This Smoky Chipotle Vegan Queso is a delicious twist on traditional queso, made with healthy ingredients and bold flavors! With warming spices like chili powder and cayenne, and a spicy kick from chipotle, it’s a great addition to your plant-based game day (or any day) table!
Are you getting ready for the big game? This Smoky Chipotle Vegan Queso is such a delicious option for your game day table. As we all know, a good part of the fun on game day is the food! And what better way to celebrate than with fun and a bit of spice?
I’m planning on having all the favorites including this Smoky Chipotle Vegan Queso, because having a plant-based spread doesn’t mean you have to miss out on any of the classic game day food! This dip is hearty, smoky, a bit spicy, and full of healthy ingredients – now that’s a score! (pun intended)
And what’s even more awesome is that Sprouts Farmers Market has you covered for a plant-based feast for game day. You can find plenty of staples and trending vegan products, so there’s always something new to try. It makes a plant-based diet so much easier when you can easily find ingredients. Did you know their website also has amazing recipes and meal inspiration at Sprouts.com? You can find everything from smoothies to apps, to sheet pan dinners!
How this Smoky Chipotle Vegan Queso Comes Together
It doesn’t get much simpler! All you need to cook for this recipe are the cashews and carrots – these are boiled for around 20 minutes to soften, then blend them with the other ingredients until smooth!
While the cashews and carrots are boiling, it’s the perfect time to gather the rest of the ingredients.
You’ll want to grab some common pantry spices:
- onion and garlic powder
- cumin
- coriander
- chili powder
- cayenne
And then I also use a bit of dijon mustard for a touch of acidity, which balances out the queso really well.
When the carrots are tender, drain the cashews and carrots and carefully add then to a blender along with the spices and dijon mustard, as well as some water, nutritional yeast, your favorite salsa, and the liquid from canned chipotle in adobo. The nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor and I also find it to be a bit smoky as well, which goes perfectly in this queso!
Tips for Making Smoky Chipotle Vegan Queso
You can have lots of fun with the toppings. A few that I chose were fresh herbs, chives, fresh tomatoes, red onions, cayenne, and green onion. You can also top with some vegan cheese or sour cream as well.
Regarding texture, I like mine on the thicker side. Feel free to increase the amount of salsa and/or water to make the queso a bit thinner.
For blending of the cashews, especially if you don’t have a super powerful blender, go ahead and boil your cashews and carrots an extra 10 minutes. This will allow the cashews to get a bit smoother during blending. Additionally, you can soak them in water in the fridge overnight, the night before.
OTHER DELICIOUS GAME DAY IDEAS
Sweet & Tangy Hoisin Jackfruit Wraps
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see your creation! Comment here and tag me on Instagram @janetsmunchmeals.
Smoky Chipotle Vegan Queso
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ¾ cup diced carrot
- 1/3 cup salsa choose your desired spice level
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ cup filtered water
- 2-3 tsp. sauce from canned chipotle in adobo to taste
- ¼ tsp. cayenne optional, omit to reduce spicy heat
- ¼ tsp. ground coriander
- ¾ tsp. onion powder
- ¾ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- ¾ tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. dijon mustard
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
Topping suggestions
- 1-2 tbsp. finely chopped red onion
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- ¼ cup chopped tomatoes juice drained away
- Dash paprika or cayenne
Serving suggestions (as shown)
- Tortilla chips
- Toasted bread
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add the 1 cup raw cashews and ¾ cup diced carrots, and top with enough water to cover at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil on the stove, and gently boil for at least 20 minutes until carrots are tender. If your blender is less powerful, you may want to boil for an additional 10 minutes. Add more water during cooking to prevent water boiling away.
- Drain the cashews/carrots and carefully add them to a blender. Add the remaining ingredients except the toppings and serving suggestions: (1/3 cup salsa, ¼ cup nutritional yeast, ½ cup filtered water, 2-3 tsp. sauce from chipotle in adobo, ¼ tsp. cayenne (optional), ¼ tsp. ground coriander, ¾ tsp. onion powder, ¾ tsp. garlic powder, ½ tsp. chili powder, ¾ tsp. ground cumin, 1 tsp. dijon mustard, ½ tsp. kosher salt).
- Blend until smooth, scraping down sides and blending as needed to get a smooth consistency. This may take several rounds of scraping down sides/blending.
- Transfer dip to a serving bowl and add toppings as desired (1-2 tbsp. finely chopped red onion, 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, ¼ cup chopped tomatoes, dash paprika or cayenne).
- Serve with tortilla chips and toasted bread.