Like many Americans, I have a love affair with condiments. I put ranch on pizza and copious amounts of ketchup on fries. I wouldn’t dream of eating a veggie burger without some variety of sauces, pickles, and more. And any excuse is a good one to make this homemade vegan creamy Italian recipe with cashews, oregano, nutritional yeast, white wine vinegar and more. And here it is, a favorite American salad dressing, veganized for you 💚
This recipe makes ~1 cup.
A few things…
- ・To make this recipe, you’ll need a high speed blender, like a Vitamix or Blendtec. Although I haven’t tried it, you could also try soaking your cashews in water for 3-6 hours, drain them off and use a regular blender. If you soak the cashews, you’ll probably need less flax milk. Adjust accordingly.
- ・I used unsweetened plain flax milk, because it’s got a neutral flavor. Keep this in mind, if you sub in a different plant based milk.
- ・The olive oil makes the dressing thicker and silkier. If you prefer it oil free, skip it. If you use the olive oil, you’ll likely need more salt and vinegar at the end. Give it a taste and adjust the flavor.
- ・I used agave, because it’s vegan and potent. If you use another sweetener, you may need less or more. Taste it, and adjust the flavor.
- ・This vegan creamy Italian dressing is best used right away. If I’ve kept it around, it’s only been for a day or two stored in a sealed container in the fridge.
- Make sure to check out more UVK recipes, like Vegan Broccoli Pasta Salad with Fresh Italian Herb Dressing, Italian White Bean Burgers, Italian Tempeh with Peppers, Onions and Herbed Farro or Slow Cooker Vegan Italian Beef.
- Let’s go blend!
Vegan Creamy Italian Dressing
¾ cup raw whole cashews
½ cup unsweetened plain flax milk (see notes above)
2 tsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp olive oil – optional (see notes above)
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp dried minced onion
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
¼ tsp agave (see notes above)
Black pepper, to taste
1. First, you’ll make the creamy base of the vegan Italian dressing. In a high speed blender, add the cashews, flax milk, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, olive oil (if using) and salt, and then, blend until completely smooth.
2. Scrape the contents of the blender into a mixing bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Taste, and adjust seasonings, if needed (more salt? more vinegar?). Enjoy on salads, pasta salads, as a dip for veggies and more!
