Creamy Vegan Queso Dip

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 5 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 16 Servings

Let’s be honest — thinking of vegan cheese substitutes leaves something to be desired. Maybe you’ve taken a peek at the vegan cheese options in the grocery stores or even dabbled in coaxing a couple hunks of almond cheese to melt atop slices of bread under the broiler. In my experience, that stuff does not melt and will leave your cheese dreams hopelessly shattered.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, very finely chopped
1 cup thinly sliced butternut squash
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 (4-ounce) can green chiles, drained
1 1/2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk
1 raw cashews, soaked for 30 minutes or up to overnight and then drained
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup chunky tomato salsa or pico de gallo
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Chunky salsa or Rotel
Pickled jalapeños
Chopped cherry tomatoes
Cilantro

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and the garlic is fragrant.
Add the carrots, butternut squash, 1 teaspoon of the salt, cumin, chili powder, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes. Add the vegetable broth and simmer, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft and tender. You want them to be soft enough to blend up in a blender without any problems.
Transfer the mixture to a high-powered blender. Add the green chiles, almond milk, drained cashews, nutritional yeast, salsa, vinegar, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Blend, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture has reached a thick and creamy consistency.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. If it's cooled off, transfer to a saucepan and gently warm over low heat to desired temperature. Serve it in a bowl alongside tortilla chips and garnish it with your favorite toppings.