Those following a vegan diet do not consume any animal products. Among the foods that are off-limits on this diet are dairy products made from cow's milk, such as sour cream. However, for certain recipes or as a condiment, you may be looking for a vegan substitution to sour cream. There are several options available that offer a similar consistency and flavor.

According to the Vegetarian Kitchen website, soy yogurt makes an acceptable sour cream substitute just as regular yogurt, made from cow's milk, is often used as a healthy substitute for regular sour cream. Use regular, unflavored and unsweetened soy yogurt, particularly if you are using it for a dip recipe, so that it will not clash with the other ingredients such as herbs, minced vegetables and/or seasoning mixes. Plain soy yogurt also works well in salad dressing recipes, and can be substituted for sour cream using a 1:1 ratio.

The Go Dairy Free website recommends pureed silken tofu as a sour cream substitute. Choose firm silken tofu for best results. Firm silken tofu has a consistency much like that of thick and creamy sour cream when blended. If it is too thick, you can thin it out with a very small amount of non-dairy creamer. Because tofu is bland, it picks up the flavors of other ingredients when used in recipes.

While silken tofu purée may be used plain as a sour cream substitute, "jazzing" it up gives it a better sour-cream flavor. Go Dairy Free offers a recipe for tofu sour cream, one of which calls for an 8-oz. package of firm silken tofu, 3 tbsp. lemon juice or 1.5 tbsp. vinegar, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1.5 tsp. honey, maple syrup or sugar, and 1/8 tsp. sea salt. Purée all of these ingredients together and thin out the mixture with 1 tbsp. soy milk or creamer, if desired.