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    Home > Recipes

    Cashew Dressing

    Published: Oct 13, 2016 · Updated: Nov 29, 2019 · by Veronika Sykorova · This post may contain affiliate links · 13 Comments

    412 shares
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe· 4.3 from 4 reviews

    Can we please give it up for delicious creamy vegan dressings (that aren't made of vegetable oil)?!! I can't believe it's taken me so long to start making my own cashew dressing! Nonetheless, it's safe to say that it's my latest and greatest obsession. I admit, I say that about a lot of things. Speaking of which, I've been obsessed with anything and everything chai-spiced so you can probably expect a lot of chai-spiced desserts, breakfasts, and/or drinks in the upcoming weeks or months. Although, there probably won't be any chai spice cashew dressing. Or should there be a chai spiced cashew dressing...? I mean, chai-spiced chocolate cashew sauce??? On oatmeal? Or as a dip? OR I could make it thicker in the form of a cheesecake?? Oh man, I admit I've got a problem.

    How to Make Vegan Cashew Dressing - creamy, delicious, and SO versatile. You'll love this recipe! Only 3 main ingredients and the rest is up to you. Get creative! | thehealthfulideas.com

    I had been avoiding cashew dressing because it always seemed like too much work with all the soaking and blending but turns out it's actually pretty easy and I'm just painfully lazy. To be fair, when I finally decided to try making vegan cashew dressing I tried and failed a couple times. I soaked the nuts for way too long (full 8 hours as I would almonds) and they were just too soggy and purple (yep, purple) and the dressing was never good. Then I finally decided to google it and found out you should soak cashews for way less than other nuts. If you're using cold water, 2-3 hours should be enough. OR if you're lazy and impatient like me, just soak them for 30 minutes in hot water and they'll be perfect for dressing in no time.

    I know that 30 minutes probably isn't sufficient enough to get rid of the enzyme inhibitors (they make it harder for you to digest the nuts, hence you soak the nuts to get rid of them) but I just don't have the patience.

    Now, about the purple cashews. Apparently, when you soak your cashews for too long, they turn slightly purple which doesn't mean they've gone bad, it just means they're oversoaked and probably soggy. We don't want that. Don't throw them out yet, though! Throw them into the blender and blend, add water if needed and if you succeed and they turn into a creamy dressing, add the rest of the ingredients. That way you waste neither the cashews nor the rest of the ingredients.

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    How to Make Vegan Cashew Dressing - creamy, delicious, and SO versatile. You'll love this recipe! Only 3 main ingredients and the rest is up to you. Get creative! | thehealthfulideas.com

    How to Make Vegan Cashew Dressing - creamy, delicious, and SO versatile. You'll love this recipe! Only 3 main ingredients and the rest is up to you. Get creative! | thehealthfulideas.com

    The three main ingredients in this recipe are the cashews (obviously), lemon juice, and sea salt. That should be your base for anything and everything. You can add totally different spices than I did for a completely different dish. I went with garlic, nutritional yeast, onion, black pepper, and a bit of tahini for a universal creamy, tangy dressing with a kick. You can add tamari, olive oil (or olives), maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, chilli, any spices you like, or even stuff like fresh herbs or sun-dried tomatoes. The possibilities are literally endless.

    I hope you love it and if you try it, don't forget to snap a picture and let me know on Instagram or Twitter! I'm also on Snapchat @healthfulideas, add me to see what I eat throughout the day, how I shoot, and what I'm up to every day. :)

    How to Make Vegan Cashew Dressing - creamy, delicious, and SO versatile. You'll love this recipe! Only 3 main ingredients and the rest is up to you. Get creative! | thehealthfulideas.com

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    How to Make Vegan Cashew Dressing - creamy, delicious, and SO versatile. You'll love this recipe! Only 3 main ingredients and the rest is up to you. Get creative! | thehealthfulideas.com

    Cashew Dressing

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.3 from 4 reviews
    • Author: The Healthful Ideas
    • Prep Time: 30 mins
    • Cook Time: 5 mins
    • Total Time: 35 mins
    • Yield: 2 cups 1x
    • Category: dressing
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    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1 cup cashews (soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, then drained and rinsed)
    • ¾ cup water + more depending on how thick you want it to be
    • 1-2 cloves garlic (or more, depending on size)
    • ½-1 lemon, juiced (I used a whole lemon but if you don't like your dressings too tangy, start with ½ and add more if needed)
    • 1 tbsp tahini (optional)
    • 1-2 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
    • ¼ tsp onion powder
    • ¼ tsp sea salt
    • freshly cracked black pepper to taste

    Instructions

    1. Add everything into a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth.
    2. Add more water if it's too thick. If you don't plan on using it right away, add 2-3 tablespoon more water because it will thicken up in the fridge. If it's still too thick when you're ready to use it, just add more water and stir.
    3. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

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    Did you make this recipe?

    Comment and rate the recipe below and tag @thehealthfulideas on Instagram with the hashtag #thehealthfulideas, I'd love to see what you made!

    How to Make Vegan Cashew Dressing - creamy, delicious, and SO versatile. You'll love this recipe! Only 3 main ingredients and the rest is up to you. Get creative! | thehealthfulideas.com

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    412 shares

    Comments

    1. Carlie says

      October 25, 2016 at 3:14 pm

      This looks yummy! I'm going to have to make it soon.

      Reply
      • thehealthfulideas says

        October 25, 2016 at 3:18 pm

        Yay! Definitely, it's super easy! :)

        Reply
    2. Michelle says

      October 25, 2016 at 3:35 pm

      This looks amazing...great presentation!

      Reply
      • thehealthfulideas says

        October 25, 2016 at 6:26 pm

        Thanks so much!

        Reply
    3. Belle says

      October 25, 2016 at 4:08 pm

      Looks really good! I have to try this!

      One Awesome Momma

      Reply
      • thehealthfulideas says

        October 25, 2016 at 6:25 pm

        Thank you, you definitely should! :)

        Reply
    4. Jenni says

      October 25, 2016 at 4:41 pm

      Looks delectable! The ingredients are very simple, thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • thehealthfulideas says

        October 25, 2016 at 6:24 pm

        It really is easy to make. Thank you!

        Reply
    5. Jen says

      October 26, 2016 at 2:38 pm

      This looks amazing…love cashews!

      Reply
      • thehealthfulideas says

        October 27, 2016 at 12:35 am

        Me too, thank you!

        Reply
    6. Jazz says

      October 26, 2016 at 4:09 pm

      Thanks for sharing this! It does look way easier than I thought it would. :)

      Reply
      • thehealthfulideas says

        October 27, 2016 at 12:36 am

        It really is! :) I actually couldn't believe how easy it was when I first tried it.

        Reply
    7. Meagan says

      August 16, 2020 at 10:04 pm

      I tried this dressing today. It was pretty good. I might improvise and add different ingredients next time, but overall, pretty good.

      Reply

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    Welcome!

    I'm Veronika and The Healthful Ideas where I share original plant-based recipes for every day cooking and popular classics with a healthy twist.

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