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Home » Recipes » Salad Dressing

Vegan Thousand Island Dressing (Oil-Free!)

May 9, 2023 by Kaitlin · 2 Comments

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A healthier vegan Thousand Island Dressing recipe made with no mayo, no ketchup, and no oil! It's sweet, tangy, and perfectly creamy. Great on salads, sandwiches, wraps, or as a dipping sauce! (Vegan, gluten-free, refined oil-free.)

Spoon lifting up vegan thousand island dressing from a small glass jar

This vegan Thousand Island Dressing is a little sweet, a little tangy, and so deliciously creamy!

Classic thousand island combines mayonnaise, ketchup, onion, relish, and oftentimes refined sugar. But this healthier dairy-free version contains no mayo, no ketchup, and no oil... without sacrificing any flavor!

Plus it's easy to customize just how you like it. Savor the creamy tangy-sweet flavor on salads, sandwiches, burgers, or a dipping sauce for fries!

Raw cashews, vinegar, tomato paste, relish, mustard, and spice ingredients laid out on a metal tray

Ingredients for Vegan Thousand Island

For this recipe you will blend in a small high-speed blender:

  • Raw cashews: Cashew nuts create the thick and creamy texture for the base of the dressing. (We use this in place of vegan mayo.) We'll use soaked cashews since they're softer and easier to blend. You can soak them ahead of time for several hours, or use my 10 minute "quick soak" method in the recipe notes.
  • Apple cider vinegar: I like this variety, but you can use distilled white vinegar if needed.
  • Stoneground mustard: If you don't have stoneground, then you can swap in Dijon mustard instead. Just be aware Dijon has a slightly stronger flavor, so you may want to use a little less.
  • Pure maple syrup: You can replace this with your own favorite sweetener if desired.
  • Tomato paste: I use a couple teaspoons of this instead of ketchup (which often has added sugar, artificial flavors, and high-fructose corn syrup).
  • White miso: This is a fermented soybean paste and adds delicious depth of flavor to dressings and sauces. I highly recommend including it, but if you don't have it on hand, replace with about a half teaspoon salt. You can also add black pepper if desired.
  • Onion powder: Fresh minced onion often appears in a classic thousand island, but here I replace it with simple onion powder instead. It adds lots of flavor, so don't omit this ingredient.
  • Garlic powder
  • Paprika: Either smoked paprika or sweet paprika depending on your preference.
  • Pickle relish: This is optional but recommended for that classic thousand island essence. I use dill pickle relish which doesn't have any added sweetener. But sweet relish can add further sweetness if you'd like! Or simply omit this altogether if you prefer.
Overhead view of ingredients for no mayo thousand island dressing in a small blender cup before blending

Customizing

Make it spicy: Add a dash of cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste. You could also stir in a pinch of ground chipotle powder or chipotle pepper for smoky spice.

Other additions: Whisk in finely chopped chives, minced olives, horseradish instead of pickle relish (for more of a Russian dressing), fresh lemon juice, etc.

Cashew-free: I haven't tested this without cashews yet. But I'm guessing silken tofu or your own favorite vegan mayonnaise would be a great substitute. I recommend omitting both the cashews and water in the recipe if you try this. Then add in a splash of water as needed to thin.

Stirring together thousand island dressing and pickle relish in a small glass bowl

Serving

Salad dressing: Drizzle in on a simple garden salad, chopped salad, or any other salad you enjoy.

Burgers: Spoon it as a flavorful condiment on veggie burgers or this Southwest Black Bean Burger. (It's very similar to this Vegan Big Mac Sauce that I spread on burgers. Both sauces are tasty!)

Sandwiches & wraps: Spread it on your favorite wrap, sandwich, or vegan Reuben sandwiches.

Dipping sauce: Try it with your oven fries, French fries, onion rings, veggies, or anything else that sounds good to dip!

Storing

Store dressing in a sealed glass mason jar in the refrigerator. It keeps for about 5-7 days. You can enjoy it immediately after preparing, but I find it's best after it chills in the fridge for several hours. This allows the flavors to blend.

More Oil-Free Dressing!

  • Vegan Ranch Dressing
  • Vegan Italian Dressing
  • Maple Dijon Dressing (vegan honey mustard)
  • Vegan French Dressing
  • Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
Spoon scooping out vegan thousand island dressing from a small white bowl

For more inspiration, also browse all vegan oil-free salad dressing recipes or cashew recipes.

Spoon lifting up vegan thousand island dressing from a small glass jar

Vegan Thousand Island Dressing (Oil-Free!)

A sweet & tangy thousand island dressing made with no mayo, no ketchup, and no oil! This healthier version is rich, creamy, and so easy to make.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer
Course: Dressing
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup raw cashews (soaked*)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. stoneground mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
  • 2 tsp. tomato paste
  • 2 tsp. white miso (or salt to taste)
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika, sweet or smoked

Stir-in (optional):

  • 3 Tbsp. pickle relish, sweet or dill

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients except relish in a small high-speed blender. (I use a NutriBullet.) Blend for 20-30 seconds until smooth. Add a splash more water if needed to achieve desired consistency. Stir in relish after blending.
  • Can enjoy immediately, but flavor is best after it refrigerates several hours to let flavors combine. It will thicken further as it chills.

Notes

*Soaking cashews: Before blending, soak the cashews in room temperature water for at least 4 hours or overnight. Then drain and rinse before using. Or quick soak: Place cashews in a heat-safe bowl and carefully add hot/boiling water until cashews are submerged. Let sit for about 10-15 minutes. Then drain and rinse.
Yield: Recipe makes 1 heaping cup dressing.
Storing: Store in a sealed glass container in the fridge. It keeps for about 5-7 days.

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Thousand Island Dressing (Oil-Free!)
Amount per Serving
Calories
70
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
3
g
5
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Potassium
 
99
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
9
g
3
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
5
g
6
%
Protein
 
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
 
168
IU
3
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
14
mg
1
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.

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If you're enjoying this oil-free vegan thousand island dressing recipe, also check out:

  • Crispy Tofu Wrap

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Comments

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  1. Roxanne says

    June 08, 2025 at 4:51 pm

    Hi Kaitlin! I don't usually leave reviews, but I just had to this time! I just finished making this recipe and it is so good! I am usually disappointed after making dressings because the flavors aren't quite there, but this hit the thousand island flavor spot on, but better.

    The only substitutions that I made because of what I had on hand was date paste instead of maple syrup and dill pickles instead of relish.

    I just found your site and will definitely be trying other recipes.

    Thanks Kaitlin!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      June 08, 2025 at 5:05 pm

      Hello, Roxanne! Thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed the flavors of the dressing. And what fantastic substitutions - great thinking! I'm honored you were called to come back and leave a review. Your thoughtful comments are very appreciated, so thank you. I truly hope you enjoy any other recipes you try here!

      Reply

Hello, I'm Kaitlin!
I live in Montana and share vegan recipes that are easy and healthy. About Me →

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