The Best Salsa Con Queso (that happens to be Vegan)
A thick, creamy salsa con queso made with real-food ingredients like raw cashews, nutritional yeast, jalapeno, and garlic. Despite not having any actual cheese involved, this is the best salsa con queso, ever!
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews soaked in cold water overnight*
- 1 jalapeno seeds removed for less heat
- 1/2 a small red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast**
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric this helps make the queso yellow
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup salsa to swirl in at the end
Instructions
- 1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Roughly chop the jalapeno and onion, and add them to the skillet with the olive oil. Cook for 6-8 minutes, or until starting to soften and turn golden brown. Roughly chop the 2 cloves of garlic, and add them into the pan; cook 1 more minute before turning off the heat.
- 2. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews, and add them to the bowl of a food processor or high-powered blender. Add all remaining ingredients (except salsa!), including the sauteed jalapeno mixture, and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- 3. Scrape the queso mixture into a bowl, top with salsa, and gently swirl it in with a spoon. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Gently reheat in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of water when ready to serve again.
Notes
*Soaking the cashews overnight helps them soften up, and makes this dip extra smooth and creamy. If you don't have time for this step, you could soak them in boiling water for 30-60 minutes instead.
**Nutritional yeast is sold in both powder or flakes, and either one works fine here. I buy nutritional yeast in the bulk bins at Whole Foods, in the 'natural foods' section at most major grocery stores, and recently have seen it on the shelves at Trader Joe's. Which is to say, you should be able to find it anywhere!
**Nutritional yeast is sold in both powder or flakes, and either one works fine here. I buy nutritional yeast in the bulk bins at Whole Foods, in the 'natural foods' section at most major grocery stores, and recently have seen it on the shelves at Trader Joe's. Which is to say, you should be able to find it anywhere!