Vegan Thousand Island - every bit of the sweet creamy tang of the original in this dairy-free version!

Vegan thousand island dressing in a jar.

Growing up, Thousand Island was hands down my favorite dressing. It has is all, rich creaminess, a touch of sweetness and the most perfect tang. And great on everything from salads to sandwiches, it's a true classic!

This veganized version eschews the dairy and sugar for healthier alternatives. The creaminess comes from raw cashews, the tang from natural ketchup and sweet pickle relish. There is a touch of crunch from minced onions and cider vinegar brightens it up.

A near-perfect replica of a classic!

Reasons to love this recipe!

It's every bit as creamy and delicious as the original, but you get to control the quality of ingredients!
Ready in 10 minutes with extra for the fridge :)
Vegan, gluten free, paleo, and dairy free.

Vegan thousand island in a measuring cup.

Ingredients and Substitutions:

Raw cashews - to add rich creaminess. For directions on how to soak them to create the creamiest dressing, look here.
Water - to thin it out to the correct consistancy. I find that 6 tablespoons is the perfect amount, but feel free to adjust up or down to create a thicker or thinner dressing.
Ketchup - I like a lower sugar natural brand.
Apple cider vinegar - or white vinegar.
Sweet pickle relish - you can use dill relish, but I love the flavor of sweet relish in this recipe.
Onion - finely minced for texture. Yellow, sweet, or red onions all work in this recipe.
Salt and pepper - to bring out flavor!

The ingredients set out on a grey background.az

How to make Vegan Thousand Island Dressing:

Soak the cashews: Soak the cashews according to the directions in this post. You can soak them overnight or have them ready in 15 minutes! If you have a Vitamix, you can skip soaking.

Blend the base: Blend the cashews, water, ketchup, vinegar, salt and pepper until creamy.

Stir in the pickle and onion: Transfer the dressing to a bowl and stir in the relish and onions.

Cashews, water, vinegar, ketchup, salt and pepper in a blender.

Minced onion and pickle relish being stirred into the creamy base of thousand island dressing.

Leftovers?

Store leftover dressing in a lidded container for 7-10 days in the fridge. Stir before using.

Ways to use Vegan Thousand Island Dressing:

On salad, of course! My favorite is to use it on taco salad. It adds rich creaminess and has the perfect balance of flavors.
On sandwiches - it adds amazing flavor to reuben, and club sandwiches just to name a few.
Burgers! Think of it as a twist on classic burger sauce. Delicious!
And it's perfect with fries!

Vegan taco salad with thousand island dressing and a fork.

More flavorful dressings and sauces!

Vegan Thousand Island Dressing

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

Author: Laurel Perry
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Yield: about 1 cup dressing 1x
Category: Side
Method: Blender
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Vegan Thousand Island - every bit of the sweet creamy tang of the original in this dairy-free version!

Ingredients

Scale

½ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
6 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons finely minced onion

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Instructions

Blend the cashews, water, ketchup, vinegar, salt and pepper until creamy.

Transfer the dressing to a bowl and stir in the relish and onions.

Notes

Cashews: Soak the cashews according to the directions in this post. You can soak them overnight or have them ready in 15 minutes! If you have a Vitamix, you can skip soaking.

Storage: Store leftover dressing in a lidded container for 7-10 days in the fridge. Stir before using.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
Calories: 63
Sugar: 3g
Sodium: 263mg
Fat: 4g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Carbohydrates: 6g
Fiber: 0g
Protein: 2g
Cholesterol: 0mg