This vegan queso recipe is quick and easy. First you will need a high quality blender like a Vitamix or Ninja Pro to mash the cashews, some spices and nutritional yeast.
Spicy Cashew Vegan Queso
Equipment
- High powered blender, like a Vitamix or Ninja Pro
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1-2 chili peppers sliced; for spicy queso, do not remove ribs or seeds
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1-1/2 cups cashews raw
- 2 cups vegetable broth low sodium, or water; divided
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion and chili peppers and sauté until onion is translucent. Add garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute.
- Add cashews and 1 cup of vegetable broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Watch carefully that the liquid doesn't absorb completely and the mixture burn. Add more liquid if necessary.
- Let cool slightly before transferring cashew mixture to the blender. Add salt and nutritional yeast, and an additional 1/2 cup of broth. Blend until smooth, adding more broth if necessary.
- Serve however you desire! We love a dollop of cashew queso on our tacos or burrito bowls! Store in an air tight container in the fridge, up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutritional yeast is best described in Healthline as:
“Nutritional yeast is a highly nutritious vegan food product with various potential health benefits. It can be used to add extra protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to meals. Studies suggest that nutritional yeast may help protect against oxidative damage, lower cholesterol and boost immunity.”
This recipe pairs well with tacos, burritos and burrito bowls. Using more plant based foods is a great way to ease into more vegetarian and vegan recipes. Here are some of our favorite vegetarian recipes:
- Peanut butter chickpea dip is a high protein vegetarian dip
- Homemade black bean burgers are a delicious alternative to traditional hamburgers
- Tofu scramble is a great alternative to scrambled eggs
Let us know what you think of this vegan queso recipe in the comments below.
Please note:
Nutrition info is approximate and may contain errors.
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An award winning recipe developer, Dietitian Kaitlin’s mission is to empower others to reach their health goals by encouraging them to get back into the kitchen. Co-author of Nourished: 10 Ingredients to Happy, Healthy Eating and Cooking with Diabetes.