not cheese. just dip. ::::
This one’s a winner! It’s creamy but not cheesy-heavy. I love it with tortilla chips or raw vegetables.
Slightly adapted from the wonderful blog Cookie and Kate: https://cookieandkate.com/vegan-queso-recipe/
cashew dip with salsa
Author: story of a kitchen (slightly adapted from cookieandkate.com; the original title is "creamy vegan queso")
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (can also use broth)
- 1 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup peeled and grated russet or yukon gold potato (about 4 ounces)
- 1 small carrot, shredded
- 4 cloves of garlic, pressed
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt, and more if needed (I needed much more to balance out the sweetness of the cashews; I tasted as a added a ½ teaspoon at a time)
- 1 cup (5 ounces) raw cashews (no need to soak first, though I prefer to)
- 1½ cups of water, and more if wanting to thin the sauce
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes (I prefer the dry, non-oil-packed ones), soaked in warm water to soften. Roughly chop if in large pieces.
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce - I like Valentina
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ⅔ cup salsa - make it spicy!
- Optional toppings: chopped green onions, cilantro, jalapeños, chopped red onion
Instructions
- Warm the oil (or broth) with medium heat, and add onion with a large pinch of salt. Cook to translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the grated potato, garlic, paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Mix this in and cook stirring, for 2 minutes or so.
- Add the cashews and water. Simmer this mixture, avoiding a rapid boil and stirring. Cook until the potatoes are completely tender and cooked, about 5-8 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
- Pour this mixture into a blender and keep the pot aside for later. Add nutritional yeast, sun-dried tomatoes, hot sauce, and vinegar. Blend until very smooth. Stop to scrape down the sides if needed, and add in a little more water if needing a thinner dip.
- Taste and add more salt.
- Pour this mixture back into the pot and add the salsa. Cook until the mixture is warmed through. Add toppings, if desired.
- Serve right away with chips or vegetables.
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days, gently reheating on stove or in microwave before eating.
