tofu ranch dip
a 10 minute vegan snack inspired by the flavors of ranch dressing
this recipe was inspired by doobydobap’s tofu mayo (the recipe for which is written pretty much exactly as she makes it below) and my personal love for ranch dressing. for those that are familiar with ranch dressing, please take note that this recipe is not trying to replicate ranch dressing one for one. it definitely eats more like a dip, kind of like a hummus, and that’s exactly my intention; it’s more of a snack and less of a sauce.
however, i think you could definitely swipe this on a sandwich or sauce-ify it by thinning it out with some lemon juice, more olive oil, yogurt (plant based if you want to keep it vegan) or even tahini and serve it under something like roasted or grilled vegetables, a leafy green salad or cooked grains. if you want to watch me make this recipe, check out the video here.
tofu mayo
350 grams firm tofu
100 ml vegetable oil
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (substitute: white wine vinegar)
tofu ranch dip, serves 2 as a snack
1/2 batch of tofu mayo
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 scallion
60 ml olive oil
various sliced veg, sourdough, flatbread, crackers, fried chicken, pizza crusts, etc. for serving
to make the tofu mayo, add tofu, vegetable oil, salt, and vinegar to a blender. mix until very smooth, about 2 minutes. transfer about half of the tofu mayo to a jar; i like to use this on sandwiches, as a vegan base in creamy salad dressings, or in place of mayo in just about any recipe.
add dried dill, onion and garlic powders, black pepper, and aleppo pepper to the remaining half of the tofu mayo in a bowl and mix well to combine. season to taste with more salt and pepper as desired. spread the tofu ranch dip onto one or two shallow plates, then chill in the fridge while you make the topping.
peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves. cut scallion into 1-inch lengths, discarding the root end, and then thinly slice lengthwise into long, thin pieces. add garlic, scallions, and olive oil to a small frying pan and set over medium-low heat. swirl the pan often, letting everything cook until the garlic and scallions start to turn golden brown; once this starts to happen, it happens quickly.
remove from the heat and drain the oil into a bowl, then use tongs to remove the crispy garlic and scallions to another bowl. you don’t have to separate them, but i like to so that i have complete control of how much oil and crispy bits go onto my dip.
take the tofu ranch dip out of the fridge and drizzle with as much of the garlic-scallion oil and crispy garlic and scallions as you’d like; the remaining garlic-scallion oil and crispy bits can be kept for other uses if you have leftovers. sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired.
serve immediately as a dip for various sliced and prepped veg, toasted sourdough, warm flatbread, crackers, leftover fried chicken, pizza crusts…the sky is the limit.