Roasted Red Pepper Dressing

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This is an easy roasted red pepper dressing that combines the sweet, smoky flavor of roasted red peppers with cashews to create a creamy dressing. To make the dressing even more flavorful, we use apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard for tangy notes. Finally, we incorporate a little maple syrup for a touch of sweetness and smoked paprika to enhance the smoky flavor.

Roasted red pepper salad dressing in a glass jar with a spoon.

The roasted red pepper salad dressing is dairy-free, oil-free, and works great for meal prep. Enjoy it on Buddha bowls, simple salads, chickpea potato bowls, or drizzle on roasted veggies.

For another recipe with roasted red peppers, try smoked paprika hummus. For more cashew-based dressings, try the vegan chipotle sauce for a little kick, creamy cashew dressing with Dijon mustard, or cashew ranch dressing.

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Recipe features
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Tips
Serving suggestions
How to soak cashews
How to make creamy roasted red pepper dressing
Storage
Frequently asked question
Related recipes
Recipe
Comments

Recipe features

Creamy, sweet, and smoky!
Dairy-free, plant-based, and oil-free!
Easy and great for meal prep!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

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

A bowl of a roasted red pepper, spices, apple cider vinegar, cashews, maple syrup, and dijon mustard.

Roasted red pepper - One roasted red pepper is needed for this dressing. It can be store-bought or homemade. For roasting them yourself, my post on how to roast peppers in the oven can help.

Cashews - Use raw cashews that have been soaked and drained. Cashews make the dressing creamy without the need for oil. If you can’t find raw cashews, try roasted unsalted cashews.

Apple cider vinegar - The apple cider vinegar gives the dressing a bit of tanginess. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice can also be used. After blending the dressing, taste and add more if needed.

Maple syrup - Add a little maple syrup for a touch more sweetness. Agave syrup can also be used.

Dijon mustard - The mustard adds a little more tanginess. If you don’t have it on hand, don’t substitute it with yellow mustard. Try stone ground mustard or leave it out. If you leave it out, taste the dressing after blending to see if you want any more tangy notes, then add more vinegar if needed. For another dairy-free dressing with Dijon mustard, try a vegan honey mustard dressing.

Tips

Small blenders work great if you make your own cashew-based dressings often.
We all have different preferences, so after blending taste and adjust if needed. More sweetness, more tanginess?
Cashews blend better if they’re soaked beforehand. If you don’t have a high-spend blender then it’s best to soak the cashews overnight.

Serving suggestions

The red pepper dressing can be used in a variety of ways, but here are a few suggestions.

Drizzle on roasted vegetables, like broccoli and cauliflower.
Enjoy the dressing on a simple salad.
Add it to vegan nourish bowls.
Grain bowls - combine cooked grains, cooked beans, and fresh or cooked veggies with the red pepper dressing.
Enjoy it on a chickpea potato bowl.
Use it in a chickpea vegetable rice bowl instead of the cashew dijon dressing.
Try it on kale and sweet potato salad instead of herb tahini dressing.

How to soak cashews

You may not need to soak your cashews if you have a high-powered blender, but to ensure a smooth consistency I soak cashews even when I use a high-speed blender. If you use a regular blender that can’t handle raw cashews, they need to be soaked for a smoother consistency.

Option one: Place the cashews in a container with a lid and enough water to cover them by 1 inch (the cashews will swell as they soak) and soak the nuts overnight.
Option two: Boil enough water to cover the cashews by at least 1 inch and pour the hot water over the nuts in a heat-tolerant container. Soak for around 20 minutes.

How to make creamy roasted red pepper dressing

The cashews blend better if they’re soaked. For a regular blender soak them overnight. For a high-speed blender soak overnight or use a quick soak method. See the section on how to soak cashews.

Drain the soaked cashews then add everything to a blender and blend until smooth.

Roasted red peppers, cashews, spices, maple syrup, and dijon mustard blended together.

Storage

Store the dressing in an airtight container for about a week in the refrigerator. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of water to thin out.

Frequently asked question

Should I use homemade roasted red peppers or store-bought ones?

I usually use store-bought roasted red peppers from a jar because it’s much easier and way quicker. But I do think homemade peppers taste better. For roasting them yourself, here’s a post on how to roast peppers in the oven.