Smoky Chipotle Vegan Queso
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!
Servings: 6 people
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.