This Chipotle Cashew Queso is an Easy, Cheesy Vegan Dream
Cashew queso. A thing so ubiquitous in the vegan-sphere that it’s practically a rite of passage as a vegan home-cook. Heck, even as a modern consumer! Maybe you had a mind-blowing plate of nachos at your favorite vegan restaurant that got you hooked... Or a spicy “cheese” dip at a potluck (that your coworker never texted you the recipe for, ugh)... Or you’ve just liked so many pictures of dreamy cashew cheese on Instagram that it feels more like a legend than something to attempt in your kitchen.
Truth is, though? Making bomb cashew queso sauce at home is easy. No more “I wonder how they do it...” This is how you do it! Treat this recipe like an intro: Tweak it, make adjustments to your taste, and figure out what you like. Once you know how easy it is, you honestly might wanna stock up on cashews to support your new queso habit.
We’ve been making cashew queso sauces for years, improvising and tweaking ratios and flavors depending on the final use or what we have in the pantry, never really writing anything down. Developing a recipe then came as a challenge... How does one set out to make something that can be measured and duplicated based on taste and feel? We did our best, and we’re pretty dang happy with the result. (It’s even good cold if you can believe it.)
We mostly use cashew queso to make nachos — Especially in the warmest months, when our little AC-free Seattle apartment is unbearably hot, because the only kitchen appliance required is our Vitamix! (Okay, and microwave or stove if we’re heating beans.) We’ve been planning from the get-go to share a queso recipe with you. We’d hoped it would be during the summer, along with tips for keeping your home cool and your plate full when you’re burnin’ up...
But here we are, smack-dab in the middle of spring. Flowers are blooming and fragrant, it’s dipping below 40°F some nights, and our apartment is cool enough to cook with abandon — Which is good news because we’re stuck in here for a while during a pandemic... So why publish a queso recipe that we’ve been planning to share as a hot-summer-tip? Because we think that finding easy comforts and luxuries in our days is a great way to combat the stress and turmoil we’re all experiencing right now. And what’s more comforting and luxurious than smoky, savory, golden queso?
This Chipotle Cashew Queso is so easy and quick. Like really quick. Like, from “Hey, do you want a snack?” to warm cheesy queso dip in just a few minutes! It might seem like a lot of spices or ingredients, but trust us, they all lean on each other and build and balance flavors to achieve cheesy magic. Don’t sweat it if you have to omit or substitute an ingredient — Use whatever vinegar you’ve got, any miso on hand, double garlic powder if you don’t have onion powder, etc. We’ve written some detailed tips below to help you make the best of your pantry situation and even included two versions of the actual recipe for different types of blenders.
What are you waiting for? Cheesy comfort awaits. Grab that blender. Put on some good-vibe sunny-day tunes. (We recommend the compilation Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump — A wonderful and diverse compilation of Nigerian popular music from the 70s that is full of sunshine and positive vibes).
Tips & Info
This recipe can be served so many ways and while we have our favorites, we encourage you to get creative and use it however you want. For classic queso dip pour into a bowl, garnish with onions or scallions or cilantro, and dip some chips! Want to make a slightly heartier appetizer with this recipe? Cook up some of your favorite crumbled vegan chorizo. Mix in about half, then spoon the rest over the top of the bowl and serve with chips or small flour tortillas! For easy nachos drizzle over chips and top with beans, salsa, cilantro, onions, or whatever else you want. Just chips, queso, and pickled jalapeños make for a classic plate of nachos. Refrigerate it for later and spoon into enchiladas or reheat gently on the stove… It’s even dippable cold.
Cashews are the best nut for this type of recipe — The fat, protein, and sugar balance in raw cashews is ideally suited for creating a dairy substitute. They blend well, take on other flavors readily, and provide structure to the sauce. Unfortunately, they have a pretty high human cost — It’s an industry rife with labor abuses. We try to only purchase fairly-traded cashews when stocking our pantry. If you’re in a position to, we encourage being picky about where your cashews come from!
If you don’t have cashews on hand or can’t eat them, experiment with another raw nut or seed! In general, you want to shoot for neutral flavor and high fat content. If we were looking to substitute those out we’d start with almonds, pepitas, or sunflower seeds… Heck, even walnuts might work. Definitely add another tablespoon of oil. Follow the technique of this recipe and experiment to adapt it to your needs — No guarantees, just some ideas!
Miso is a major staple in our house. It’s a long-lasting, versatile vegan tool for deepening and enhancing flavors in dishes and cuisines of all types. It’s like an umami cheat code. We keep classic red soy miso in our fridge at all times — If you’ve got a different type, use that instead! No miso? Use tomato paste instead and double the salt. No tomato paste either? Use a dash of soy sauce instead. Or omit it. Don’t let a teaspoon of miso stand between you and your beautiful queso future.
Chipotles in adobo are smoked and dried jalapeños canned in a sweet-tangy-vinegary sauce of tomato, garlic, and other spices. Opening a can of chipotles in adobo for a single pepper can feel a little silly — Just pop the rest in an airtight container in the fridge and they’ll last a long while. Take the excuse to make some chipotle mayo, some marinated tofu, some spicy BBQ sauce… Trust us, you’ll figure out some ways to use ‘em. No chipotles? Use ½ a fresh jalapeño, a spoonful of pickled jalapeños, or 2 teaspoons of chili powder and an additional teaspoon of paprika instead.
Need more help adapting or adjusting a recipe of ours to suit your needs or your pantry staples? Drop us a line via our contact page or email us at hello@powerplantpnw.com — We’re here for you!
Easy Chipotle Cashew Queso
Power Plant | David Griffin-Luna | April 11th, 2020
Time: 5-8 minutes | Makes: 2 cups of queso
Equipment:
Ingredients:
Instructions:
High-Powered Blender:
1) Combine all ingredients in blender pitcher, beginning with liquids.2) Using your blender’s manual settings, start blending on the lowest setting, gradually increasing the speed until it is at the highest setting. Blend on high until the pitcher is warm and steam begins to escape the lid (a few minutes). If your queso starts getting too thick, add more water 1tbsp at-a-time.
3) Serve as desired!
Regular Blender:
1) Soak cashews in water at room temp for at least 2 hours (or in the fridge overnight).2) Drain and rinse soaked cashews. Combine all ingredients in blender pitcher, beginning with liquids.
3) Pulse blender a few times, then start blending at the lowest setting. Gradually increase the speed until at the highest setting. Blend until smooth, stopping blending and scraping down the sides as necessary.
4) Once your Queso is smooth and creamy, either store it for later or move onto the next step to heat it for serving.
5) Transfer queso to a small saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring often to prevent scorching (no one likes a lumpy cheese sauce).
6) Once thickened slightly and warmed to your preference, it’s ready to serve!