An earlier blog about the vegan restaurant, Spiral,(http://twogirlsonedish.com/?p=371) had me raving about this cashew cheese dip. Since I visited, I have been experimenting with the recipe to replicate this. You guessed it….I got it, right here.
This cheese dip has been called “the best cheese dip ever” by my cheese-loving friends and family. The ones that ate it thinking it was real cheese dip had no clue it actually wasn’t cheese at all. (Of course I told them, eventually.) It has been a new favorite snack for me, not only because it is friggin’ delicious, but also because it is super healthy. It has no carbs, no dairy, no gluten…it is pretty much made with cashews, veggies, stock, and some seasoning. It still blows my mind. Anyway, here’s the recipe if you want to rock your world:
Video Recipe:
Recipe:
Ingredients:
-2 cups cashews (raw or roasted)
-2 cups vegetable broth (I prefer chicken broth if no one I am feeding
cares to keep it vegan)
-1 tablespoon miso paste (if you cannot find this, substituting
hummus will do)
-1 tablespoon corn starch
-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-1 red bell pepper
-1/2 small yellow onion
-1/4 jalapeño (or more if you like it spicy)
-4 garlic cloves
-2 teaspoons ground cumin
-1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (or more if you like it spicy)
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-salt to taste
Directions:
1. Soak cashews in water for at two hours. Overnight is fine.
2. In a blender, add drained cashews, broth, miso paste, and corn
starch. Blend until very smooth, with little graininess. This may
take anywhere from 3-10 minutes, depending on your blender.
3. Heat e.v.o.o on medium heat. Add coarsely chopped bell pepper,
onion, and jalapeño. Cook until slightly charred and soft.
4. Add coarsely chopped garlic and cook another 3 minutes.
5. When cashew mixture is smoothe, add cooked vegetables to
blender. Also, add all of the seasoning, minus the salt. Blend
until smooth.
6. In a sauce pan, on medium-low heat, heat blended “cheese” dip,
stirring constantly, until thickened. (about 15 minutes)
7. Taste for salt, add what is necessary. Enjoy!
Hints:
1. To make this taste even more like real cheese, also add nutritional
yeast in the 2nd step.
2. If dip is too spicy, add a tablespoon of masa meal. This dulls the
heat without ruining the flavor.
If you try this recipe, please comment below to let us know what you think!
Vegan Cashew Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 2 cups cashews (raw or roasted)
- 2 cups vegetable broth I prefer chicken broth if no one I am feeding cares to keep it vegan
- 1 tbsp miso paste
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 small yellow onion
- 1/4 jalapeño
- 4 garlic cloves or 4 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground red pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Soak cashews in water for at two hours. Overnight is fine.
- In a blender, add drained cashews, broth, miso paste, and cornstarch. Blend until very smooth, with little graininess. This maytake anywhere from 3-10 minutes, depending on your blender.
- Heat e.v.o.o on medium heat. Add coarsely chopped bell pepper,onion, and jalapeño. Cook until slightly charred and soft.
- Add coarsely chopped garlic and cook another 3 minutes.
- When cashew mixture is smoothe, add cooked vegetables toblender. Also, add all of the seasoning, minus the salt. Blenduntil smooth.
- n a sauce pan, on medium-low heat, heat blended "cheese" dip,stirring constantly, until thickened. (about 15 minutes)
- Taste for salt, add what is necessary. Enjoy!
Notes
1. To make this taste even more like real cheese, also add nutritional
yeast in the 2nd step.
2. If dip is too spicy, add a tablespoon of masa meal. This dulls the
heat without ruining the flavor.