Vegan Thousand Island - every bit of the sweet creamy tang of the original in this dairy-free version!
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.
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!
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.
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!
More flavorful dressings and sauces!
PrintVegan Thousand Island Dressing
- 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
Description
Vegan Thousand Island - every bit of the sweet creamy tang of the original in this dairy-free version!
Ingredients
- 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
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
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 63
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 263mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Bean says
This is delicious. It tastes just like Thousand Island dressing in a bottle but feels good to eat because it doesn’t have the unhealthy stuff in it.