Description
This easy vegan queso is so creamy and delicious, you’ll be shocked that it’s dairy free! With just a handful of pantry staples, you can have queso on the table in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 medium russet potato (about 10oz), peeled and cubed
- ⅓ cup chopped carrots (about 2–3 medium carrots)
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 cup cooking water, reserved
- ⅓ cup cashews, soaked for 6 hours (See note for faster soaking)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 10oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilies (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the potato, carrots, and onion to a large pot.
- Cover with water and bring to a boil.
- Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are fork tender.
- Once the vegetables are soft, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the rest of the water from the pot of vegetables.
- In a blender or food processor, blend 1/2 cup of the cooking water (reserve the rest), cashews, salt, garlic, mustard, vinegar and oil.
- Add the vegetables and continue to blend. Since the veggies will be hot, be sure to let steam safely escape through the top of the blender.
- Blend until completely smooth. If it’s too thick, add a few tablespoons of the additional remaining cooking water, until you reach the desired consistency.
- Taste and add additional salt if needed.
- Pour into a serving dish and stir in the tomatoes and green chilies. Serve warm.
Notes
Ideally, you’ll soak your cashews overnight, or for at least 6 hours. But if you want to make queso in a flash, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat, add the cashews, and cover. Set aside for 15 minutes. Carefully drain the water and the cashews will be ready!
I like getting a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies but you can also use pico de gallo and a can of green chilis. Green chilies are usually sold in smaller 3-4oz cans. The green chilies are an essential part of the queso flavor so don’t leave them out!