With just a few every day ingredients, this creamy lemon dill dressing comes together so easily. In no time, you'll be guzzling it back like hot soup on a cold winter day.
Don't believe us? Try it for yourself.
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📖 About
If you want to cook on a budget and make simple meals, having a fridge full of easy-to-make sauces is crucial to your success. We are constantly creating new recipes in order to avoid buying a tiny $8.99 jar at the store.
Lemon and dill is one of our favorite combinations because these ingredients create the perfect harmony of flavors: fresh, bright, and tasty. But, when you try adding creamy into the mix, it becomes even harder to find a vegan option at the store. Hence why we created this recipe.
So, if you are searching for a sauce that is easy, versatile, and delicious, your hunt is over. Pour this over greens, tofu, buddha bowls, or use it in wraps to amplify your food.
🍲 Key ingredients
- Lemon: this citrus fruit adds a bright and fresh flavor to any meal. We also like to use zest whenever we can to get the most out of our ingredients. The peel is a source of calcium and potassium, so all the more reason not to throw it out.
- Fresh dill: using fresh dill is the key to this recipe because the flavor you get is slightly lemony and sweet; an ideal pair for lemon. It's great to add to sauces because it actually contains a significant amount of vitamins and minerals.
- Cashews: technically considered seeds, cashews grow on the cashew apple fruit, which is what makes their flavor so unique. Especially when using a high-speed blender, cashews turn into a creamy base for a wide variety of recipes.
- Garlic: If you don't know by now, we put garlic in almost everything. We especially love the way it makes our breath smell. By the way, how do you remove the skin? We always smack it with the flat side of a knife.
🔪 Instructions
This recipe is extremely easy to make. You just need to throw all the ingredients into a blender, and mix everything until it you have a creamy consistency.
Some people say to add in the oil slowly, but we find it doesn't make a huge difference when you're using a blender like the Vitamix since it will more easily emulsify. But, if you are using another kind of blender, try adding the oil in slowly once the rest of the sauce has blended together.
After you're finished blending, have a taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. You can add lemon juice or zest for a more tart dressing, or add sugar if you like things sweet.
🌡️ Storage
This dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in a mason jar or airtight container. We actually prefer letting it sit in the fridge for a couple hours after making it. This way it thickens up and the flavors start to intensify more.
💭 Budget tips
We think everyone should be able to eat better for less, so here are a few tricks to make this recipe even more affordable:
- Opt for a cheaper oil to use in place of the avocado oil
- Buy your cashews in bulk or from Costco if you live near one
- You may also be able to buy broken or "imperfect" cashew nuts at the bulk store to save even more
🍴 Tasting notes
If you're a dill fan, this recipe is for you! We highly recommend trying it out. It's:
- Creamy
- Zesty
- Versatile
- Fresh
- Vibrant
If you try this sauce, please rate it and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!
📋 Recipe
Creamy Lemon Dill Dressing
Equipment
- High-speed blender
Ingredients
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp fresh dill ($0.53)
- 4 tbsp lemon juice ($0.36)
- 1 tsp lemon zest from the same lemon ($0.00)
- ½ cup raw cashews ($0.86)
- 1 tbsp avocado oil, or any neutral oil ($0.20)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.04)
- ¼ tsp cane sugar ($0.01)
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp water ($0.00)
- Sea salt to taste ($0.01)
Instructions
- Soak cthe ashews in room temperature water overnight, or for 1-2 hours in boiling water.
- Drain the cashews, and blend all ingredients for 2-3 minutes in a high-speed blender until smooth.
- Serve over salads, buddha bowls, in wraps, or whatever your preference is! Store the leftovers in an airtight container or mason jar in your fridge.
Notes
- If you don't have a Vitamix or Blendtec, a Nutribullet is also a great budget option for making sauces.
Nutrition
♻️ Similar recipes
For more tasty dressings and dips, check out our:
- Lemon tahini dressing for a balance between tart and bittersweet.
- Cilantro lime dressing, which makes a perfect sauce for Buddha bowls.
- Vegan ranch for a herbaceous and creamy dressing without dairy or eggs.
- Jalapeño nacho sauce, but be careful because you may want to put it on everything.
💬 FAQ
You don't have to use cashews, but we find it creates the most creamy consistency. We have also used tahini with good results.
Generally, when working with cashews, it's best to use a high-speed blender. It will create the creamiest consistency and remove all chunks. You can still use other blenders, but the texture will vary.
If you don't have fresh dill, you should use 2 tbsp of dried dill in this recipe for a 1:3 ratio of dried-to-fresh.
Dr. Moira Drosdovech says
Very delicious lemony dressing! We are using this for a Buddha Bowl with roasted yam, fried tofu, wild rice and toasted cashews plus some steamed broccolini, avocado, red onion and yellow pepper!!
Mitch and Justine says
Thank-you! That sounds super tasty!