5 Store-Bought Salad Dressings You Won’t Believe Are Vegan

If you’ve ditched dairy or have gone plant-based or vegan, you might be missing some of those classic rich and creamy classic salad dressings like Ranch, Thousand Island, and Caesar. With many brands now focusing on perfecting the art and science of plant-based everything, your dressing craving can be satisfied if you know where to look. We’ve reviewed and rounded up the best store-bought salad dressings that are all vegan, and all delicious, to be enjoyed no matter what food-preference spectrum one falls on.

According to The Association for Dressings and Sauces, Ranch is the most popular in the US. It’s easy to see why. Beyond its use for salads, it’s a fan favorite for dipping everything from fries, to pizza, and it provides a nice counterbalance to some heat. Traditional Ranch is often made with buttermilk, and sometimes mayonnaise too. While there are plenty of vegan Ranches on the shelf, know that not all are created equal. But here are some you can trust will impress: Hidden Valley, Original Ranch Plant-Powered Dressing hits all the right tasting notes for a truly classic Ranch dressing. Also, for a thick and creamy dip-specific format, try Trader Joe’s Vegan Ranch Dip. Another brand to consider if you want Ranch flavoring with a twist is Plant Junkie, which has a wide selection of Ranch flavors, like the Plant Junkie, Chipotle Ranch, or Cilantro Avocado Ranch.

Thousand Island is typically a mayonnaise-based dressing, mixed with a mashup of seemingly random spices. The Thousand Island name comes from the chain of islands straddling northern New York and Canada; in the early 1900’s the recipe was first prepared in Thousand Islands, New York. Today, it’s popular on burgers, as a salad dressing, and more. There is a clear winner in the vegan Thousand Island dressing game, and that’s Follow Your Heart's Thousand Island. It’s light enough at 90 calories per serving to have a guilt-free smattering to top your veggie burgers, salads, wraps, or as a dipping sauce.

Follow Your Heart's Organic Vegan Caesar captures the perfect amount of pepper, garlic, and creaminess of a classic Caesar dressing. Another clear winner is Mother Raw’s Caesar Dressing. It has a little less of the classic creaminess you might expect of a Caesar dressing, but the flavoring is well balanced and is sure to add all the exciting personality needed to your salad. They also use cold-pressed organic olive oil as the base to pack in a dose of healthy fats. And, a side note while we’re talking Caesar salads: Croutons are critical to a Caesar salad, and the all-vegan Kelly’s Croutons are a staple you should have on hand to add to your Caesar, or really any salad.

Store-bought vegan Blue Cheese is harder to come by. But Follow Your Heart does it again with its Follow Your Heart High Omega Vegan Blue Cheese dressing. Made with flaxseed and hempseed oils, it captures the Blue Cheese funk without being too overwhelming.

You can certainly make a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing, but to have one from dressing experts is sometimes the way to go. And a classic rich and creamy balsamic dressing can really jazz up even the most basic salad. Most Balsamic dressings are vegan but watch for surprising ingredient add-ins as some use eggs or dairy to achieve a more rich and creamy texture and taste. There is one vegan balsamic that should be at the top of your list and that’s La Tourangelle’s Organic Classic Balsamic Vinaigrette. This family-owned operation for over 150-years knows its balsamics and oils, so it’s no surprise they pump out an impeccable vinaigrette.

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.