Name: Oil Free Cashew Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: ⅓ cup raw cashews; ½ cup water; 1 tbsp nutritional yeast; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1 clove garlic; 1 tbsp capers; 1 tbsp dijon mustard; 1 tbsp coconut sugar; salt and pepper to taste

This oil-free cashew dressing is a game-changer for anyone looking for oil free salad dressings for weight loss. The cashew dressing with no oil is made with simple ingredients like cashews, water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, capers, dijon mustard, and coconut sugar seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.

The creamy dressing is very similar to my vegan cashew Caesar dressing, except this vegan cashew dressing with no oil has a little more zing that will satisfy your taste buds thanks to the extra lemon juice, garlic, and Dijon mustard. It’s delicious, vegan-friendly, packed with nutrients, and one of the best tasting oil-free salad dressings for weight loss.

As part of my liver detox cleanse for weight loss which you can sign up to access in my free resource library, I was eating a salad every day, but the dressing had to be oil free! Why, you may ask? Processed oils, including olive oil, are calorie dense yet low in nutrients. Processed fats also stress the liver; according to medical medium, a low-fat diet is best for cleansing the liver.

The authors of Mastering Diabetes also recommend a low fat diet free of processed fats as the best diet for diabetics and weight loss. I focused on including lots of low fat liver cleansing salads in my detox, but one caveat is that it had to be an oil-free dressing; thus, I decided to make creamy cashew salad dressing with healthy and simple pantry ingredients (at least in my cupboard they are!).

Whole raw cashews are blended with fresh water and the following ingredients in a high-speed blender. My favorite way to enjoy this vegan cashew dressing with no oil is over a fresh salad with chopped romaine, canned corn, black beans, avocado, and cherry tomatoes! Seriously it is so good!

Ingredients for the oil free cashew dressing:

1/3 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tbsp coconut sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make the cashew dressing with no oil:

Blend the cashews: Add the raw cashews in a high-speed blender with water.
Add the remaining ingredients: Add nutritional yeast, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, capers, Dijon mustard, coconut sugar (if using), salt, and pepper to the blender.
Blend until smooth: Start blending at low speed, gradually increasing to high. Blend until the dressing reaches a smooth and creamy consistency.
Taste and adjust: Pause the blender to taste the dressing. Adjust the flavors to your preference by adding more lemon juice, garlic, salt, or pepper. For a tangier flavor, you can add more capers or Dijon mustard.
Serve or refrigerate: Transfer the dressing to a mason jar or airtight container. You can serve it immediately or refrigerate it for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld together.
Storage: The oil-free cashew dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. Before each use, give it a good shake or stir, as separation may occur.

Tips and substitutions

You can substitute the lemon juice with rice vinegar. This will change the overall flavor of the vegan dressing with cashews but will work if you don’t have fresh lemon juice available at home.
Whole garlic clove can be substituted with garlic powder to taste instead.
To make a vegan cashew ranch dressing with fresh herbs as a dipping sauce, reduce the amount of water used to yield a thicker consistency. Add fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, and dill to make the best vegan ranch dressing to serve with freshly chopped vegetables.
For an extra boost of protein and healthy fats, add some hemp seeds, which blend beautifully with cashews to make a creamy oil free dressing.

Ways to use this oil free cashew dressing

This fantastic dressing for weight loss is such a versatile oil free salad dressing that can be enjoyed over simple green salads.

It’s perfect for serving over Buddha bowls. My favorite is a Mexican-style quinoa Buddha bowl with quinoa, corn, black beans, avocado, and cherry tomatoes. Add a cooked chicken breast for extra protein.

You can also make the best tasting vegan Caesar salad by toasting chickpeas with some seasoning salt in an air fryer and serving with this dressing and fresh chopped romaine or massaged kale. I like to add cherry tomatoes as well.

This is one of my top homemade salad dressings made with no added oil. It contains healthy, unprocessed fats found in cashews but is free of processed oil that is calorie-dense and low in nutrients. Rest assured, knowing that while you eat all your liver-cleansing vegetables, you are not clogging your body with processed oils found in so many salad dressings, including healthy homemade salad dressings.

Elevate your health to the next level by making oil free salad dressings such as this cashew dressing with no oil. The creamy, rich flavors will leave you craving more healthy salads. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

You may also like this cashew Caesar dressing which is very similar, but thicker and milder in flavor.