Nut-free + Oil-free + Dairy-Free + sooooo creamy and delicious.Β Finally …. a salad dressing you can feel good about eating. Did you hear that? NO NUTS! No soaking cashews for this vegan dressing! This Silken Tofu Creamy Italian Dressing is SUPER EASY and oh my yummy! Thick + creamy + restaurant-style + packed with flavor. Perfect as a dip or over salad greens or turn it into a pasta salad! It doesn’t get any more perfect than this dressing.Β When I created this recipe I would not have believed it was vegan if I didn’t make it myself!
Let’s compare a store-bought creamy Italian dressing to this healthy homemade tofu-based, oil-free, nut-free dressing. The bottled version gives us 10 grams of fat, 120 calories with soybean oil being the second ingredient on the label. Be real, no one actually NEEDS soybean oil. However, one could argue we do NEED salad dressing. This recipe gives us 35 calories, 2 grams fat (NO saturated fat) and 4 grams protein. The only ingredients on the label of the tofu? Soybeans + water ππ» add in a few spices and there you have it, oil-free creamy Italian.Β No joke, I want to dunk everything I am eating into this dressing!
Tara’s Tips for Perfect Silken Tofu Creamy Italian Dressing:
- I like to add spicy brown mustard to my salad dressing recipes.Β I find that it has just the right amount of everything needed to make a dressing taste perfect.Β Be careful to find a mustard with as few ingredients as possible, you mustard does not need sugar or additives or dye to be mustard! Alternatively, you could use dried mustard powder.
- If you don’t have dried Italian herb seasoning, use any combination of dried rosemary, basil + oregano to add up to the 2 tsp.
- Using this for meal prep? Divide into single serving containers. Make your salads or pasta and portion into meal prep containers. Apply dressing when ready to eat. Try to keep refrigerated until ready.
- This Silken Tofu Creamy Italian can be used as a dip or a dressing.Β I LOVE to dunk my raw or air fried veggies in this dressing.Β Need some air fryer recipes? Click here for all of my air fried veggie favorites.
- If you prefer to use cashews as a base, try my other recipe for Vegan Creamy Italian Dressing which isn’t nut-free but is so thick + creamy!
Love Salads?
Me too! Check out all of my salad creations right here π₯!
Silken Tofu Creamy Italian Dressing
This Silken Tofu Creamy Italian Dressing is SUPER EASY and oh my yummy! Thick + creamy + restaurant-style + packed with flavor. Perfect as a dip or over salad greens or turn it into a pasta salad! Oil-Free + Dairy-Free + Nut-Free!
Ingredients
- 1 package silken tofu (16 ounce)
- 3 tbsp vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp brown mustard
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning
Directions
- Step 1 Place all ingredients into a high speed blender. Pulse a few times.
- Step 2 Open cover to blender, scrape down the sides + add a little water if too thick (no more than 1/4 cup).
- Step 3 Blend until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to your liking.
- Step 4 Serve as a dip, folded into a pasta salad, or on top of your favorite greens.
- Step 5 Store any leftovers in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- Step 6 For Meal Prep: divide into single serving containers separate from salad or pasta. Apply dressing when ready to eat.
βDid you make this Silken Tofu Creamy Italian Dressing? Leave a comment + a rating below! β
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**Recipe edited/updated March 2024, originally posted February 2021**
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