Creamy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

So I just served this to a room full of male athletes and its gone now. Every last scoop.

Done. Perished. Did not survive the winter.

In fact, there's a crusty ring of evidence suggesting some poor soul tried to scrape the sides of the cast-iron in a desperate scavenge for more. You know the look.

But just between you and me, I'm not even sure half these dudes knew what they were shoveling into their pie-holes. That's right, this liquid gold is far from your average queso.

Made with just vegetables, cashews and spices - you're looking at a hot n' spicy pot of dairy-free deliciousness. No bloating, GI disturbances, inflammatory hormones, pesticides or antibiotics.

Strictly the good stuff. And now that it's officially omnivore approved, I'd say this honey-pot is ripe for any occasion.

Indulge responsibly, ladies & germs.

Prep time: 60 miN

Cook time: 25 min

Total time: 1 hr 25 min

Makes About 4 Cups

Ingredients:

2 cups raw cashews, soaked
2 Tbsp avocado oil
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
1 white onion, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
8 oz. fire-roasted green chilis
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 cup vegetable broth
2/3 cup nutritional yeast
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
Jalapeno pepper slices, to taste ( I used the Trader Joes' Hot & Sweet jarred ones!)

Optional: fresh cilantro & chili peppers for garnish + tortilla chips for dipping

Directions:

Add the raw cashews to a bowl and cover with hot water. Leave to soak for 1 hour.

Add the avocado oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the minced garlic and chopped onion and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add the carrots and green chilis and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Add the cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika, and stir to coat the vegetables. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

Toss the vegetable saute into a high-speed blender, and add in the drained cashews, nutritional yeast, salt/pepper, non-dairy milk and jalapeno slices (I did about 10-12 Hot & Sweet slices). Blend until smooth and creamy.

Taste the cheese sauce and add more salt or jalapeno slices as desired. Pour mixture into a shallow serving dish, garnish with more pepper slices + cilantro and serve warm with tortilla chips for scooping. ENJOY!

For more disease-fighting & drool-worthy

meal ideas, check out my other plant-powered recipes here:

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