Despite the numerous choices that appear in the salad dressing aisle at the supermarket, one classic seems to always be in demand: ranch.
According to a Prepared Foods article, “the average American eats salad dressing about 38 times per year, with ranch the choice for nearly 40 percent of those consumption opportunities.” Moreover, ranch holds double the share of dollars and units of the next most popular flavor (blue cheese) in the food service market.
The reason for this is, in part, is because ranch works well as a dip and a dressing. It also helps that ranch variations, such as spicy ranch, chipotle ranch, avocado ranch, and more, are continuously popping up.
While there’s no denying the tastiness of ranch, its healthfulness, however, leaves much to be desired. Bottles from the supermarket are often loaded with sugar, additives and preservatives, so I tracked down a recipe that brings a fresh new perspective to this salad-bar classic. This raw vegan ranch dressing from Raw Food Recipes definitely outdoes anything processed in terms of both flavor and nutrition.
Dress and dip away!
Raw Vegan Ranch Dressing
Ingredients:
- ½ cup raw macadamia nuts, soaked overnight
- ½ cup chopped Persian cucumber, peeled
- 2 inch segment of the white part of a spring onion, chopped
- ½ clove garlic, chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 3+ tablespoons water
- 2-3 generous sprigs of fresh dill
- 2-3 generous sprigs of fresh basil
- 10+ stems fresh chives
- 2-3 generous sprigs of fresh Italian parsley
- ¼ -½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Preparation:
- Using a blender, blend the nuts, cucumber, spring onion, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt and water until smooth and creamy.
- Add more water if you would like a thinner consistency. Transfer to a bowl or jar.
- Chop the fresh herbs very finely and stir into the creamy cashew mixture. Add the red pepper flakes if using.
Which foods do you like to pair with ranch dressing? Tweet us @Hope4CancerMex or comment on our Facebook page.