I moved around a lot (including 3 different high schools my freshman year).
Texas was a state we never moved to. And yet, I feel like we should have.
How else can I explain my obsession for football, my love for queso, and that ‘y’all’ is inexplicably is a part of my vocabulary?
I remember tasting queso for the first time when I was a senior in high school, visiting Dallas for a Model Congress competition. Our team was out to dinner, and queso immediately caught my eye.
It’s been a favorite ever since.
I’ve had it all – good queso, bad queso, white queso, and depressingly bad queso.
I love this dish too much to limit it, so I had been tinkering with a vegan version for some time.
And thanks to Purple Carrot, I’ve nailed it.
Cashew butter was the missing ingredient, and one that was helpfully included in my Taco Salad kit. The queso from that recipe was good – even for a vegan version – but needed some tweaks.
Here you go. This vegan queso is spicy, creamy, and tastes as good as the real Velveeta-Rotel deal.
It’s also significantly healthier for you, which means you can enjoy it more often.
Like, tonight?
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cashew butter
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (I prefer Cholula)
- 1/3 cup salsa
Directions
- Add the cashew butter, water, nutritional yeast, coconut oil, and spices in a small pot.
- Bring sauce to a simmer, and whisk continuously until sauce thickens (about 2-3 minutes).
- Remove from heat and add hot sauce and salsa. Stir to combine.
- Garnish with raw onion, jalapeno, or vegan chorizo and serve with tortilla chips.
Enjoy it with a beer and Sunday football! I will be.
Hosting friends soon? A cheese board and this crostini are two easy favorites of mine. I share a new recipe every Monday. You can find all of them here.
