Vegan Queso (Cashew Queso)
This vegan queso recipe is smokey, creamy, and tastes exactly like real queso. It's made from cashews, nutritional yeast, spices, secret roasted veggies, and hot sauce.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked in water overnight and rinsed*
- 1/2 large red pepper chopped
- 1 large carrot cut into coins
- 2 cloves garlic smashed and minced
- 2 tablespoons shallot chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1.5 cups water
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
Instructions
- First, place cashews* in a large bowl and completely submerge them with water. Soak cashews overnight or for 12 hours so that they soften. Once softened, drain the water and set aside
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Next, add the pepper, carrot, garlic, and shallot onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss
- Place baking sheet in the oven and bake at 425ºF for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent burning.
- Remove from oven and place veggies in a large food processor or Vitamix. Add the rest of the queso ingredients into the food processor (including the soaked cashews) and blend on high until smooth. Remember to scrape the sides of the food processor frequently as you blend to make sure all ingredients are combined. If the queso is lumpy and thick, add an additional teaspoon of water at a time until queso is smooth.
- Serve with chips, vegetables, or even over rice or noodles.
Notes
- Cashews: alternatively, you can flash boil the cashews by bringing a pot of water to a rolling boil, turning off heat, and add cashews to the water. Let soak for 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 | Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g