The Cashew Cheese Sauce is creamy, dreamy and oh-so easy to make! Once you try it, you will always want a jar on hand for all your cheesy recipes!
Greetings!
Hello there Foodies! Maybe I should start calling us Swervies? (like swerved and foodies combined) No? Okay, moving on. Let’s just jump right in, this Cashew Cheese Sauce is ahhh-maazing! It’s creamy, a little smokey and a whole lotta delicious. It’s the perfect dairy-free topping for Nachos, Mac-n-Cheese or even as a dip. You need to try this today!!
Nacho Your Average Cheese Sauce
I love cheese, I really do, but this Cashew Cheese Sauce is better than almost every cheese sauce I’ve ever made. The combination of cashews, nutritional yeast, onions, garlic and spices lead to the perfect blend of flavor and texture.
The key to getting this sauce creamy, is soaking the cashews. Many people will tell you to soak the cashews over night, that’s certainly an option, but many of us don’t have time for that. To save on time, I boil water and pour it over the cashews for an hour and it works perfectly.
A key player in this sauce is Nutritional Yeast. Nutritional Yeast is a deactivated yeast that has a nutty, cheesy and savory flavor and it’s often used in vegan cooking. I like it in this recipe because it adds the perfect backdrop of flavor, without overpowering too much.
Simple Steps to Perfection
The quest for the perfect Cashew Cheese Sauce is not long or hard. It’s basically four easy steps:
- Boil water and pour over cashews. Let soak for about an hour.
- Sauté onions and garlic until tender. Approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Drain cashews and blend with broth, onions and spices.
- Enjoy
That’s all you need to do to have the best Cashew Cheese Sauce. This sauce has so many uses and is so delicious, you may just end up eating it directly out of the jar! However, you choose to eat it, I guarantee you will want to make this sauce again and again!
If you love this recipe, here are a few others you may enjoy:
Happy Eatin!
~Nancy
Cashew Cheese Sauce
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup Cashew (Raw)
- 2 cups Boiled Water to pour over cashews
- 1 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth
- 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
- 1 4oz can Green Chilies
- 1/3 cup Onion, chopped
- 3-4 cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Ancho Chili Powder (could sub with smoked paprika)
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 small Lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Boil water and pour over cashews for minimum of 1 hour
- Dice onions and garlic. Saute in olive oil until tender, apprx 4-5 minutes
- Drain Cashews
- Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Depending on blender, you may need to blend for a bit. I blended for apprx. 5 minutes.
- May serve immediately or store in the refridgerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Tips for Eating/Reheating:
- Excellent as Nacho Cheese for Nachos or Tacos, and makes a great Tex-Mex Mac-n-Cheese!
- Also fabulous as a dip straight out of the fridge
- To reheat: heat on low on the stove, add a little broth if the sauce starts to dry out.
- Store in a glass jar (with a lid) in fridge
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