I’d seen vegan white queso dip recipes floating around the web through the years, but I couldn’t reconcile them with a certain illustrious two-ingredient cheese dip recipe of my youth. If you grew up in the Midwest, you know the one. If you need a hint, the primary ingredient in this starts with a “Velv” and ends with an “eeta.” I decided to see if I could come up with a recipe for a queso dip that would be:
Just as creamy, cheesy and addictive as the notorious V-word.Contain ZERO processed cheese.Made with entirely plant-based, wholesome ingredients.Guaranteed to be licked clean at any party, whether or not your guests are vegan.
How to Make Vegan Queso
In creating this vegan queso recipe, I recalled a delightful cashew-based mac and cheese that I tried at a vegan spot in New York City (SO GOOD) and combined it with the lessons I learned creating this Instant Pot Cauliflower Mac and Cheese. The Result? Pure magic!
Ingredients
Cashews. The majority of vegan queso recipes I found are made almost exclusively with raw cashews, which, when blended with liquid, have a velvety, rich texture that is extraordinarily similar to melted cheese. Cashews’ flavor, however, is much more mild, and I didn’t feel like it would create a vegan queso with the same level of mmmmmm that I’m after when I sink my chip into a hot bowl of melty cheese.Cauliflower. The solution: roasted cauliflower!Taco Seasoning. Add spice, a little heat and serious complexity to the queso. I selected a low-sodium variety to better control the amount of salt in the recipe.
Onions and Garlic. Add some extra bite and zip to this “cheesy” dip.Nutritional Yeast. The secret vegan ingredient that gives this queso it’s cheesy flavor. If you’ve never eaten nutritional yeast before, it has a salty, Parmesan-like taste. Try it in any one of these recipes with nutritional yeast.
Canned Diced Tomatoes. Adds extra moisture and flavor. If you want extra heat, opt for a can that contains diced jalapenos or green chiles.
Directions
How to Store and Reheat
To Store. Store cooled leftover queso in an airtight container or a bowl covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.To Reheat. Gently reheat on the stove or in the microwave, stirring frequently, until warmed through.
Since this Vegan Queso is healthy (hello cashews and cauliflower!), I also felt quite virtuous snacking on it with carrots (and FINE, chips) for a midafternoon snack. You can keep it warm in a small crockpot to serve with chips or raw veggies if that’s more your style, drizzle it over a big plate of nachos (YUM), or use it to make your own homemade cheese fries. We also use the leftovers to top baked potatoes and even amp up non-vegan favorites like these Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos.
What To Serve With Vegan Queso
Mexican Stuffed Peppers – Mexican Stuffed Peppers are one of our favorite easy, healthy dinners! Colorful bell peppers stuffed with authentic Mexican-spiced chicken, rice and cheese.Flank Steak Tacos – A recipe for quick flank steak tacos with an easy citrus marinade. Use this recipe for the best, most tender grilled, stove top, or oven flank steak tacos!Taco Salad Recipe – Healthy Taco Salad with ground turkey, black beans, avocado, and Greek yogurt salsa dressing. An easy, delicious, low-carb recipe.
