Vegan Mexican Cheese Sauce isn’t something you often see in the UK, but Queso is most definitely a staple in the brunch spots of America, and rightly so.
Having tasted a few different incarnations on our most recent visit to the land of all that is vegan and great, I decided this was a recipe I wanted to create my own version of, so I got to work trialling different flavours.
If you read last week’s recipe for Carrot Cake Macaroons, you’ll know I’m a persistent recipe developer and won’t throw in the towel until I have something I’m really happy with. Sometimes, I have an idea, make it, and it turns out exactly as I wanted it to on the first attempt. Other times, there is disaster; and then there are the more enjoyable series of trials that experience a few tweaks each time until I’ve found exactly what I’m looking for.
And this cheese sauce is the result of a lot of tasty weekend brunch experiments!
Try it, I think you’ll agree it was worthwhile. As well as being really easy to make, it’s:
- deliciously punchy and tangy, but not overpowering;
- fragrant with cumin, chilli, oregano and lemon;
- creamy and silky smooth;
- made from a few simple, whole food ingredients;
- ready in no time; and
- super versatile.
If you’re not (yet) a convert to the idea of cheese sauce, here are a few great ways to can enjoy it:
- as a tasty addition to a cooked breakfast, like this Potato & Tofu Hash;
- as a dip;
- baked with cauliflower;
- stirred into soup (so good!);
- on nachos (of course); and
- on baked potatoes – but more of that in my next recipe.
And if you’re looking for a simple way to begin the journey into creating your own vegan cheese recipes (not forgetting this tasty Lemon Almond Parmesan), this is a great place to start.
Once you taste it, you’ll be drizzling this sauce over everything. And then spreading it on crackers, because once stored in the fridge, it firms up into a lovely rich consistency; so really, you have two recipes in one!
- 100g cashews
- 90ml boiling water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 cherry tomatoes or 1 regular tomato
- ¼ clove of garlic
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp onion flakes or ¼ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- Soak the cashews in the boiling water. If you have a high-powered blender, you can skip this step. Otherwise, soak for between 1-24 hours (the longer they soak, the easier it will be on your blender).
- Put the cashews, water and the rest of the ingredients into the jug of the food processor and blitz until completely smooth. You might need to scrape down the edges a couple of times.
- The sauce should be silky smooth, so add more water if you want - the end consistency is up to you.
- Store in a sterilised jar in the fridge.
Katie says
25/02/2016 at 10:00 pmIt sounds so simple! I’ve never tried a vegan cheese sauce, but it keeps popping up everywhere so I feel I definitely need to have a go sometime in the next few months… Thanks for the recipe!
Laura, The Whole Ingredient says
25/02/2016 at 10:08 pmThanks Katie! You’re right – it’s definitely becoming more popular (and too right – what’s not to love?) I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it! 🙂
Kathryn Grace says
28/02/2016 at 4:59 amAh! Having just made vegan “Parmesan cheese” for the first time last week, I’m primed to try another cheese substitute. This looks delicious! It’s going on my list of recipes to try as soon as possible. Thank you!
Laura, The Whole Ingredient says
28/02/2016 at 10:06 amWonderful! I’m so excited to hear what you think of this one – and thank you for the continued interest! 🙂