• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Vegan Huggs
  • Home
  • Search
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Sign up!
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Me
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Me
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » All Recipes » Sauces, Condiments, Dressings

    Thousand Island Oil-Free Dressing

    September 13, 2016 By Melissa Huggins / 14 Comments

    • Facebook
    • Reddit

    This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

    Jump to Recipe
    This vegan Thousand Island Oil-Free Dressing is creamy, flavorful and much healthier than store-bought varieties. Now you can have that classic dressing without all the unnecessary ingredients.  

    This vegan Thousand Island Oil-Free Dressing is creamy, flavorful and much healthier than store-bought varieties. Now you can have that classic dressing without all the unnecessary ingredients.

    two bowls of salad with bottle of dressing on the side.

    Thousand Island Dressing is my all-time favorite dressing. It's rich, creamy, tangy, sweet & spicy. It goes well on salad, sandwiches, fries and it even makes a great dip. It's so easy to make at home so I created this vegan Thousand Island Oil-Free Dressing.

    Back in the day, I wouldn't even think twice about buying the popular store-bought brands, but over the years, I started to learn what was in that bottle of "goodness".

    Even before going vegan, I started to pay attention to nutrition labels on bottled dressing and I was horrified. Take a look at the ingredients for this well-known brand:

    INGREDIENTS: SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, SUGAR, SOUR PICKLE RELISH [CUCUMBERS, VINEGAR, SALT, WATER, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, ALUMINUM SULFATE, TURMERIC (COLOR)], DISTILLED VINEGAR, TOMATO PASTE, SALT. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: EGG YOLK, PROPYLENE GLYCOL ALGINATE, SPICES, ONION POWDER, XANTHAN GUM, NATURAL FLAVOR, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (USED TO PROTECT QUALITY).

    Horrifying, isn't it? I couldn't believe that they seriously had propylene glycol in there. Well, this sparked me to start making my own. I learned how easy it was because it's primarily just made up of condiments.

    Typically, Thousand Island Dressing is made with ketchup, mayonnaise, relish, spices and sometimes egg. Back then, I did use egg in my homemade version, but after going vegan, I realized it never needed it.

    So I just began using the typical condiments and spices without the cruelty. Easy-peasy!

    Close up view of vegan thousand island dressing in a bottle.

    WHAT 'S IN VEGAN THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING?

    Instead of mayo, I use cashews and almond milk for the creamy, rich texture. You can sub out the almond milk for any plant-based milk you prefer. Just make sure it's unsweetened.

    Instead of ketchup, I used sun-dried tomatoes for that tangy tomato-y flavor. It's delicious!

    I really love sweet relish in this dressing, so I used an organic store-bought variety. It just adds a nice zing and sweetness that I can't seem to replicate.

    To complete this batch of loveliness, I added fresh lemon juice, a dash of pure maple syrup, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, dill, sea salt & fresh ground pepper.

    I made this dressing oil-free because it doesn't really need it. However, feel free to add a tablespoon of olive oil to the mix for a richer base.

    Pouring dressing on a salad.

    Once you make this homemade version of Vegan Thousand Island Oil-Free Dressing, you'll probably never buy store-bought again. You'll be saving money and loads of unnecessary ingredients. Plus, this dressing only takes about 15 minutes to make, so you'll be saving lots of time.

    *Note: This doesn't include the time for soaking the cashews, which is about 2-4 hours (or overnight). Soaking them creates a creamy & smooth consistency in many recipes. I just put them in water and pop them in the fridge overnight to make it a breeze the next day. 

    So, are you ready to bring this vegan Thousand Island Oil-Free Dressing into your home? I promise you won't regret it. It has all the classic flavors we love, but with a much healthier twist. Let's do this!

    Overhead view of dressing in a bottle.

    Recipe

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Thousand Island Dressing

    This Vegan Thousand Island Dressing is creamy, flavorful and much healthier than store-bought varieties. It's dairy-free, oil-free and gluten-free, too. Now you can have that classic dressing without all the unnecessary ingredients.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time15 minutes mins
    Course: Dressing
    Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-free, Vegan
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 72kcal
    Author: Melissa Huggins

    Ingredients

    • ⅓ cup raw cashews , soaked in water 2-4 hours (*See note)
    • ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes to rehydrate)
    • ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk (or any plant-based milk) (*See note)
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (sub apple cider vinegar)
    • ½ teaspoon pure maple syrup (sub agave)
    • ¾ teaspoon Himalayan salt (or preferred salt), more to taste
    • ½ teaspoon granulated onion
    • ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
    • ½ teaspoon dried dill
    • ¼ teaspoon paprika
    • Fresh ground pepper , to taste
    • ¼ cup sweet relish
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Rinse cashews and discard soak water. Place in blender.
    • Drain soaked sun-dried tomatoes and place in blender.
    • Add almond milk, lemon juice, maple syrup, spices, salt & pepper. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes, until creamy and smooth. Scrape down sides as needed. Taste for seasoning and add as needed.
    • Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the sweet relish. Serve immediately or store in fridge for 5-7 days. Enjoy!

    Notes

    *Cashews: I put them in water and pop them in the fridge overnight to make it a breeze the next day. If you have a high-powered blender, you could skip the soaking all together and the dressing will still be creamy. Personally, I still like to soak them, because it releases more nutrients and make the cashews more digestible. If you don't have a high-powered blender and you forgot to soak the cashews, don't fret, just boil some water, pour over cashews and cover for 20-30 minutes.
     
    *If you don't have unsweetened almond milk (or other varieties) you can use filtered water instead. The dressing will be slightly thinner, but still creamy and delicious.
     
    *Prep time doesn't include the soaking time for the cashews.
     
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 373mg | Potassium: 204mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Vitamin C: 2.8mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @veganhuggs and mention #veganhuggs!

    Vegan Huggs Weekly Newsletter

    Receive the tastiest vegan recipes straight to your inbox! Join now and get my Fan Favorites ebook FREE!

    More Sauces, Condiments, Dressings

    • side view of pickled red onions in two jars.
      Quick Pickled Red Onions
    • Raspberry chia seed jam in a glass jar with a spoon inside
      Chia Seed Jam
    • vegan sour cream in a jar with chives and lemon in the background.
      Vegan Sour Cream Recipe
    • Vegan Nacho Cheese
    • Facebook
    • Reddit
    melissa

    About Melissa

    I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too! Read more...

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 1 vote

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Natalie

      July 26, 2018 at 5:34 am

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for finding a way to make a healthy version of the amazing 1000 Island dressing. And thank you for doing so without the addition of unessisary ingredients. It's hard to find. But you put together such a great quality healthy tasty dressing, so thank you!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        July 28, 2018 at 8:28 pm

        Hi Natalie, You're so welcome! Thousand Island was always a fave of mine, so I had to make a healthy vegan version. Thank you for stopping by. Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Mona Hurkadli

      August 31, 2017 at 2:07 pm

      Looking forward to making this recipe. I don't have sweet relish on hand. Could I use chopped pickles and add a little coconut sugar or maple syrup?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        August 31, 2017 at 2:14 pm

        Hi Mona, thanks for stopping by. Sure, you can use chopped pickles. You may not need the extra sweetener. Just taste before adding it. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you. Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Christina

      June 28, 2017 at 7:17 am

      I could eat this on it's own. Amazing.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        June 29, 2017 at 10:58 am

        Hi Christina, thank you so much! I'm so happy to hear you liked it. It's my go-to dressing for everything. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Donny

      March 23, 2017 at 4:23 pm

      Looks delicious! I'm always on the lookout for new oil free dressings. I'll give it a try 🙂

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        March 27, 2017 at 9:55 pm

        Thank you, Donny! It's one of my favorites 🙂

        Reply
    5. Tim

      January 29, 2017 at 3:51 pm

      Melissa, I would give you a hug if i could... I have been thinking about a dairy/oil free dressing for a while, Thousand Island has always been my favorite. I've not had any in years so while traveling this weekend I tasted a little (store bought, but) brought back memories so as soon as i got home I did a search, put my cashews and sun dried tomatoes in hot water, ran to the store for some fresh dill and sweet relish... It's like making Hummus, you refuse to touch store bought, ever again.
      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        January 30, 2017 at 12:07 am

        Hi Tim, Thank you so much! Thousand island is nostalgic for me, too. I had given it up for so many years, until I figured out how to make it myself. I couldn't believe how easy it really was. I agree about the hummus too. Once I made it myself, I never looked back. Thank you for stopping by and have a great week ahead 🙂

        Reply
    6. Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day

      September 21, 2016 at 9:11 pm

      I love Thousand Island! I can't believe the ingredients in the store-bought version. I'm glad you created a recipe so I can make it at home!

      Reply
      • mhuggs

        September 21, 2016 at 10:12 pm

        I know, store-bought ones can be scary. Even the more "natural" ones use soy oil. Some have better ingredients, but they are lacking in flavor. Homemade is the way to go 🙂

        Reply
    7. apsara

      September 20, 2016 at 6:07 am

      I'm a big fan of homemade dressing. Trying this soon, thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • mhuggs

        September 21, 2016 at 9:57 pm

        Thank you so much. Me too...homemade is the way to go 🙂

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too!

    More about me →

    • vegan huggs facebook
    • vegan huggs Instagram.
    • vegan huggs pinterest
    • YouTube

    My Most Popular

    • Vegan crab cakes on a white serving plate. Topped with tartar sauce, green onion and paprika.
      Vegan Crab Cakes
    • One slice of vegan quiche on a white plate. Tomatoes in a bowl on the side with full quiche.
      Easy Vegan Quiche
    • closeup view of sesame cauliflower in a bowl.
      Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
    • Horizontal photo of two bowls of vegan potato leek soup.
      Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup
    • vegan-cauliflower-casserole-6a-340x340.jpg
      Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
    • overhead view of two portobello mushroom steaks on a white plate. Asparagus and potatoes on the side.
      Grilled Portobello Mushroom Steaks

    Footer

    SEEN ON

    ^ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Recipe Index

    Newsletter

    Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Subscribe

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 Vegan Huggs

    We use cookies to ensure that you have the best experience possible on our website. By continuing on the site you agree to the use of your cookies by www.veganhuggs.com

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.