No Oil Ranch
Skip the unhealthy fats and oils with this zippy ranch dressing recipe. It’s creamy and flavorful and sure to liven up any salad! I love using no oil dressings to flavor my salads because they are not only tasty, but they have virtually no calories and no guilt. Eat your heart out, and feel nothing but nourished.
What Is In No Oil Ranch
Meet a Ranch dressing that is actually good for you! Let me show you why:
Silken Tofu
No Oil Ranch does not need artificial thickeners or emulsifiers to give it some texture. Why not swap those unhealthy additives for tofu. Don’t cringe. Tofu has no taste, absorbs the flavors of the herbs and spices, and adds a silky consistency to this dressing. Make sure it says “Silken Tofu” on the package rather than firm or extra firm. Those varieties are better in other recipes.
Tofu is a super anti-inflammatory food thanks to its antioxidant phytochemical content. It contains all nine essential amino acids that your body needs to thrive. It is also high in protein and a huge variety of vitamins and minerals.
Tofu contains beneficial isoflavones. Because of these, tofu can lower your risk of developing cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Hemp Seeds
Hemp seeds are getting a lot of attention lately and for good reason. They are a complete protein, meaning like tofu, they contain all nine amino acids. They have a high Omega-3 (healthy fat) content and provide a balance omega 3- omega 6 ratio. This means reduced inflammation in the body. Hemp seeds are packed with fiber and are high in iron, zinc, and B vitamins.
It would be a great idea to sprinkle these soft cream colored seeds on virtually every dish, but in this dressing they are blended to create a beautifully creamy consistency.
Nutritional Yeast
If you are eating a plant based diet, you might as well get to know nutritional yeast. This yellowish flakey powdered yeast looks a little like fish food ha ha! But don’t be fooled. It offers a nutty, earthy, almost cheesy taste that is a staple in so many plant based dishes! I find it in the baking isle near bread yeast in my grocery store.
Nutritional yeast has many vitamins and minerals but is most often touted for its B vitamin content, specifically vitamin B12 which is difficult to find in diets not containing animal products.
Monk Fruit Sugar
Whenever I need to add just a tad of sweetness to a dish I turn to monk fruit sugar. Monk fruit sugar is extracted from monk fruit; a small, round fruit grown in Southeast Asia. This sweetner is typically 100-250 times sweeter than regular sugar, so if you use pure monk fruit sugar make sure to use WAY less. I use a monk fruit/ erythritol blend because it has a 1:1 ratio with regular refined sugar which means that you can replace it in exactly the same amount. The best part… ZERO calories. Yup, mmmmhhhmmm. You can purchase it in the baking isle of most grocery stores or get it here. Monk Fruit In The Raw
Try This Today!
Don’t be afraid get rid of oil in your salad dressings! Most of them contain harmful seed oils like canola and vegetable oils that are extremely inflammatory and offer a huge source of unwanted fat. Learn to love salads for their diverse variety of beautiful crunchy vegetables and think of salad dressing as an enhancer to your experience. This dressing enhances the protein, vitamin, and mineral content to my salad without needing chicken or other animal products that contain high calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Give your body some plant based goodness!
No Oil Ranch Dressing
Equipment
- 1 high speed blender
Ingredients
- 1 block silken tofu
- 1 shallot sliced
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ cup plant milk (I used almond)
- 4 tbsp pickle brine
- 2 tbsp dried dill weed
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp white miso paste
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Monk Fruit in the Raw sugar
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. If it is too runny, add more hemp seeds. If it is too thick, add more plant milk.
