Creamy Dijon Cashew Dressing (Vegan)

This cashew dressing is great for meal prep, uses only 6 simple ingredients, and is ready in 5 minutes (depending on your blender). It’s whole food plant-based, vegan, oil-free, tangy, and creamy!  

Raw cashews are mild tasting and they blend up beautifully for dairy-free dressings or dips. For more cashew-based dressings try the vegan chipotle sauce, cashew lime crema, vegan honey mustard, or cilantro cashew dressing. Cashew salad dressings will thicken once chilled, so they may need to be thinned out with water after you refrigerate them.

Ingredient notes

The recipe uses simple ingredients, but please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and exact measurements.

Raw cashews - Use raw cashews; roasted cashews will give the dressing a roasted cashew flavor.  I haven’t tested it, but a ¼ cup of raw cashew butter should work instead of a ½ cup of raw cashews (I’ve tried this substitution in other recipes).

Water - Gotta have the water to blend the cashews.

Dijon style mustard - Dijon mustard or dijon style mustard has a sharp tanginess to it. Brands vary in degrees of sharpness, so taste and adjust as needed.

Balsamic vinegar - Adds a sweet, rich, tartness to the creamy cashew salad dressing.

How to soak cashews

If you have a high-powered blender, you may not need to soak your cashews. If you use a regular blender that can’t handle raw cashews, they must be soaked for a smoother consistency.

• Option one: Place the cashews in a container with a lid and enough water to cover them by ½ inch (the cashews will swell as they soak) and soak the nuts for at least 4 hours or overnight. 
• Option two: Boil enough water to cover the cashews by at least ½ inch and pour the hot water over the nuts in a heat-tolerant container.  Soak for around 15-20 minutes.

Tips

• If you're using the creamy cashew dressing as a dip, keep it a little thicker to coat the vegetables.
• Add more water if you prefer a thinner dressing.
• I would stick to Dijon-style mustard and not substitute it with a different mustard. When I didn’t have any Dijon on hand and tried to use a different mustard, the dressing came out bland. The Dijon adds a punch of flavor! 

How to make a creamy cashew dressing

Start the dressing recipe by soaking the cashews overnight or use a quick soak method.  For the quick soak method, boil enough water to cover the cashews, then pour over the cashews, and soak them in a heat-proof container for 15-20 minutes.

Drain and add to a blender along with the remaining ingredients.  Blend until smooth, taste, and adjust if needed.  If you prefer a thinner consistency, add more water.

Storage

The leftover dressing will last in the fridge in an airtight container for about 3-4 days.  If it has thickened too much once chilled in the fridge, whisk in a little water until it has thinned out.

Serving suggestions

Add the creamy dressing to a variety of dishes, but here are a few suggestions.

• Grain bowls - Add to cooked grains, cooked beans, and fresh or cooked veggies.
• Chickpea vegetable rice bowl or tofu Buddha bowl
• Salads with kale or other leafy greens
• As a dipping sauce for veggies
• On top of roasted vegetables

Related recipes

• Strawberry vinaigrette (Oil-Free)
• Smoky tahini dressing
• Dijon tahini dressing
• Spicy Peanut Dressing

I hope you enjoy this recipe for vegan cashew salad dressing! If you like the recipe feel free to rate it and leave a comment.