I really am so happy to be back here sharing recipes again. This creamy dill pickle salad was fully inspired by the dill pickle salad kit that I saw at Costco (a Taylor Farms copycat!) a little while ago. Might as well be transparent with you haha. I looked at it while I was there and started craving that combination immediately. Chopped fresh veg, creamy pickle ranch-style dressing, crunchy breadcrumbs on top… it sounded perfect. Their version had dairy in a few components, so I went to work on my own totally vegan version. It was fairly simple to fix up and it turned out SO good.
For more seasonal salad inspiration, I recommend checking out my cookbook!
How to make dill pickle salad ahead:
- The dressing can be blended up and stored in the fridge up to 5 days in advance.
- The vegetables can be chopped and stored in a sealable bag or container up to 3 days in advance.
- Toast the bread crumbs with the seasoning and cool them completely. Then, store them in a sealable jar at room temperature for up to 5 days.
I find that dry dill weed is the real hero in the dill pickle dressing. Once you blend pickles into the creamy, totally dairy-free cashew dressing, dried dill weed brings that strong dill flavour everywhere else. I’ve never really had it in my spice cabinet before, but it just works in this salad–we also use it in the bread crumb topping. If you like the flavours in this recipe, you might also like my Vegan Potato Salad with Dill Pickle Dressing or my Dill Pickle Broccoli Slaw.
More Fresh and Satisfying Salad Inspiration:
- Crushed Beets with Chunky Olive & Mint Dressing
- Cauliflower Salad with Nectarines & Pistachio Dukkah
- Our Favourite Picnic Potato Salad
If you’re looking for a way to eat an entire large bowl of vegetables by yourself, I think this salad may just be it. I hope that you give it a try soon!
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Chopped Creamy Dill Pickle Salad
Ingredients
Creamy Dill Pickle Dressing
- ⅓ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
- ⅓ cup chopped dill pickle (about 1 large pickle)
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespooon water
- 1 tablespoon pickle brine
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon agave nectar (or maple, granulated sugar etc)
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
Seasoned Breadcrumbs & Salad
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ cups fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups finely chopped kale (lightly packed)
- 2 cups finely chopped red cabbage (about ½ small red cabbage)
- 2 cups chopped romaine heart (about 1 romaine heart)
- 2 cups finely chopped cauliflower (about ½ small head of cauliflower)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill (optional)
Equipment
Notes
- If you like your salads/food in general on the saucier or more heavily-dressed side, I would recommend doubling the dill pickle dressing recipe!
- I really do prefer dried dill weed in this recipe! Combined with the actual pickles in the dressing, it gives that really strong dill flavour that just works. I’ve tried versions garnished with fresh dill and without, and both were just as strong with the dill flavour.
- For fresh breadcrumbs, I just pulse bits of bread in my food processor until I have uniformly small pieces.
- This salad is fully inspired by the chopped dill pickle salad kit by Taylor Farms that I keep seeing at Costco. I haven’t personally tried it (there’s dairy in a few components), but you can’t deny the flavour combo. I had to have it somehow! :)
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In an upright blender, combine the cashews, chopped dill pickle, water, pickle brine, white wine vinegar, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, agave nectar, salt, and pepper. Blend this mixture on high until smooth and creamy. Check the dressing for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Pour the dressing into a small bowl and stir in the dried dill weed. Set aside.
- Make the toasted and seasoned breadcrumbs For topping the salad. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and swirl it around. Add the breadcrumbs to the skillet. They should sizzle a bit. Give them a stir and then add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, dried dill weed, salt, and pepper. Once the breadcrumbs are starting to darken around the edges, lower the heat to medium-low. Keep stirring the breadcrumbs until they have dried out a bit and are evenly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove the breadcrumbs from the heat and let them cool completely.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine kale, cabbage, romaine, and cauliflower. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Using tongs, give the salad a thorough toss until all vegetables are coated in the dressing.
- Top the salad with the toasted breadcrumbs and fresh dill (if using). Serve immediately!
This is the best salad dressing I have EVER had!! SO. GOOD.
This is really tasty and quite delightful. I actually had generous amount of leftover dill pickle dip (delicious!) so I actually subbed that as the dressing. Loved this salad and will definitely make it again!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi Vanessa,
I don’t recommend mixing up the salad in its entirety too far in advance. The romaine and bread crumb topping will just get soggy and the purple cabbage will turn the whole thing a non-appetizing grey colour haha. You can chop up the veg and blend the dressing, keeping both in a container in the fridge for up to a week. The brad crumb topping can be kept in a sealed container on the counter for the same amount of time.
-L
This looks so good! What a great recipe to make in the summer and enjoy with friends!
Made this for a cookout for non vegan eaters and it was a big hit! Additionally, while making the salad my 2 year old wanted to try the dressing and once he tasted it, he asked for more and brought me a bowl, which he proceeded to eat dressing from. So I would say this is definitely a five star recipe!
What protein do you think would work best with this salad?
Wow! This recipe makes a better and fresher salad than the original! I cheated and used Panko crumbs, but it turned out great.
I made the salad and is delicious. I just had a question about the dressing. I’ve made extra dressing. How long does it last?
Hi! You can keep the dressing in a sealed container in the fridge for up to one week.
-L
Yummy! And my husband loved it. I substituted a yellow summer squash for the califlower and it was delicious. I also chopped everything much finer than in the video, only because I had not watched it first. I did double the dressing as suggested.
I just had to leave you a comment on this recipe and thank you for it!!! My entire family LOVED it, and that is no easy feat when it comes to salad :D. So freaking good!!! They ate theirs with grilled chicken, I had mine with hard-boiled eggs. That dressing is FANTASTIC. Well done!
Obsessed with this dressing!!!
This was delicious but I felt like it was a major oversight that there weren’t chopped dill pickles in the salad so I added them. Never enough pickles!
Wow. This is delicious. I made it tonight but roasted the cauliflower instead of having raw. I also used panko breadcrumbs because I didn’t have the fresh ones. Agree with your comment on if you like saucy salads, then double the sauce.
Thank you for this recipe Laura! I was honestly going to email you to ask/suggest that you try to make a vegan version of my favourite creamy dill pickle salad kit that I’ve been obsessed with and buying from Costco. I had full confidence you could nail it and suspected it might be a combo you’d enjoy. Imagine my elation when I realized you’d already done it! As I transition to a fully plant-based diet I was hoping there’d be a way for me to bring the creamy dill pickle salad with me. So much gratitude!!!
Can’t wait to try this. Love the won at Costco. Thank you.
10/5 stars! This salad is destined to become a summer classic in our household. The dill dressing is absolutely delicious and next time I think I’ll make double. This is, as you said, a great way to eat a TON of veggies in one sitting.
Just made this and I’m in heaven!! Thank you for sharing. I added some celery and didn’t do the bread crumbs this time but next time I make I’m excited to try it with the croutons
this was really good! next time, think i’ll use less greens/veggies OR make more dressing – as written, I found it a little dry… but i think it’s just a ratio thing. maybe i’m packing down the veggies too hard:) thank you Laura!
Fantastic! I used crunchy chickpeas instead of bread crumbs. My husband usually picks at raw veggies but gobbled his up faster than me! I want to use this dressing on everything. Next time, I will use it on a potato salad. Thanks for another fantastic recipe Laura!
This salad is delicious! The dressing will be going to into regular rotation around here; I’ve already made it twice. I increased the dill in both the dressing and the breadcrumbs, and added a chopped dill pickle to the salad. So, so good!!
This was amazing! I used vegan mayo instead of cashews; it turned out a bit watery so if you go this route I’d definitely recommend omitting the water entirely. But I think cashews might make a creamier and even more satisfying dressing so I’m going to make it again ASAP! Made with homemade sourdough breadcrumbs which gave an extra tang that was great. Thank you!
I made a double batch of this, and am so glad I did. Ridiculously tasty! The crunch of the veggies combined with the amazing dill flavor makes me feel like I’m eating a Cool Ranch Doritos salad. Glorious. I did increase the dried dill in both the dressing and the breadcrumb seasoning, but I’m also V into that BDE (big dill energy).
I bought your cookbook and cook out of it all the time! I rave about your recipes and my family and friends love what I make. I’m printing this recipe tonight to try this as I keep making “earth day” themed foods all week. Thanks for all you do! You help my vegan cooking stay fun and fresh and I’m deeply thankful!
I made this today and it was good and I’ll make it again; however, I will probably adjust it a bit. I found the dressing quite bland (perhaps it was my pickle brand) even though I increased the seasonings and brine. Next time I’ll try doubling the onion and garlic powder and vinegar. As well I found the dressing didn’t quite have the right mouth feel so I’ll try subbing a bit of the water for olive oil. Otherwise, it’s a great salad that has a refreshingly unique taste. Thanks for veganizing this!
Hi- I’m having trouble getting the dressing to come together, anyone have some suggestions? I’ve tried a Vitamix (quantity was too small to work), food processor and a mini chopper. It’s watery with small particles, but never achieved the creamy, emulsified state.
Saw this recipe on Instagram and knew I had to make it because I love pickles. I used the Hellman’s vegan mayo in place of the cashews/water (because I didn’t have cashews) and added a finely diced pickle to the actual salad. This dressing is SO GOOD and will now go on everything (including the roasted potatoes we had with the salad). Loved it so much – thank you for sharing!!
what Spring dreams are made of!
After making the dressing I almost didn’t continue on with the rest of the recipe because I wanted to just DRINK IT STRAIGHT. It is amazing. I’m glad I did though, it’s a perfect combo with the tasty breadcrumbs and hearty greens. So delicious and filling. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
I personally LOVE that Dill salad kit by Taylor Farms – my only complaint is that the dressing could be more flavorful so I think adding the dried dill, pickles and brine will pack the punch I’m looking for! Your recipe looks amazing, I’m excited to try it! :)
I agree, it’s really good! .I can eat a whole bag myself, lol. BUT I can never get enough dill pickle and I am so psyched to try this! Definitely healthier and I’m sure even better flavours!
It seems like a combo of greek spices. I love it!
How delicious! I could eat this dressing with a spoon. I left out the dill as I didn’t have any and the only change I will make next time is to add more cashews to the dressing as mine was a touch watery. Instead of breadcrumbs, I made crispy chickpeas with the same seasonings and that was so good. Next time, I will do breadcrumbs and chickpeas :)
This looks SO good! Love that you keep it real admitting the inspo was from a Costco bagged salad LOL. Any suggestions for a good substitute in the dressing for cashew?
Hi Sami,
I know some folks have had success substituting the cashews with vegan mayonnaise!
-L
love the dill, way too seldom used in salads, at least by me, so thank you for a great recipe!
I just made this and it’s SO good! It’s like eating healthy junk food. Like dill pickle chips made of vegetables.
How I miss Canadian dill pickles! They are a special bunch. Cannot wait to spread them out with this salad instead of eating them from the jar infront of the open fridge. The jar might last me a bit longer. Much love from NZ!
can’t stop thinking about it. Need to pick up pickles and making it immediately!
This looks delicious, can’t wait to try it! And congrats on the move!
I love dill pickles so will be trying this for sure. Does it keep well for lunch leftovers the next day? Your new kitchen is gorgeous, especially the exposed brick.
Hi Tracey!
I think this salad would keep well if you left the breadcrumbs off of your lunch portion until you were ready to eat the next day. Another thing you may want to note is that the red cabbage will definitely bleed a purple-grey colour into the salad as it sits, so it may not look as appetizing. But the flavour and texture will still be great!
-L
Congratulations on your move! I’m glad you’re starting to feel settled. This salad looks so good. I actually love raw cauliflower but never thought to add it to a chopped salad like this. So glad you’re back!
~ I am really looking forward to making this salad !!
Thank you so much for this recipe. It is spring. Enjoy your new kitchen and will love to see what comes out of it.