Creamy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
So those of you who know me, know we are “mostly” vegan now. My hubby, 100%. Babycakes and I, about 97%. So when Chef D Malfi, YouTube extraordinaire, plant-based chef, and genuinely such a sweet soul, invited me onto her cooking show, it was an easy “yes.”
And when she mentioned vegan cheese sauce, it was a “HECK YES!!”
I knew her creamy vegan cheese sauce would:
a) be amazeballs.
b) be such a great recipe for those looking to eat more plant-based meals / limit dairy
c) be great nutritionally for kids (helllllllllo healthy fats + protein)
d) be a perfect fit for #OrangeWeek, which we are currently in the middle of!
You can check out the full episode / cooking show here. Chef D does live shows 2 – 3 times a week and has built such an amazing community. Whether you’re new to plant-based cooking or an old pro, you will love her upbeat personality, helpful tips and tricks, and easy-to-follow recipes!
One of the things we talked about in the show is how to adapt recipes to make them more kid-friendly. I think parents often believe kid-food should be spice-less. And when it comes to heat, that totally makes sense. But having some spices (different from spicy) can add a delicious flavor that kids actually love! That’s also why we love FreshBellies freeze-dried fruits and veggies so much! They always pair everything with a spice: strawberries + balsamic, beets + thyme, mango + basil, etc…
In this vegan cheese sauce, we add:
- garlic powder
- cumin
- miso
- turmeric
- and even some mild canned green chiles
My daughter happily gobbled this up as-is. But you could use more or less of the green chiles, depending on your preference.
TODDLER TIP: serve the nacho sauce with soft tortillas cut into triangles rather than tortilla chips because they are easier for little ones to chew. I also served it with crinkle cut carrots and FreshBellies’ freeze-dried beets for dipping.
This recipe is from Chef D Malfi’s Plant-based Made Easy Cookbook, volume 6. Here’s where you can grab a copy of the book which has 24 delicious vegan recipes! And be sure to watch her weekly on FB or YouTube.
Creamy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
Equipment
- high speed blender
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked for at least one hour
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp canned mild green chiles chopped
- 2 tsp mellow white miso paste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp turmeric optional
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 piece roasted red pepper optional, for a more orange-y color
Instructions
- Combine the nacho cheese ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. I thought it tasted amazing, warmed up. But you can also serve it room temperature.Use this nacho cheese sauce on everything from nachos, to tacos, burritos, wraps, salads, or even as a dipping sauce.