Creamy Vegan Queso

The easiest, cheesiest vegan queso starts with cashews. You'll never believe it's dairy-free!

Course Appetizer, condiment, Dips, Jams, Sauces, Dips & Spreads, Snacks

Cuisine tex mex

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 182

1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large carrot chopped
1 small yellow onion halved and chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup raw cashews soaked in water overnight, then drained and rinsed OR just easily boiled for 5 minutes*
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry ground mustard
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 tablespoon tamari sauce liquid aminos, or capers
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños
1 small tomato chopped
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk or preferred nut milk

In a pan over medium heat, heat the oil add in the carrots, onions and the garlic, stirring to combine. Cover with lid and allow to steam/roast until carrots are tender,about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
In a large high speed blender add the carrot mixture,cashews, salt and pepper, ground mustard, lime juice, tamari, nutritional yeast, paprika, ground chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, chopped pickled jalapeños,tomato and almond milk.
Blend together in a high powered blender for about 2minutes on a strong speed, until sauce is completely smooth and incorporate. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Top with extra jalapeños as a garnish. Enjoy!

*You can easily boil your cashews with just enough water covering them for 5 minutes. Drain, let cool, and proceed! This way you can make the recipe the same day.
Add spices to taste. If you’re a serious heat-seeker, dial up the paprika and cayenne, or add in a splash of your favorite hot sauce until you feel the burn!
Make it nut-free. In case of allergies, you can swap the cashews for raw sunflower seeds and use any other type of unsweetened non-dairy milk.
Top it off! Add a dollop of salsa or pico de gallo right in the center for fresher flavor and texture.