Thousand Island Oil-Free Dressing

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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.  

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!

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.

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!

Step By Step Photos Above

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.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dressing

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-free, Vegan

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 72kcal

Author: Melissa Huggins

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup raw cashews , soaked in water 2-4 hours (*See note)
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes to rehydrate)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any plant-based milk) (*See note)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (sub apple cider vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup (sub agave)
• 3/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt (or preferred salt), more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• Fresh ground pepper , to taste
• 1/4 cup sweet relish

US Customary - Metric

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!

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