Dairy-Free Queso

May 5, 2020

Servings: 10

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 10 min

Total: 20 min

Difficulty: Easy

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By: Jenny Kling, RD

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp onion
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp hot sauce

Directions

• Step 1 Add cashews and 1 1/4 cups of water to a small saucepan.
• Step 2 Boil cashews for 5 minutes until they become soft
• Step 3 Let sit and cool for another 5 minutes
• Step 4 Transfer cashews and water to a food processor
• Step 5 add 1/4 to 1/2 cups of water and nutritional yeast.
• Step 6 Blend on high until well combined.
• Step 7 Transfer back to the small saucepan and cook on low to medium heat.
• Step 8 Stir in spices, salt, and hot sauce.
• Step 9 Cook until it starts to thicken and slightly bubble. Serve immediately with your favorite chips!

Dairy-Free Queso

Mexican food is probably my all-time fave.  I think I could eat some form of it every day for the rest of my life and not get sick of it. Seriously.  Life is too short to eat food that doesn’t taste that good – only to make you feel crummy after.  I created this recipe because a lot of my clients (myself included) are sensitive to some form of dairy – but still want to eat their favorite foods.  This recipe can be easily tailored as well; different spices can be added/taken off this recipe if needed to make it fit your food sensitivity and taste needs.

Health Benefits of Cashews

Cashews are packed with essential nutrients like magnesium and poly/monounsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial for your body in many ways. They are also a good source of antioxidants and contain a fair amount of plant-based protein.

Easy to use in any recipe

Raw cashews are a staple in my pantry for this main reason.  Whether it’s using them as the main ingredient for dairy substitutes in mashed potatoes or cheese sauce –  or roasting them in the oven to add on top of salads and stir-fry, cashews are a natural dose of pizazz to your meals.  Simple boil for a few minutes or let them soak overnight, and you have a very versatile  ingredient with endless possibilities.

Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional yeast is not “alive” like other yeast products used to make beer and bread.  The yeast cells are killed during the processing, and it adds a cheesy and savory flavor to your favorite recipes and foods.  It is from the species of yeast known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is a good source of minerals like zinc and selenium – plus many of your B vitamins.   Besides using it to make cheese sauces and queso, I love adding it to my eggs and potato dishes as well.

Find my favorite here.

Comment below- and let me know what you think!