10 Vegan Salad Dressing Recipes You Need to Try Now

​Look, we get why salads get a bad rap. Salads you get at restaurants often make use of sad, boring, limp vegetables, and they often commit the greatest culinary sin of all: underseasoning. Bad salads can make healthy eating hard.

A salad is only as good as its dressing, and a good salad dressing should enhance the vegetables it coats. Though all grocery stores offer pre-made salad dressings, there’s such a large variety of them that can make choosing the right one overwhelming, especially if you’re vegan. Many rich, creamy dressings, for example, are generally not vegan-friendly because they typically contain eggs and/or powdered milk. Other times, those sneaky ingredients that aren’t vegan friendly may appear in a salad dressing that’s seemingly fine for vegans; be sure to read the label before purchasing!

And if you can’t find a vegan salad dressing? Make your own! The key is balance. But what else do you need to make a really good vegan salad dressing? How do you build the perfect vegan salad dressing every time?

Below, we dip into some of our favourite vegan salad dressing recipes. We hope you find one that you like!

Oil-Free Balsamic Vinaigrette
From Simply Quinoa

Vinaigrettes are a simple combination of oil and vinegar, but don’t just stop at olive oil and red wine vinegar. Here, Simply Quinoa makes an oil-free version by substituting the oil with tahini, and adding sunflower seed paste to up the creaminess. It’s an addictive combination that would go well with any veggie bowl or hearty salad. ​

Spicy Ranch Dressing
From Forks Over Knives

​For some, ranch is the end-all-be-all of salad dressings. Creamy, tangy, and delicious, ranch really does go well with everything. This vegan version of the classic ranch features a base of cashews and is spiced up with some garlic, dill, oregano, and hot sauce — that’s right, hot sauce. After all, we all need a little more spice in our lives!

​5-Minute Vegan Caesar Dressing
From Minimalist Baker

You can’t have a list about vegan salad dressing recipes without including a classic like Caesar dressing. This recipe from Minimalist Baker will only take five minutes to whip up, and includes some unexpected ingredients, like hummus and spicy mustard. No anchovies, no eggs — just delicious Caesar dressing that’s coincidentally vegan, ready for your romaine lettuce.

Vegan Coleslaw Dressing
From It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken
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We love a good coleslaw, which is why we had to include this vegan coleslaw dressing from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken. The recipe one saves you a whole lot of time since it uses a base of vegan mayonnaise. Along with tangy apple cider vinegar, spicy dijon, and naturally sweet agave, it’s the perfect accompaniment to vegan pulled jackfruit sandwiches.

The Best Vegan Salad Dressing
From Food 52

Alright, so this is a bold thing to claim, but Food 52’s incredibly versatile vegan salad dressing will bring flavour to just about any combination of vegetables. The best part about this recipe? You probably have every ingredient readily available since it uses all the staples like extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and mustard. There’s really no excuse not to try it.

24 Carrot Gold Dressing
From Forks Over Knives
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Want to pack in some extra nutrients? This vegan salad dressing from Forks Over Knives utilizes carrots to create the most vibrant and beautiful colour. It’s brightly flavoured with hints of sweetness from the carrots, richness from the tahani, and that je ne sais quoi that ginger brings. ​

Italian Herb Dressing
From The Spruce Eats via The Compassionate Cook

Italian dressing is Salad Dressing 101. Featuring garlic, mustard, dried herbs, and fresh herbs, it’s chock full of flavour. You don’t need to have the exact herbs listed in The Compassionate Cook’s recipe; any combination of fresh herbs will do. This zesty vegan salad dressing goes well with vegan pasta salad.

Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
From It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken
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Is there anything more satisfying than the crunch of a poppy seed? It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken’s lemon poppy seed dressing is deliciously tangy, and particularly great in salads that feature some pieces of sweet fruit for a perfect balance in flavour.

Spicy Cashew Sesame Dressing
From Minimalist Baker

​This is one that will stay in your rolodex of repeat recipes. Minimalist Baker’s spicy cashew sesame dressing is incredibly flavourful and easy to make as well. Combining creamy cashew butter and chili garlic sauce, it stands up wonderfully to heartier greens like kale. You can make your own creamy cashew butter, but store-bought makes this recipe a cinch.

Basil Pesto Salad Dressing
From Cookie and Kate

Whether it’s summertime and you’re looking for something to pair with the bounty of summer, or winter and you need a gentle reminder of what said bounty tastes like, this basil pesto salad dressing from Cookie and Kate is perfect for whatever the occasion. It’s a vegan take on the classic pesto dressing, but omits the parmesan cheese. This would be great on any pasta salad and green salads.

A Final Note

Salad dressing is easy enough to make, but we understand how demanding daily life can be. This is why we started Planted Meals. Just because you don’t have the time to cook, that doesn’t mean you can’t eat well. Planted Meals has a variety of salads that you’ll want to keep coming back to. Explore our many lunch options here.

What’s your favourite vegan salad dressing recipe? Let us know in the comments below!