Have your nachos been missing queso sauce since you’ve gone vegan? Well, I’ve got good news! My recipe for vegan queso sauce is so good you’re not going to believe it’s vegan!
Do you know what’s in the chile con queso dips that you often find in Tex-Mex restaurants? Sometimes it’s mainly processed and pasteurized cheese that’s been melted down. Yep, it’s that cheese that doesn’t even resemble cheese, it looks more like a piece of plastic.
Not only is my recipe free from cheese, or any kind of animal derived product, it’s also made from whole food ingredients that are much healthier for you while still tasting amazing!
So if there’s no cheese in the recipe, how do we recreate that cheesy flavor that makes queso dip so darn appealing?
Enter nutritional yeast and lemon juice. These two ingredients are key to getting that sharp tangy flavor that mimics the taste of cheddar quite convincingly.
If you’re looking for some extra tang, you could always add a little dollop of white miso to the blender too!
This recipe uses cashews as its base, so it’s important to make sure you soak them in advance in order to get a smooth result after blending. Nobody wants a grainy, lumpy queso dip!
This dip comes together really quickly and is perfect served on its on with tortilla chips or veggies, or feel free to use it any other Tex-Mex inspired dish you’re planning!
Want more sauce/dip recipes? Check these out!
Stir-Fry Sauce for Vegetables
Cashew Cream Sauce
Easy 5 Ingredient Tomato Basil Sauce
Vegan Red Pepper Cream Sauce
Remember if you make this Vegan Queso Sauce, please come back and leave me a comment to let me know what you thought of it – and importantly, how you served it!
You can also tag us on Instagram using @one_bite_vegan. I really love seeing what you create!
Vegan Queso Sauce
Ingredients
In blender
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked and drained
- ½ to ⅓ cup water
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice
In saucepan
- ½ cup salsa optional
Instructions
- If not using a high-speed blender, soak the cashews for a couple of hours or overnight. Drain and place in the blender.
- Add rest of ingredients except the salsa and blend on high for a few minutes or until creamy and smooth without any graininess.
- Transfer to a saucepan, add the salsa, and bring to a simmer. Use as an ingredient or serve as a sauce.
