Little Gem Salad with Dilly Ranch Dressing
I love a good salad! This Little Gem Salad is crisp, refreshing, crunchy and drizzled with a creamy, dairy-free dressing that packs in the herbs! I’ve been enjoying this Little Gem Salad topped with roasted chickpeas or baked salmon for a boost of protein as a great lunch or dinner. While I write this blog post, Easter is right around the corner and this salad would also be a great Easter brunch side!
Little Gem Lettuce
Little gem lettuce is an English heirloom variety of romaine lettuce! It has a similar flavor profile and crunch to romaine while being smaller and in my opinion, more fun to eat!
How To Make This Vegan Dilly Ranch Dressing
I love this simple dairy-free and vegan ranch dressing recipe. This salad dressing is made with just a few simple ingredients, fresh herbs and is a great creamy dressing. I also love that this dressing is made from cashews which packs protein, fiber and healthy fats to this salad! To make this dairy-free ranch dressing you’ll add 1 cup of raw cashews to a container (I like to use a mason jar like this one) and fill with filtered water. Cover and place in the refrigerator to soak overnight. In the morning, drain the water from the cashews and rinse them. Add the soaked cashews into a blender along with 3/4 to 1 cup of fresh, filtered water – less if you prefer a thicker dressing and more if you need the consistency to be thinner. Then add the garlic powder, onion powder and lemon juice. Blend on high until you get a smooth creamy consistency. Next add the herbs, salt and pepper and blend in a few short pulses to incorporate the herbs.
Little Gem Salad
To a plate or bowl add your little gem lettuce (I like a few handfuls!) and top with slices of cucumber, radish, olives and a generous drizzle of dilly ranch dressing. Sprinkle with hemp seeds (I love these!) and fresh dill, chives and parsley. Enjoy!
Little Gem Salad with Vegan Dilly Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
Vegan Dilly Ranch Dressing
- 1 cup raw cashews: soaked overnight then drained & rinsed
- 3/4 – 1 cup filtered water
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 large lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup diced fresh chives
- 1/4 cup diced fresh dill
- 2 tbsp diced fresh parsley
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Little Gem Salad
- 2-3 handfuls little gem lettuce
- 1 cucumber
- 4 radish
- 1/2 cup black olives
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- extra diced herbs
Instructions
Vegan Dilly Ranch Dressing
- In a high-speed blender add the cashews (soaked overnight, drained & rinsed), filtered water, garlic powder, onion powder and lemon juice
- Blend on high until smooth
- Add the herbs, sea salt and black pepper and blend for a short time to incorporate the herbs
Little Gem Salad
- Add little gem lettuce, rinsed and dried to a serving plate
- Add sliced cucumbers, sliced radish, black olives and a drizzle of the Dilly Ranch Dressing
- Top with hemp seeds and extra herbs
Healthy Recipes On Instagram
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see! Tag me on Instagram @healthygrocerygirl
