Homemade salad dressings have been one of my favorite ways to make salads more exciting since I went vegan. This Vegan Salad Dressing is quick, creamy, and made with pantry staples, so you can shake it together in 5 minutes and turn a simple bowl of greens into something you actually want to eat.
The recipe is made with extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and nutritional yeast for a tangy, slightly sweet, savory flavor. Most salad dressings are already easy to make vegan, but instead of using honey or dairy-based ingredients, this one uses maple syrup and nutritional yeast to keep it fully plant-based while still adding plenty of flavor.
I love it on simple green salads, grain bowls, roasted vegetables, pasta salad, or as a quick sauce for meal prep lunches. Make a jar at the beginning of the week, keep it in the fridge, and give it a good shake before serving whenever you need an easy vegan salad dressing ready to go.
If you like this Vegan Salad Dressing, you might also enjoy my Vegan Ranch Dressing, Vegan Caesar Dressing, or this Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing. They're all easy vegan dressings you can use for salads, bowls, wraps, roasted vegetables, or anything that needs a quick creamy sauce.
Why You'll Love This Vegan Salad Dressing
Here's why this recipe works so well:
- Ready in 5 minutes: Just add everything to a blender, jar, or bowl and mix. It's quick, easy, and perfect for busy days.
- Creamy without dairy: Nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, and a little water create a smooth, creamy texture without mayo, yogurt, cashews, or tahini.
- Made with pantry staples: You only need simple ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard.
- Great for more than salads: Drizzle it over green salads, grain bowls, roasted vegetables, wraps, or pasta salad for a quick boost of flavor.
- Easy to adjust: Make it sweeter with more maple syrup, tangier with more vinegar, thinner with a splash of water, or saltier to taste.
Vegan Salad Dressing Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil: Adds richness and helps create a smooth dressing. You can use regular olive oil, but extra virgin gives the best flavor.
- Nutritional yeast: Adds savory, cheesy flavor and helps make the dressing creamier. I don't recommend skipping it in this recipe.
- Maple syrup: Balances the vinegar and mustard with a little sweetness. Agave syrup also works.
- Water: Helps thin the dressing and makes it smoother and creamier, especially with the nutritional yeast.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds brightness and tang. You can use lemon juice or white wine vinegar instead.
- Dijon mustard: Adds flavor and helps the dressing emulsify. Yellow mustard will work in a pinch, but Dijon tastes better here.
- Salt: Brings all the flavors together. Adjust to taste.
- Black pepper: Adds a little warmth and depth. Freshly ground black pepper is best, but any kind works.
Find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Vegan Salad Dressing
- Add all the ingredients to a blender cup, small bowl, or jar.
- Blend, whisk, or shake until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust with more salt, vinegar, maple syrup, or water if needed.
Tips for the Best Results
- Blend for the creamiest texture: Shaking or whisking works, but blending makes the dressing smoother and helps the nutritional yeast fully mix in.
- Use good extra virgin olive oil: Since this is a simple dressing, the olive oil flavor really comes through. Use one you enjoy in salads.
- Let it sit for a few minutes: The dressing gets a little thicker and more flavorful as the nutritional yeast hydrates.
- Adjust the water after blending: If it's too thick, add a little more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it's creamy but still pourable.
- Shake before serving: The dressing may separate a little in the fridge, so give it a good shake or quick stir before using.
Serving Suggestions
This Vegan Salad Dressing is great for simple salads that need a quick creamy dressing, especially mixed greens, chopped romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, avocado, chickpeas, seeds, or croutons. It also works well over grain bowls, roasted vegetables, wraps, sandwiches, or as a quick sauce for cooked tofu.
You can also drizzle it over Baked Tofu, Fried Tofu, Air Fryer Tofu, Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Cauliflower, or a simple bowl with rice, veggies, and chickpeas.
How to Store Leftovers
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shake or stir before serving, as the dressing may thicken or separate slightly.
- Freezer: I don't recommend freezing this dressing, as the texture can change and become grainy or separated once thawed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always. Some salad dressings are made with dairy, honey, eggs, anchovies, or mayonnaise. This vegan salad dressing is made without any animal-based ingredients and uses maple syrup instead of honey.
Yes. Blending gives you the smoothest, creamiest texture, but you can also add everything to a jar and shake it really well, or whisk it in a small bowl.
Add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your preferred consistency. The nutritional yeast can make the dressing thicker as it sits, so you may need to add a little water after storing it in the fridge.
Yes, lemon juice works well if you want a brighter, fresher flavor. White wine vinegar is another good option.
Use it on green salads, grain bowls, roasted vegetables, pasta salad, wraps, sandwiches, or as a quick sauce for tofu. It's especially good when you want a creamy dressing without mayo, yogurt, cashews, or tahini.
More Vegan Dressings and Sauces
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating below. I'd love to hear how it turned out!
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Vegan Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a blender cup, small bowl, or jar.
- Blend, whisk, or shake until everything is well combined. I prefer blending it for a smoother, creamier texture. Taste and adjust with more salt, vinegar, maple syrup, or water if needed.
Notes
- Store it in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Shake or stir before serving, as it may thicken or separate slightly.
- I don't recommend freezing it, since the texture can become grainy or separated after thawing.
About Iosune
Hi, I’m Iosune! I’m a food lover, home cook, recipe creator, and co-founder of Simple Vegan Blog, which I started in 2014 to show how easy and delicious vegan cooking can be.