Vegan Southwest Dressing | Kathy's Vegan Kitchen (2024)

This vegan southwest dressing recipe is made with four simple ingredients. Perfect for taco salad, southwest salad, tacos, or a dip for your favorite veggies. This vegan southwest dressing takes 5 minutes to make!

When I make a new salad recipe, I always think about dressing first. For me, the dressing is more important than the salad, only because the dressing brings all the ingredients together. Even though I love vegan ranch dressing on everything, this vegan southwest dressing takes it a step further. With only four ingredients, this vegan southwest dressing recipe will be a new staple in your house.

Recipe Suggestions

I love vegan southwest dressing on vegan taco saladand chopped southwest salad, but it is also great for a variety of other recipes:

• Steak Fries Air Fried and Crispy
• Sweet Potato Chips
• Sweet Potato Tacos
• Zucchini Fries
• Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
• Tempeh Tacos
• Vegan Lentil Tacos
• Mushroom Chorizo Tacos
• Crunchwrap Supreme Recipe

Dressing Ingredients

• Raw Cashews: Soak the raw cashews overnight, or for a quick and easy way to soften the cashews, boil them for 10 minutes. However, you can skip soaking and boiling if you have a high-quality blender.
• Fresh Salsa: I buy fresh salsa in the produce section or homemade salsa.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: The apple cider vinegar gives the dressing tanginess.
• Lime Juice: I prefer fresh lime juice. For extra lime flavor, add the lime zest as well. The lime juice cuts the acid in the vinegar and adds an extra citrus flavor.
• Water: The water is used to thin the dressing recipe if necessary (depending on the chunkiness of the salsa).

Dressing Ingredient Substitutions

• Try silken tofu, white beans, or sunflower seeds for a nut-free option.
• Raw almonds also work as a substitute for raw cashews.
• Substitute jarred salsa for fresh salsa.
• Try pico de gallo instead of salsa.
• White vinegar is an excellent alternative to apple cider vinegar.
• Use bottled lime juice instead of fresh lime juice.

How to Make Southwest Dressing

1. Soak the raw cashews overnight if you don't have a high-quality blender. A quick way to soften cashews is to boil them for 10 minutes, drain them, and allow them to cool before blending.
2. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Place in a container with a top and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• You can make the southwest dressing in advance, so it has time to chill in the refrigerator until the dressing is ready to use.
• I prefer to buy raw, organic cashews. While nuts aren't constantly sprayed when growing, they are typically covered in pesticides and fungicides once picked and shelled. So unless you're willing to shell all your nuts yourself,opting for organic is far healthier.
• It doesn't matter what kind of salsa you choose, so pick mild, medium, or spicy based on preference.
• Chunky salsa may require more water to thin the dressing recipe.
• If using as a dip, add less water.

Not only is vegan southwest dressing easy to make, but it can be made ahead of time and keeps well in the refrigerator for 5 days. So, don't be shy; dip, dip away!

More Vegan Dressings to Try!

If you love this vegan southwest dressing recipe, give it a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

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