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Take your salads to the next level with this Smoky Chipotle Dressing! It’s rich, spicy, creamy, and 100% vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free. All you need is 7 simple ingredients for this meal prep fan-favorite.
Table of Contents
If you’ve browsed our homemade spreads and salad dressings, you can likely tell we love our creamy salad dressings. We’ve got Vegan Ranch Dressing, Vegan Caesar Dressing, Vegan Honey Mustard, Vegan Green Goddess Dressing, a Creamy Avocado Dressing and more! But we realized we were missing a dressing with a smoky, spicy flavor.
This Chipotle dressing is an oil-free dressing that’s just as rich and flavorful as our Vegan Chipotle Sauce, but more suitable for drizzling on salads and grain bowls. It’s a dressing that’s inspired by a sauce my mom used to make which consisted of vegan mayo and chipotle peppers. To make ours a bit lighter, we subbed the vegan mayo with plain, unsweetened cashew yogurt. The final product turned out super tasty and so much more flavorful than store-bought dressings. We can’t wait for you to try it!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Plain non-dairy yogurt: We used the Forager project, but any unsweetened non-dairy yogurt or vegan Greek yogurt of choice will work.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: For this recipe, we used 2 chipotle peppers for a sweet heat, but if you are sensitive to spice, start with 1 and increase if desired. Leftover chipotle peppers can be used to make Creamy Chipotle Sauce, Vegan Chipotle Cheddar Cheese Dip and Vegan Chilaquiles.
- Smoked paprika: Adds smoky flavor and deep color to the dressing.
- Lemon juice: Adds a bright and tangy flavor that balances the creaminess in the yogurt and the spiciness in the peppers. If needed, opt for fresh lime juice.
- Aromatics: You’ll need a simple blend of garlic, shallot, sea salt, and black pepper for a savory flavor base.
- Green onions: Finely chopped green onions add freshness and mild onion flavor. Or, for a stronger onion flavor, opt for finely diced red onion.
Equipment Needed
How to Make this Creamy Chipotle Dressing
- Blend ingredients until creamy. Place all of the ingredients, except for the green onions, in a food processor or blender. Process on high until a creamy, smooth dressing forms.
- Mix in the green onions. Transfer the chipotle dressing to a small bowl, then add the green onions. Stir well to combine.
- Season and serve. Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper to taste, then enjoy immediately or chill in a glass jar until ready to use.
Serving Suggestions
What can’t you drizzle this Chipotle dressing on? It’s the perfect zesty addition to your favorite big salad, burrito bowls, buddha bowls or tacos. You can also use it as a dipping sauce for fresh veggies and crispy tofu for a tasty snack! Try it with one of these recipes:
Recipe FAQs
Use vegan sour cream or vegan mayonnaise to replace all or some of the vegan yogurt. This will slightly alter the flavor and thickness of the dressing but will yield a similar homemade dressing.
Check the international aisle near the other jarred or canned Mexican foods like enchilada sauce, hot sauce, or even staples like black beans and refried beans. They are usually sold in small cans that contain just a few peppers.
The ingredients should fit in a mini food processor, yes! If needed, you can always use the mini food processor to combine the chipotle peppers in adobo, garlic, shallot, and spices. Then, transfer the pureed mixture to a bowl and whisk to combine with the vegan yogurt, salt, pepper, and green onions.
Storage Instructions
This chipotle dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. For optimal freshness, store the dressing in an airtight container, such as a mason jar.
More Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes You May Enjoy:
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
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Creamy Chipotle Dressing Recipe
- Yield: 12 (2 tablespoon) servings
Description
Take your salads to the next level with this Smoky Chipotle Dressing! It’s rich, spicy, creamy, and 100% vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free. All you need is 7 simple ingredients for this meal prep fan-favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup unsweetened plain non-dairy yogurt (we used Forager Project)
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/2 shallot
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients except for the green onions to a food processor or blender and process on high until creamy.
- Mix in the green onions and adjust seasonings to taste.
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
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