Learn how to make homemade dairy-free Vegan Thousand Island Dressing (No Mayo!) and oil-free! The perfectly sweet, tangy, bold, creamy and thick salad dressing for all of your salads or use as a dip for veggies!
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VEGAN THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING
I’m so super excited about this homemade Vegan Thousand Island Dressing! I can pretty much guarantee if you served this to non-vegans, they would not know it isn’t the “regular stuff”. It tastes that authentic to me. I even giggled after the first taste because it was so delicious, haha. My daughter went absolutely nuts over it! Big smile and a thumbs up after the first bite. I used to love this stuff before going vegan and like many recipes on my blog, I’m all about teaching you how to recreate classics in a healthier vegan and oil-free way. I’ve already done that with this Vegan Caesar Dressing, this Oil-free Creamy Italian Dressing and this Best Vegan Ranch Dressing!
WHAT IS THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING MADE OF?
If you’ve had Thousand Island Dressing, you know that it is creamy, tangy, bold and sweet. It is pretty much one of the boldest salad dressings out there, flavor-wise. When I set out to recreate this dressing, like with other classics, I research what the non-vegan version uses as a base. So, what is in traditional Thousand Island Dressing? While some flavors and spices can vary, they all contain the following:
- mayo
- ketchup
- sweet pickle relish
Mayo of course means eggs and oil. Well, obviously I don’t want either of those. I want an oil-free vegan Thousand Island dressing! Even vegan versions use a vegan mayo, which is nothing but oil. I’m always focused on avoiding oil as much as possible. If you are as well, then be sure to check out my extensive expert tips and guide on How to Cook and Bake Without Oil! So, for the mayo, I of course created my own tangy creamy base. Cashews, water and lemon juice.
HOW DO YOU MAKE VEGAN THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING?
It’s so easy to make this vegan Thousand Island Dressing!
First, gather the following 7 ingredients (+salt):
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- ketchup (use store-bought or my homemade ketchup)
- lemon juice
- dry mustard
- fresh white onion
- sweet pickle relish
- regular paprika
If you have a Vitamix, you can have it ready in 10 minutes! If you don’t, you will need to soak the raw cashews overnight (8-12 hours) in some water, drain and rinse. This is crucial so they are soft enough to blend into a perfectly smooth and creamy texture. Otherwise, you will have gritty dressing and nobody wants that.
Add all of the ingredients, reserving 1 tablespoon of the sweet pickle relish to stir in after blending to a high-powered blender. Alternatively, if you are using soaked cashews, it will likely get smoother in a food processor if you have a weak blender. Blend on high until 100% smooth, scraping down the sides a couple of times during.
Pour into a bowl or jar and stir in the reserved pickle relish. I added 2 tablespoons to stir in. This gives that classic textured look as well. If you would like a kick to your dressing, add a pinch of cayenne. This isn’t classic, but cayenne always tastes good to me! Enjoy right away, no need to chill! Serve over salads or as a veggie dip. The flavor is so bold and delicious, it will liven up anything you serve it with.
OTHER CREAMY VEGAN SAUCES AND DRESSINGS TO TRY:
- Vegan Pimento Cream Sauce
- Oil-free Romesco Sauce
- Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- Easy Vegan Ranch Dressing (nut-free!)
- Vegan Red Pepper Curry Sauce
- Almond butter Dressing
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Thousand Island Dressing (No Mayo!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (75g) raw cashews
- 1/2 cup (120g) water
- 6 tablespoons (90g) ketchup
- 1 tablespoon (15g) fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons (10-20g) raw finely diced white onion (I used 2, start with 1 if unsure)
- 1/4 teaspoon regular paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoons (20g) sweet pickle relish (reserve 1 tablespoon to stir in after blending)
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- If you have a Vitamix, you can make this in 10 minutes! If you don't, you will need to soak the raw cashews overnight (8-12 hours) in some water, drain and rinse. This is crucial so they are soft enough to blend into a perfectly smooth and creamy texture. Otherwise, you will have gritty dressing and nobody wants that.
- Add all of the ingredients, reserving 1 tablespoon of the sweet pickle relish to stir in after blending to a high-powered blender. Alternatively, if you are using soaked cashews, it will likely get smoother in a food processor if you have a weak blender. Blend on high until 100% smooth, scraping down the sides a couple of times during. If using my homemade ketchup, which is slightly less salty and sweet than commercial, taste and decide if you want to add more salt or relish. I do not and love it as is, but this dressing with my homemade ketchup is slightly less salty.
- Pour into a bowl or jar and stir in the reserved pickle relish. I added 2 tablespoons to stir in. This gives that classic textured look as well. If you would like a kick to your dressing, add a pinch of cayenne. This isn't classic, but cayenne always tastes good to me! Both my lemons and ketchup were cold from the fridge, so the dressing was cold and I could enjoy it right away. If you want to chill yours first, then go ahead, if needed. Serve over salads or as a veggie dip. It would be amazing on burgers or sandwiches as a spread, too! The flavor is so bold and delicious, it will liven up anything you serve it with.
- This will yield about 1 1/2 cups of dressing. Store in the fridge for about a week. You can freeze extra if you like. I have not tried freezing it, but I'm sure it would freeze fine. Just thaw in the fridge overnight and whisk back to a smooth consistency.
Enjoyed this recipe. Definitely reminds me of 5housand islands dressing. I used 1/2 cup of garbanzo beans in place of cashews to keep the fat out. Thanks again for a delicious dressing recipe!
Couldn’t you just use a healthy cashew butter in place of the cashews?
Yes, just use one without added oil and make sure to use the same gram weight listed.