25 May The Best Vegan Cheese (Cashew-free!)
This recipe was create by one of my favorite bloggers, Minimalist Baker! As her name states, all of her recipes use simple ingredients, minimal equipment, and are always so damn delicious. I love her and her blog so much because she keeps it sweet and simple, just as I always do.
I’m not one to completely reproduce a recipe on my blog, but this dip is a must! All of the vegan “cheese” sauces/dips that I find recipes for are always cashew based. They are always so delicious, but also very high in fat and should be consumed in moderation. When I eat dips and sauces, I always want to douse my foods in them. Sue me, I am human 😉 Well, with this cheese, you can do that! It has no nasties in it, and is so much healthier than no only cashew cheese sauces but dairy ones as well.
When I made this recipe, I did add a few small changes to it. I roasted the eggplant without any oil or salt, and also omitted the salt from the dip althogether. you may add it in as you wish, it was just my personal preference. Also, instead of Rotel/store bought salsa, I made some of my own. I also subbed the cornstarch for guar gum and xanthan gum. I served it up with some broccoli and jicama chips instead of tortilla chips, and it was the bomb! The broccoli was my favorite.
And, as stated on the original recipe, this dip/sauce reheats really well! Anyone who has tried or made cashew dips and cheeses know that it does not reheat well and is usually best when served immediately. Well, you can forget about that worry and making sure you finish that expensive cashew cheese because this will eliminate that all together.
Make sure you tag me on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan or tweet @sweetsimpleveg and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of my recipes!
PrintThe Best Vegan Cheese (Cashew-free!)
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- Half of a medium eggplant
- Olive oil and sea salt if desired
- 1.5-2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk
- 2-3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp finely minced fresh garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp guar gum
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/4 cup chunky salsa, slightly drained
- Smoked paprika and hot sauce for added color and flavor to top upon serving
Instructions
- Slice the eggplant into thin rounds just under 1/2 inch,sprinkle both sides of the flesh with a little sea salt and arrange in a colander to draw out some of the moisture and bitterness. Let set for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with cool water and dry between two clean towels.
- Preheat oven to high broil and place an oven rack near the top. Arrange the eggplant on a baking sheet.
- Broil on high for 4-5 minutes on each side, watching carefully not let them burn! Once the eggplant is tender and has a golden brown color, remove and wrap loosely in foil to steam.
- After a few minutes, unwrap and peel the skin away. The eggplant will be about 1-cup.
- Place eggplant in a blender with 1.5 cups (to start) almond milk, 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast, minced garlic, cumin, chili powder and cornstarch and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add almond milk if you need to thin.
- Transfer to a small saucepan and warm over medium heat until thickened and bubbly (5 minutes). The longer you go the thicker it will become.
- Once hot and thickened, remove from heat and stir in drained salsa.
- Pour into a serving dish and top with a little smoked paprika and hot sauce for flavor/color.
dana
Posted at 20:15h, 25 MaySo glad you liked it! Thanks for the share.
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Posted at 15:36h, 09 June[…] recently made (and posted) The Best Vegan ‘Cheese’ (Cashew-free) recipe created by Minimalist Baker both on my site and on my Instagram, and it turned out to be a […]