flavor.
- Toss It With Pasta Salad – Mix it into a cold pasta salad with chopped veggies and fresh herbs.
- Dip Crispy Roasted Potatoes Into It – This makes a fun dip for roasted potatoes or air fryer fries.
- Turn It Into a Veggie Dip Platter – Serve it as a dip with carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, bell peppers, and homemade gluten-free crackers. Perhaps add in a few pickled veggies? It’s an easy snack, hummus board addition, or party platter recipe that feels fresh and colorful.
Helpful Hint: If you whip up this dressing the day before, the flavors will be even more concentrated and the texture is creamier and thicker. Totally worth making ahead of time!
Vegan French Dressing Brands
Here are some vegan French dressing brands that we found to be fully vegan:
- Walden Farms – French Zero Calorie Dressing
- Organicville – French Style Dressing
- MIlani 1890 – French Dressing
- Wishbone – Creamy French
- Kraft – Zesty Catalina or Fat-Free Creamy French
Recipe FAQs
Place one cup of raw cashews into a large bowl and cover with one and a half cups of warm water. Allow the cashews to soak overnight (5-8 hours maximum). Drain and allow them to sit for around 10 minutes to get rid of the excess liquid. Be careful not to soak too long.
Our dressing is made fresh and with without preservatives, so it’s a little more delicate than bottled dressings at the grocery store. You can easily store any leftovers in a sealed plastic or glass container (like a mason jar) for up to 4 days. After that, it’s a good idea to make a new batch.
No worries! Place the cup of raw cashews into a large bowl. Boil one and half cups of water. Pour the water over the cashews. Let the cashews soak for 30 minutes. No need to cover. Drain and allow them to sit for around 10 minutes to get rid of the excess liquid.
More Delicious Vegan Dressing Recipes To Try
If you make this Vegan French Dressing recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know what you think in the comments below! I love reading your comments!
Tangy Vegan French Dressing (Oil-Free)
Ingredients
Soaking Ingredients:
- ½ cup raw cashews
- Water for soaking
Dressing Ingredients:
- ½ cup soaked cashews
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, plain or sweet can be used instead
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Soaking Instructions:
- The night before (or at least 30 minutes before you’d like your dressing to be done), soak your cashews in a bowl with warm water (or boiling for the shorter soak) so that the water covers the nuts by ½ inch or so. Once the cashews have soaked, drain the excess water and place in a covered container in the fridge until ready to use.
Dressing Instructions:
- Add the soaked cashews and the rest of the ingredients to a small blender. Cover and shake well.
- Blend on high for about 1 minute, or until creamy smooth.
- For the best flavor, refrigerate the dressing for an hour (or, even better, overnight) so that the flavors have time to infuse. Enjoy!
Notes
- Too Thick? – If your dressing seems a little too thick after a while, add a tablespoon each of water and apple cider vinegar to thin it out. If you want less tang, just use water.
- Salt Sensitive? – If you are salt-free or trying to reduce your salt, feel free to omit the salt all together. You could even use a salt-free ketchup. Substituting with a salt alternative would work as well.
- Gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, and soy-free
Nutrition
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Leave a Comment
Love how this dressing is put together!!
I’m seriously obsessed with this vegan French dressing!! It’s soooo good on salad. I eat way more greens now that I’ve found this!
Loveee this dressing so much! So good!
So super happy to share this recipe! My favorite salad dressing growing up was French and I love having an oil-free recipe to enjoy. Much healthier and still really delicious! Enjoy 😀
This is fantastic on steamed asparagus. We had it for dinner tonight and loved it!
Yum! Love this simple French dressing :-).