Avocado Ranch Dressing

From the East Bay Avocado

For many years, Chef Lacey Sher’s Encuentro Cafe and Wine Bar was a favorite hangout for those seeking elevated plant-based cuisine in Oakland. She used avocados to give this thick creamy stand-in for ranch dressing its body. She recommends it as a dipping sauce for asparagus or steamed artichoke leaves.

Illustration by Mary Brown

Yields 2 cups

• 1½ medium avocados
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced white onion
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1½ tablespoons raw shoyu
• 1 teaspoon umeboshi plum vinegar
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 3 tablespoons agave syrup
• ½ cup water
• Fresh ground pepper to your taste

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerated, it will keep for up to 4 days.