Dairy Free Cheese Dip
Ingredients
Blend together:
1 cup raw cashews soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes and drained
1 cup almond milk or other unflavored unsweetened plant milk, plus ½ cup, optional
¼ cup sun-dried tomato packed in oil is best, dry is OK too
2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast or more to taste
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice (from ½ lemon or lime)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Whisk in a saucepan
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon cornstarch or use tapioca starch if you prefer not to use corn
Garnish
A few slices of green jalapeño to garnish or use pickled jalapeños
Cooking Instructions
Soak cashews in boiling hot water for at least 5 minutes, or until the water cools down. Rinse the cashews under cold water.
Place the soaked cashews, 1 cup of the almond milk, nutritional yeast, lemon or lime juice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and sun-dried tomatoes into a food processor (or blender), and process until smooth.
In a small saucepan, whisk together the olive oil and the cornstarch. Add the blended cashew mixture, turn on the heat, and cook over medium-low heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning and to combine with the cornstarch mixture. The mixture will thicken and turn into a soft cashew cheese. If it gets too thick, add a little bit of almond milk at a time, stirring until combined. You can also adjust the taste by stirring in more salt or lemon juice, to taste. Serve warm, or allow to cool down for a cold cheese dip.
Notes
Serve this dip with: corn chips, crackers, pita chips, fresh chopped veggies, such as cucumber, celery, bell pepper
I prefer this as a thicker dip, with a hummus-like texture, so I typically don’t add an extra ½ cup milk. However, if you prefer more of a liquid “melted” nacho cheese texture, go ahead and stir in extra milk until you get your desired texture.