Makes 2 cups
Time: 45 minutes
If ooey, gooey, cheeziness is your idea of comfort, I’ve got just what the doctor ordered. Yes, the doctor ordered nachos. Don’t ask me! It’s some kind of experimental alternative medicine or something.
Whether you take your queso with a lot of crunch over nachos, or prefer it in a doughy burrito, this recipe will satisfy all of your needs for creamy, melty, oozy, spicy, tangy, cheezy bliss. The cashew base makes it rich and smooth, and cooking it with a little starch brings the texture even closer to melted cheese, especially as it sets. Miso adds a lot of umami depth and satisfying saltiness. And of course there’s the usual queso suspects: onion, pepper, garlic and jalapeno. Some cumin, ancho powder and lemon seal the deal.
But the magic doesn’t end there! Not to get all infomercial on you, but this queso can also double as a grilled cheese filling. Let it cool completely, then spread over bread and toast each side in a pan with a little olive oil. Two comfort foods for the price of one. And one last thing ladies and gentlemen, it’s is completely gluten-free. Order now.
Recipe notes:
~If you prefer a chunky queso, double the vegetable ingredients (except for the garlic) and set half aside before the pureeing step.
~This reheats really well! Gently reheat in a small pot, drizzling in a little water and whisking often until it returns to its original creamy state.
~The nutritional yeast is totally optional, I love it both with and without. It adds a little extra cheezy kick, but if you aren’t a fan or don’t have any on hand, the queso will not suffer for it.
~White miso is my favorite, but since it’s such a small quantity, any miso will do here.
1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours or overnight
2 cups veg broth
2 tablespoons white miso (see recipe note)
2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced (keeps seeds if you want more heat)
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ancho pepper (or any mild ground red chili)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Drain the cashews. In a blender or food processor, puree them with vegetable broth, miso and cornstarch until very smooth. This could take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes depending on your device. Rub between your fingers to test; slight graininess is okay, but try to get it as smooth as possible.
In the meantime, preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat. Saute onion, red pepper, and jalapeno in oil with a pinch of salt until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute about a minute more.
Transfer vegetables to the blender where the cashew mixture is. Add cumin, ancho, nutritional yeast and salt. Blend again until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender with a spatula to make sure you get everything.
Transfer mixture back to the pot. Whisking often, turn heat up to medium until the queso comes to a slow rolling boil. Lower heat so that it doesn’t burn and cook for about 20 minutes. Whisk often and check to see that it’s thickening, if it’s not, then turn the heat up a bit. It should become nicely thickened but velvetty and pourable.
Stir in the lemon juice at the end. If the queso seems too thick, drizzle in a little water and whisk to desired consistency. Taste for salt, spices and lemon juice and adjust as you like.
Serve hot!
DAMN so good. Making this ASAP.
Is there any specific kind of miso you recommend using for this recipe?
Good question! I updated the recipe with my answer. White is my fave, but any miso will do. It’s a small enough quantity that it won’t make too much of a difference salt-wise.
A great alternative to my Mother’s traditional hamburger queso dip for New Year’s Eve – I think I will try this with some veggie crumbles infused with “not beef” broth (to completely mimic her recipe) and bring my own version this year. This would also be a win for my brother who is lactose intolerant but can’t lay off the queso. 🙂 Thanks Isa for always inspiring…
I wanna put this on potatoes. this looks amazing.
That is an excellent idea! It’s great with scrambled tofu and homefries.
Whoa, I need this! It looks amazing! Is there anything that cashews can’t do?
Isa – could there be a replacement for the miso, as my hubby is allergic to all Japanese-fermented products?
I think I might have to splurge and buy all the spices Ive been putting off buying as well as miso. This sounds great.
I am making this tomorrow!!! I used to have a slight addiction to that nasty junk foody jarred queso dip–but this has to be better because it’s vegan and doesn’t have sodium benzoate. THANK YOU! 🙂
You read my mind, Isa! I made a cheater version of this yesterday by subbing salsa for the sautéed onion and veggies. I have a dinky food processor so I couldn’t get it remotely not-grainy, so it’s more like a ricotta spread with queso flavors. But! I’m excited to see the cornstarch addition. I’m going to go home and add some dissolved cornstarch and whizz it up in my trusty blender to see if I can get a queso consistency. This looks so delicious.
Wow. And now I have a huge craving for nachos. This looks divine! Great addition to a lazy Sunday football party!
This queso changed my life! And that is not a paid statement. Soooo delicious and easy!
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!
Subbed kuzu for cornstarch and threw in a few extra jalapenos, on top of roasted potatoes with a side of grilled tempeh. Heavenly! Thanks Isa!
Mmm this sounds so freaking yummy!
Oh my god I need to buy a new blender right now so I can make this.
As soon as I saw this I had to try it, so it was part of dinner last night. This is awesome. It is the type of food to give to non-vegan friends which PROVES there is life after cheese. Thank you for sharing!
I love you!! Even after many years of being vegan, I still occasionally break down and eat cheese. Things like this make cheese withdrawal so much easier!:D
Okay, this is just too good. I made this again using your recipe (although, okay, I used salsa instead of the sautéed veggies out of sheer laziness) and I cannot even describe how good this is. So creamy!
For those who made the sauce, did any of you use the optional Nutritional Yeast??? I’m debating on whether or not to use it…
I used it, I always like a little nutritional yeast in my cheesy stuff.
I love Wayfare* I can’t believe it’s not cheese, oatmeal cheese spread, heated on nachos. But, this recipe looks excellent and when I don’t have Wayfare and have raw cashews- will make it. I too, like to also add nutritional yeast to the home made cheese.
My life is now complete.
Ate this over black bean and kale tacos last night–divine. Also, my omni coworkers loved it!
For the cashews – does it matter if they’re raw/roasted or salted/unsalted?
They don’t have to be raw, but they shouldn’t be roasted. If the pack says “raw” though, that is fine! And they shouldn’t be salted.
Yet another amazing-looking recipe, and now on the list to try! I am struggling with my desire for cheese since deciding to focus on making more vegan choices, so I welcome anything that satiates the cheese urges.
Just made this…..super yummy! Thank you for the great recipe!
So delicious! Thanks, Isa!
DELISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you!!! veganism has never been better.
I just made this and it is soooo good. I have been missing cheese since becoming vegan5 months ago! this is just what I was craving. Thank you so much for your creative recipes.
Omg this stuff is awesome! Quesadillas, yo! And I’m going to use the rest for something good tonight. Maybe cheesy potatoes? Yummmmm!
I just made this and it is awesome! I left the seeds in the jalapeño, and used cayenne pepper powder instead of a “mild” chile powder. I love things spicy, and this queso definitely has a delicious spice to it. I used the optional nutritional yeast, and I think my miso was red miso. I am really looking forward to eating this queso tomorrow with some refried beans and tortilla chips. It’s going to be pure yum!
Just made this tonight and I will warn all of you, it’s addictive!!! I have quite a bit leftover (makes a lot for just 2 people) so I am really looking forward to trying it again reheated 🙂
This is awesome! Made nachos for Monday Night Football. My team lost 🙁 but everyone won with the food! Great reheated too, and even enjoyed it cold, believe it or not! Thanks for another great recipe.
Silly question. The boyfriend is allergic to tree nuts. Are there any non-tree nut substitutes for cashews? Thanks!
People have had good luck using sunflower seeds.
The hubs and I really liked this, and it makes a lot: one night I used it for nachos with all the fixins, then it went over steamed broccoli, the third day it topped lentil tacos, and I dipped into as a snack a few times during the week. Very versatile. I’ll be making this again!!
I’m also allergic to cashews. Those sunflower seeds, would they need to be soaked as well?
wow… amazing! only change we made was to use water instead of oilve oil. We mixed with diced tomato as this is how my mom remembers queso dip… So good!
This might possibly be one of Isa’s best recipes ever. It’s so spot on with flavor and creaminess. I found myself digging in the fridge to find anything to dip in this. Carrots, tortillas, straight out of the jar with a spoon. Make this now.
I just made this and I seriously have no words as to how amazing and delicious it is. Used my Vitamix blender for all the blending and it came out unbelievably smooth and creamy. The spices are on point, too, and the miso really adds the perfect kind of tanginess. Just make it and you’ll understand.
Very, very yummy!!! I made a double batch and we have been eating quesadillas with every meal for two days. Next time I will add more jalapenos and cayenne, I was afraid of making it too spicy for the kids but it could have had more heat for sure.
Does this store/reheat well?
Yep! You may need to add a little water when reheating.
Made tonight–amazing!!!! Thank you so much!
Wow. I just made this tonight. Spicy and rich. I’ve got a lot left over; can I freeze it??
Beware this is very moreish.. we had to put it out of sight just so we could save some for tomorrow. We didn’t have any miso but it was very yummy none the less, will try it with miso next time to see if it make a difference. Im also going to make a huge batch for new years to use as a dip. Thanks for the awesome recipe 🙂
Amazing! Super easy, perfect spicing (not too hot or too mild). Made this for a mexican party tomorrow where I have a few vegan friends attending- seriously good and I’m not the vegan! Think I might even offer this to the non-vegans! Thanks!!
Uuuuuuhmazing. I didn’t think it could be done. Sooooo good!
This recipe deserves a spot in the Vegan Hall of Fame! My queso loving husband admits that most omnis could be fooled by this queso which is amazing for any vegan “cheese” dish. I only soaked my cashews for 15 min, but everything came perfectly smooth thanks to my Vita-mix.
Can you freeze this in portions if you have no intention of using the entire batch at once??
So looking forward to trying this……
PS, I tried it today……Oh my GOD!!!
Visions of half price Mexican night 15 years ago came flooding back 🙂
Im in love with this……and you Isa!!
Another delicious recipe! I was initially so enthused, then after trying it when it first came out of the blender I was not so sure… especially after my partner stated that if I never liked ‘real’ queso when I used to eat cheese, then why would I like this??? But once it had been boiled a while and the lemon was added: WOW! It’s delicious! This dip is fantastic for A) someone who liked queso as a non-vegan, and even B) me, someone who couldn’t stand the stuff. How did you accomplish such a paradoxical feat Isa??? Congratulations!