Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce
Did someone say Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce?!
You had me at the word cheese! One of the things I miss most since my dairy-free, gluten-free life began is cheese. I’m a cheesehead at heart, so it’s not hard to believe.
One thing I’ve learned on this journey is that tacos, nachos, and pasta are far less enjoyable without the dreamy, velvety cheese sauce. First of all, is a nacho even a nacho without some cheddary-goodness?!
However, rather than falling off the deep end into a dreamy river of sharp cheddar cheese, I improvised. I could resist the temptation of cheese no more. Instead, I whipped out my pots and pans, a few fresh, whole ingredients, and plenty of herbs and spices.
To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what I was doing. All I knew was I needed cheese, and I needed it now. I was really grasping at straws.
After all, the only structure I had in mind for my recipe was:
- Cheesin’ was a must
- I had a mountain of sage growing in the garden
- I needed to add an orange veggie for the color and nutrition
I’m not sure how it happened. But it happened. BAM –> Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce!
The sky is the limit with this one. Serve up your own Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce as is or modify the recipe as needed. Want nacho cheese? Toss in some chiles and cumin. Looking for a cheese spread? Decrease the amount of milk for a thicker spread. Like I said, the sky is the limit.
Then, all you need is functional blender and you’re in business. In addition, if you have the pleasure of owning a Vitamix (aka the blender of all blenders), you can even skip soaking the cashews. That’ll save you an easy two hours of passive time!
Are you as excited to melt into this creamy, savory cheese sauce as I was?! What are you waiting for, there’s nachos to be made and broccoli to be dressed! I know your belly is dying for some Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce! Be sure to let me see how you made this recipe your own by tagging a photo of how you used your tasty cheese sauce, with #stephanieleenutrition on Instagram. I’d love to see what you all whip up. Happy eating, xo!
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Passive Time | 2 hours |
| Servings |
batch
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- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
- 1 cups roasted, diced carrots (I cut them into 1 inch pieces)
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage (1 tsp dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon pink Himylayan salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2-3 cups cashew milk or milk of choice
Ingredients
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- Place cashews in a small bowl and fill with water. Allow cashews to soak for 2-3 hours.
- When cashews are almost done soaking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss diced carrots with 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Place a fry pan over medium heat. Add in onions, garlic, and remaining olive oil. Saute for 2-4 minutes or until tender and fragrant.
- Drain the cashews and pat dry. Place cashews, carrots, onion, garlic and seasoning into the blender. Pour in half the milk and blend on high. Slowly add in more milk until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve warm over pasta, tortilla chips, or steamed vegetables.
