Tangy homemade vegan Lemon Herb Salad Dressing is the perfect complement to your summertime salads! It makes a great dip for cut vegetables, too. This easy to make recipe is vegan, oil free, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Trader Joe's Lemon Herb Salad Dressing Copycat
This homemade Lemon Herb Salad Dressing is based on one that comes with my favorite pre-packed kale salads from Trader Joe’s. If they bottled it, I’d buy it, but it only comes with the salad. And the last time I bought the salad it was in really rough shape. Rotting spinach = bad. It was inedible, and I haven’t picked up another since.
The Trader Joe’s dressing is oil-based, and although I don’t follow an oil-free diet, I don’t like to consume it in excess. My Lemon Herb Salad Dressing is cashew-based. It’s flavorful and creamy, and super easy to make.
What You Need
- Raw cashews
- Lemon juice
- Water
- Garlic
- Apple cider vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Onion powder
- Sea salt
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh thyme
See the recipe card for exact measurements.
How to Make Lemon Herb Salad Dressing
It couldn't be easier to make this recipe! You just throw all of the ingredients into a blend and mix until it's smooth! I like to use my Blendtec‘s Twister Jar, which I find works best with cashew-based sauces, to mix this recipe.
Serving Your Dressing
Use your dressing on just about any salad. I originally created it for my Kale and Edamame Salad. It's great on potato salad, pasta salad, and cole slaw. It makes a great sandwich spread, sauce for roasted vegetables, and dip for cut vegetables, too.
Storing Your Salad Dressing
This dressing will last in your fridge for about 5 days. It freezes well, and it will last in your freezer for about 6 months. I like to make extra and freeze it, so that I have it at the ready if I get a hankering for it.
This dressing does thicken after it’s been in the fridge for a while. If that happens, just mix in a little more water until it’s the consistency you prefer.
Raw Cashews
Make sure your cashews are raw—unroasted and unsalted. Soak them in water for about 2 hours before you’re planning on making the salad. If you forget, you can soak them in boiling water for about 20 minutes. If you have a high-speed blender, you might not need to soak your cashews as long. I have a Blendtec, but I still soak my nuts ahead of time.
Creamy Vegan Lemon Herb Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews soaked for two hours, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Instructions
- In a food processor or high speed blender, mix together the cashews, lemon juice, water, garlic, apple cider vinegar, mustard, onion powder, and sea salt until smooth and creamy. Pulse in the parsley and thyme.
Bec
Always looking for better salad dressings! Loved the creamy chipotle lime one! Can't wait to make this!
Dianne
Thank you, Bec! I'm glad you enjoyed the chipotle lime dressing. I hope you like this one, too!
Lashay
This dressing is top notch. I can definitely see this being a staple for those days I just want to throw a quick salad together using simple ingredients. This was very quick, easy, and I literally wanted to slurp it out of my plate.
Dianne
I'm so happy to hear your liked it so much!
Magi
I ended up dumping the first batch. The Thyme added a mold-like flavor to the otherwise yummy dressing that I didn't at all care for (just personal taste). I dumped it, soaked another batch of cashews, and made it without. SO MUCH BETTER! The base of this dressing is very good and allows for a variety of herbs to flavor it to one's liking. Thank you! I'm new to eating without oil and appreciate all the help I can get! I'm going to try making the Chipotle Lime that another reviewer mentioned and I look forward to trying more of your recipes. =D
Dianne
I'm glad you enjoyed it!