Growing up on the east coast, ranch dressing was a big deal. We put it on everything! Salad, pizza, french fries, veggies, burgers – anything that could be dipped went into ranch dressing. Unfortunately, the most prominent and cheapest brands use low vibration ingredients that pleasure our palate but hurt our health. Check out the ingredient label for the #1 brand:

We certainly can’t have ingredients like canola oil, dairy, and preservatives if we want to be our most vibrant, healthy, and thriving selves! Before we dive into this super easy and delicious recipe, let’s meet on of my favorite ingredients. 

Long Pepper (piper longum)

Long pepper is precisely what it sounds like; however, it is a botanical powerhouse you will want to sprinkle on all your food from here on out. Hippocrates referred to long pepper as a medicine rather than a spice.

Maybe you’ve noticed that pepper is often paired with turmeric because pepper helps the curcumin in turmeric absorb. The absorption improving benefits don’t stop at turmeric. Pepper has been shown to significantly increase the absorption of selenium, vitamin B, vitamin C, coenzyme Q10 (1), beta-carotene (2), and resveratrol. (3) 

Additionally, pepper stimulates pancreatic digestive enzymes, enhancing digestive capacity and significantly reducing the gastrointestinal food transit time. (4) 

Whenever working with a client experiencing cancer, long pepper is one of my first recommendations. There are so many recent studies on the anti-cancer benefits of long pepper it was hard to choose which ones to share with you. This incredible spice has shown benefits for multiple kinds of cancer, including lung, breast, and colon. (5,6,7)

Without keeping you from the recipe too much longer, let’s talk a little about the mechanism of action. Long pepper shows to selectively induce caspase-independent apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells without harming non-cancerous cells. It does so by targeting the mitochondria (the cell’s powerhouse), leading to dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential and an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. (8)

Hopefully, that is enough to get you to add a bit of long pepper to your meals! Remember, quality matters. My go-to for quality herbs is Mountain Rose Herbs. With over 30 years in business, they offer sustainable, organic items, including herbs, spices, teas, essential oils, and more to the US and Canada. They are a zero-waste and fair trade company dedicated to improving the world while supporting their local communities.

Go to cdn11.bigcommerce.com (9509_source_1614988140 subpage)

Ingredients

Base – choose one

If using sunflower seeds or cashews, do not get roasted, it will impact the flavor.

Flavor

  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 tsp High-quality sea salt to taste
  • 1 Long pepper to taste, I like a lot!
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 Cup fresh minced dill 
  • 2+ Tbsp fresh minced parsley, or dried (optional)
  • 1 tsp fresh chives, 1 Tbsp dried 

Instructions – plant-based mayo

  1. Add all of the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and mix very well with a fork. 
  2. Taste and adjust flavor as needed. The amount of herbs you use will depend significantly on quality. If the herbs are older or poorly sourced, you may need more to reach a great taste.
  3. You can use it immediately at room temperature; however, I prefer refrigerated for 3-4 hours to chill. It will thicken in the refrigerator, so you can add more plant-based milk or water later on to thin if needed. 
  4. This dip/dressing is incredibly versatile. You can have it on salads, tempeh, or cauliflower wings, over beans, grains, or veggies, on pizza, or as a dip for your next gathering. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 7-10 days. This recipe does not freeze well. 

Instructions – sunflower seeds or cashews

  1. If you are using sunflower seeds or cashews, be sure to soak them for two hours – don’t skip this step!
  2. Drain and rinse.
  3. Add the sunflower seeds or cashews to a high-speed blender.
  4. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the herbs. Blend until smooth and creamy. Use as much or a little plant-based milk to achieve the consistency you desire. 
  5. Add the herbs and pulse until well mixed. 
  6. Taste and adjust flavor as needed. The amount of herbs you use will depend significantly on quality. If the herbs are older or poorly sourced, you may need more to reach a great taste.
  7. You can use it immediately at room temperature; however, I prefer refrigerated for 3-4 hours to chill. It will thicken in the refrigerator, so you can add more plant-based milk or water later on to thin if needed. 
  8. This dip/dressing is incredibly versatile. You can have it on salads, tempeh, or cauliflower wings, over beans, grains, or veggies, on pizza, or as a dip for your next gathering. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 7-10 days. This recipe does not freeze well. 

Whatever you eat with this dip, don’t forget to chew each bite at least 30 times!

You can find all of the necessary ingredients on Thrive Market, one of my favorite resources for ethically sourced, sustainable, low-cost, organic groceries that are delivered to your home.


 

The information in this blog and on this site is not meant to cure, prevent or treat any diseases, nor is it a replacement for medical advice. Always check with your health care professional before trying supplements or dietary changes. 
I have worked for years to develop relationships with brands I trust. When using the links in this post, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. These commissions allow me to provide free information such as this blog and keep my session prices as low as possible. Thank you in advance if you choose to support my small business in this way.
  1. Badmaev, Vladimir, Muhammed Majeed, and Lakshmi Prakash. “Piperine derived from black pepper increases the plasma levels of coenzyme Q10 following oral supplementation.” The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 11.2 (2000): 109-113.
  2. Badmaev, Vladimir, Muhammed Majeed, and Edward P. Norkus. “Piperine, an alkaloid derived from black pepper, increases serum response of beta-carotene during 14-days of oral beta-carotene supplementation.” Nutrition Research 19.3 (1999): 381-388.
  3. Johnson JJ, Nihal M, Siddiqui IA, Scarlett CO, Bailey HH, Mukhtar H, Ahmad N. Enhancing the bioavailability of resveratrol by combining it with piperine. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2011 Aug;55(8):1169-76. DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201100117. Epub 2011 Jun 29. PMID: 21714124; PMCID: PMC3295233.
  4. Srinivasan, K. “Black pepper and its pungent principle-piperine: a review of diverse physiological effects.” Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 47.8 (2007): 735-748.
  5. Lin Y, Xu J, Liao H, Li L, Pan L. Piperine induces apoptosis of lung cancer A549 cells via p53-dependent mitochondrial signaling pathway. Tumour Biol. 2014 Apr;35(4):3305-10. DOI: 10.1007/s13277-013-1433-4. Epub 2013 Nov 24. PMID: 24272201.
  6. Greenshields AL, Doucette CD, Sutton KM, Madera L, Annan H, Yaffe PB, Knickle AF, Dong Z, Hoskin DW. Piperine inhibits the growth and motility of triple-negative breast cancer cells. Cancer Lett. 2015 Feb 1;357(1):129-140. DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.11.017. Epub 2014 Nov 13. PMID: 25444919.
  7. Yaffe PB, Power Coombs MR, Doucette CD, Walsh M, Hoskin DW. Piperine, an alkaloid from black pepper, inhibits growth of human colon cancer cells via G1 arrest and apoptosis triggered by endoplasmic reticulum stress. Mol Carcinog. 2015 Oct;54(10):1070-85. DOI: 10.1002/mc.22176. Epub 2014 May 13. PMID: 24819444.
  8. Ovadje, P., Ma, D., Tremblay, P., Roma, A., Steckle, M., Guerrero, J.-A., Arnason, J. T., & Pandey, S. (2014). Evaluation of the efficacy & biochemical mechanism of cell death induction by Piper Longum extract selectively in in-vitro and in-vivo models of human cancer cells. PLoS ONE, 9(11). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0113250