When I was in high school, I thought good eatin’ was a bowl of queso dip made out of a melted block of Velveeta and a can of Ro-tel tomatoes. I now know that Velveeta more closely resembles the inside of a yoga mat than actual food, so I avoid it at all costs. But like the trans fats I consumed, the memory of that delicious, spicy cheese dip sticks with me.
I’ve been working on developing a better cheese sauce lately, and I stumbled upon a sauce that reminds me of a slightly less rubbery version of melted Velveeta. I added a can of Ro-tel tomatoes, and BAM! I flashed back to my high school days of devouring a whole bowl of queso washed down with lots of regret — but this time, no guilt!
I know food bloggers are prone to hyperbole, but this recipe is gold, I tell ya! Pure gold!
So if you’re one of those people who starts eating queso and has a difficult time stopping, I highly recommend you try this recipe. It contains no junk ingredients and tastes amazingly like the Velveeta version, but better! It’s a blend of potatoes, carrots, onions, shallots, cashews, and seasonings. The texture and flavor are spot on. I honestly don’t think omnivores would be able to tell that this queso is actually queso-less!
- 1 cup (about 1 medium potato) chopped Yukon gold potatoes (I leave the peel on if organic)
- 2 T. chopped shallots
- ¼ cup chopped carrots (about 1 small carrot)
- ⅓ cup chopped onion
- 1¼ cup water
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- Optional: 2 Tbs. olive oil or Earth Balance
- 1½ t. salt
- ¼ t. garlic, minced (about 1 medium clove)
- ¼ t. Dijon mustard
- 1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ t. black pepper
- 1 can Ro-tel tomatoes, drained
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the potatoes, shallots, onions, carrots, water, and cashews. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover to cook vegetables, about 10 minutes.
- While vegetables simmer, add the olive oil, salt, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, and black pepper to a blender. Pour in the contents of the saucepan (do not drain!), blend until smooth, and taste for salt.
- In a serving bowl, stir together the drained Ro-tel tomatoes and the cheese sauce.
- Serve with tortilla chips, tacos, raw veggies, etc. Enjoy!
Seriously, try this queso dip and let me know what you think!
Even my picky husband says it tastes like cheese.
Trust me on this one! 😉
♥ ♥ ♥
For some awesome nachos, add the vegan queso to my Chickpea Walnut Chorizo!
Do you drain the water from the sauce pan with the vegetables before putting into the blender?
No, pour the whole pot in the blender to make the “cheese” the right consistency. That should be the right amount of water, but you might need to add a small amount of water to thin it if you’ve let too much of the water in the pot evaporate.