The other day I was in a HUGE dilemma. I wanted to eat a healthy salad, but I was craving my Vegan Blue Cheese Dip. Ok, ok, so this dilemma is not that huge, but this is what happens when you spend 90% of your time thinking about food. I'm all about indulging those cravings, but when it comes to salad, I do prefer it to keep it on the healthier side of meals (it is salad after all). And although it's super delicious my vegan blue cheese dip wouldn't be the healthiest option. So I did what any logical vegan blogger does, I made a new recipe. Easy Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing.
It's creamy, tangy, healthy, oil-free, only 33 calories for two heaping tablespoons, and of course, super easy to make.
Instead of vegan mayonnaise, I use soft or silken tofu in this recipe. Soft tofu lacks a lot of oomf so I had to bump up the flavours of the dressing to the perfect level of vegan blue cheese dressing tanginess. A little playing around, and success. Ooooeeee is it good! Mission complete.
To make easy vegan blue cheese dressing: add all the ingredients, except the dill and crumbled tofu, to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Now you can add the dill and crumbled tofu (if using), and stir or pulse a few times to combine. That's it! Done! Finito! Easy.
I opted for a smooth dressing texture, but adding in crumbled tofu to the dressing will add a crumbled cheese texture.
The dressing can be stored in an air-tight jar in the fridge for up to one week. Pour over or toss into your favourite salad.
Easy Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing
Ingredients
- 300 g soft or silken tofu (1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ cup medium or firm tofu , crumbled (optional for texture)
Instructions
- Add the soft tofu, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, white miso paste, onion powder, and garlic powder to a blender and combine until smooth. Add the dill and crumbled tofu if using, and pulse a few times, or stir to combine. Store in an air-tight jar in the fridge for up to one week. It may separate a little when stored, so just give it a stir to recombine before dressing your salad.
Nutrition
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
O says
Great recipe. Thank you for it. Quick note for anyone not wanting to use soy: we made it with mashed avocado, and it was delicious. You could also try tahini.
Karen Ackerman says
May I use a block of vegan blue cheese in place of the tofu or is the tofu required regardless? I do want to make this; however, I will wait until I receive your advice. I would greatly appreciate your thoughts. Thank you.
Suzy says
Very very good!
novajen says
Oh, this hits the mark. One of the reasons it took me so long to go vegan was my lifelong love of blue cheese. Seriously, I was a six-year-old eating chunks of it. I have some packaged vegan blue cheese dressing, but it isn't healthy. This is creamy, tangy, flavorful, and good. Thank you!
Kaitlyn says
Tasty! I served it as dipping sauce for a fresh carrot, celery, cucumber platter that included bang-bang sauce with breaded and baked cauliflower. It also made a glam topping for our beefless burgers. YUM!
Michelle J Garcia says
Hi, I don't have miso paste. What can I sub it with?
Sam Turnbull says
It's really crucial to get the cheesy tangy flavour so I would recommend picking some up!
Traci Elliott says
I can’t find miso paste but can find light miso. How can I substitute?
Sam Turnbull says
That should work perfectly!
Irina Ivon says
OMG Sam ! THANK YOU !! I have missed bleu cheese dressing so so much. I have made lots of creamy tofu-based dressings but still longed for my lost love LOL I made this tonight and it is AMAZING ! Exactly what I had been longing for. Perfect ! When I tasted it plain out of the jar I didn't get the full effect --- but once tossed with the salad it was INCREDIBLE. This is now my #1 favorite dressing <3
Vicki Karschner says
I have a question...can I sub yellow miso paste for the white? I only have yellow. Thanks! I love Blue Cheese dressing and I miss it so much.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes you can! The cheese might be a bit more yellow in colour but it will still be great 🙂
Rhonda L says
Can I omit the miso paste?
Sam Turnbull says
It adds an aged fermented taste which is what makes it taste like blue cheese so I don't suggest it.
Carole says
Hi Sam, I have the ingredients to make this, but am wondering if I should drain and press the soft tofu in advance.
Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Drain off the excess water but no need to press. I would always include those instructions in the recipe. 🙂
Amiyra james says
I currently live abroad so it is difficult to find a lot of ingredients. Is it okay to substitute the nutritional yeast with brewer's yeast or Active dry yeast?
Sam Turnbull says
No they are very different things. Nutritional yeast is a non-active yeast that has a cheesy nutty flavour. There unfortunately isn't a great substitute. You could try ground nuts but it won't have the cheesy taste.
Karen says
This is the BEST EVER ‼️‼️
Sam Turnbull says
YAY!!
Enid says
This dressing is really good. My husband was missing blue cheese dressing, while I never could stand the stuff. So I tried this recipe for him. He is very happy with it! And, shocker, even I like it!!! Thanks for the recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Amazing, Enid 🙂
Susan says
I only have firm tofu, can I use this in place of silken? I'm new to the world of cooking with tofu, but excited to try this!
Sam Turnbull says
Silken tofu is quite tender and creamy almost a pudding texture, whereas firm tofu is a texture more similar to beans. So to make a sauce I would definitely stick with silken. I always recommend sticking to the tofu firmness that is written in the recipe as it can affect the results of the recipe greatly. If you wish to use up your firm tofu, try my tofu scramble spice mix or my tofish and chips. Enjoy!
Linda says
Delicious!! I love it, my husband loves it! Winner, winner!! Thank you for a great dressing recipe!
ChefDeena says
This is it right here!
ChefDeena says
I don't eat tofu so I had to do a hemp cream replacement but otherwise, PERFECT!
Lyn says
Hi, I'm also allergic to tofu, so was interested in your comment about hemp cream. However, when I search on line, I only see hemp cream for the body. Is that all edible as well?
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!
June says
I just made this for my dinner salad. Whoever developed this recipe is a genius! Love it. It was too thick, possibly due to the brand of tofu I used. So I added two tablespoons of water which worked well. I sprinkled my salad with a bit of vegan McCormick Bac'n Pieces, and the salad was utterly decadent. This is the best oil-free salad dressing I have ever eaten.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Aww thank you, June! So thrilled you loved my recipe so much 🙂
Cap'n Dave says
Nasty cold these past four days (today being included in that), but finally wanting more than just soup. Was planning on something Asian or Asian-inspired, but San Francisco's screwy October weather decided to change my mind (seriously, 80°F+ on October 15th??), so a salad it is!
Spring mix topped with sliced cucumbers and julienned shallots left to pickle a bit in apple cider vinegar and black pepper, seasoned sourdough croutons, sunflower and sesame seeds, vegan "bacon" bits, and what better to dress it up with? I immediately thought of your blue cheese.
I'll use the vinegar from the cucumber & shallot pickling so as not to let it go to waste and whip up a batch. I've not had it before, but will definitely let you know how it all turns out!
Serve this up with a mug of tomato soup and maybe some garlic toast? Sounds like dinner to me!
Cap'n Dave says
Well, while it's definitely yummy, it's NOT QUITE blue cheese (as I remember it), but it's close! I'll have to experiment a bit for my personal tastes, but this is most definitely a solid base to work with! Thanks!!
Cap'n Dave says
Okay, update...I let it sit overnight. All of those wonderful flavors mingled and co-mingled and did whatever chemistry thing they did and now? It's very close to blue cheese, but almost a combination between it and ranch...I don't know what to call it, but IT'S YUMMY!!! Definitely going to have to work on the "blue cheese" angle, but ooooo, this is good!!! Upgrading from 4 stars to 5!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Thanks for the upgrade 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Sounds delicious! Enjoy!
calgal says
I made this dressing and followed the directions to a t (I didn't include the crumbled tofu) and it turned out great! I was skeptical about the dill because it has a really strong flavor and wondered how that could mimic the flavor of blue cheese. Somehow, the flavors combined to make what is the closest you can probably get to a plant-based, healthy blue cheese dressing. This is going into my "keep" files!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!! SO happy you loved the recipe, calgal 🙂
Beryl says
My husband loves this dressing ! He likes it so much that he is now eating lettuce as a snack, instead of pretzels. You are either a wizard or my husband has been abducted by aliens !!
Sam Turnbull says
Bahahahaah! Love it so much!!!!
Monica M says
This looks sooo yummy!
My husband is not a fan of dill though; is there another herb you would suggest instead? Thanks 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
I would just leave it out. Enjoy!
Chris Goerlitz says
Just made this..but only had yellow miso. Pretty good, although I'll do it the right way next time! Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed!
Delia Fey says
I look forward to trying it! You totally rock! Have you thought of doing meal plans? Your recipes are fun and doable and that's what busy people want in a meal plan. I have seen some but the recipes haven't inspired me to go to the trouble. I love your recipes and would be totally inspired to try a plan based on them! Keep up the awesome, mouthwatering work!!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Delia!! Yes! I have thought of meal plans. I have some ideas in the works but hope to start getting it together soon. 🙂 Glad you think it's a good idea too!
Joanne says
Just in time for summer! I love your dressings, especially your ranch dressing, but with vegan mayo as the base, they are high in fat. I can’t wait to use this and will use the same idea for other dressings. I try to keep small batches of marinated tofu “fingers” or cubes in the freezer so I can quickly pan fry and throw in a salad and top with one of your dressings.
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing!! I hope you love my little hack, Joanne. 🙂 If you try to adapt other dressings you may need to up some of the other seasonings as the tofu doesn't have as much oomph as mayo. Enjoy!
Alicia Picard says
Oooo I can’t wait to try this!! I love a good healthy dressing recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! I hope you love it, Alicia 🙂
Rita Drescher says
I can't wait to try this. I LOVE THIS BLOG (AND COOKBOOK). Just this morning, we had tofu scrambled eggs and I made apple muffins and banana bread. For lunch, we'll be having leftovers from the recipe for burrito bowl we had on Friday--and yesterday we had leftovers from the sweet potato pot pie. I love that this is all real food! This makes it so easy to be vegan. Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
AWW YAY!!!!! Thanks so much, Rita!! Thrilled you are enjoying my recipes so much 😀 Even happier that I am helping to make veganism a little easier 🙂