Recipe: Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce
This is my favorite spread for making veggie nori rolls, but I also love it as dip for raw vgetables, a sandwich spread, or even a salad dressing, thinned with a little water. I would never say that this really tastes like cheese, but it does make a fine plate of nachos spooned over tortilla chips topped with warmed black beans and scallions.
I learned this recipe about a year ago from my sister Jill, and she learned it from raw foodist friends of hers. Before that, it had been decade at least since I bought nutritional yeast, which gives this sauce its nutty, cheese-like flavor. The vitamin-packed powder is hippie food and a vegan staple, but it happens to taste amazing too. I love it sprinkled on popcorn and even apple slices, though this recipe is the best use of the stuff I’ve ever found.
Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce
Makes3 cups
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 2
large red bell peppers, roughly chopped
- 2 cups
raw cashews
- 1 cup
nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons
apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove
garlic, optional
- 1 teaspoon
salt
- 1/2 teaspoon
red chile flakes (or less, depending on your spice tolerance)
Instructions
Soak the cashews overnight in cold water to soften, unless you have a high power blender such as a Vitamix.
Combine all the ingredients in a blender, making sure the red peppers are on the bottom. Blend until a smooth sauce forms, adding a bit of water if the blender is having trouble blending.
Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use. The cheese sauce will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.