5-Minute Vegan Cashew Queso Recipe
This 5-Minute Vegan Cashew Queso is a quick, creamy, and flavorful dairy-free cheese sauce made from raw cashews and a blend of spices. Perfect for topping nachos, tacos, or serving with chips, this versatile sauce combines rich nutritional yeast, smoky cumin, and spicy harissa or chili powder for an irresistible vegan queso that can be prepared in just minutes using a blender.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes (blending time)
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Sauces & Dips
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Vegan, Mexican-inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Cashew Queso Sauce
- 3/4 - 1 cup hot water
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1 Tbsp harissa (or substitute with hot salsa, hot sauce, Ro-Tel, or 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce; plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- Blend Ingredients: Add all ingredients to a blender, starting with the lesser amount of hot water (3/4 cup). Blend until the mixture is creamy and smooth, adding more hot water as needed to achieve a pourable queso consistency. Use a small or high-speed blender for best results. If the queso gets too thin, thicken it by blending in additional raw cashews.
- Adjust Flavor: Taste the queso and adjust the seasoning as desired. Add more nutritional yeast for a cheesier flavor, extra salt to enhance taste, additional cumin for smokiness, more chili powder or harissa to increase heat, or extra garlic for a zing. The queso should have a bold, flavorful profile.
- Serve: Serve the vegan queso warm or at room temperature with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos, nachos, burritos, and more. Optionally, garnish with additional harissa, fresh salsa, or hot sauce for extra flair and heat.
- Store Leftovers: Store any leftover queso in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month. To thaw frozen queso, transfer to the refrigerator 24-48 hours before reheating. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a splash of water to thin out the sauce if it thickens during reheating.
Notes
- Use hot water to help blend the cashews smoothly and warm the queso slightly.
- Adjust water quantity depending on preferred queso thickness.
- Nutritional yeast is key for the cheesy flavor; do not omit if you want the best taste.
- Harissa adds a smoky, spicy heat, but you can substitute with other hot sauces or chipotle for different flavors.
- Store in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Find it online: https://simpleplatter.com/5-minute-vegan-cashew-queso-recipe/