Creamy Vegan Queso

Queso! I adore it, but I always overdo it, and waddle out of Mexican restaurants with a belly full of cheese. Unfortunately, my queso-digesting powers seem to be diminishing rather than improving with age. So, I decided to come up with a dairy-free version to rival my favorite restaurant’s.

This stuff is remarkably queso-like. You can serve it in a bowl or drizzle it over nachos, burritos, or maybe even French fries. I won’t judge. I aimed to create the tastiest vegan queso, not the absolute quickest queso, which usually just consists of cashews blended with spices. For mine, you’ll build flavor on the stovetop, then transfer everything to a blender. It’s totally worth the effort.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup peeled and grated russet potato (4 ounces, about 1 small or ½ medium potato), preferably organic
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 1 cup (5 ounces) raw cashews*
• 1 ½ cups water, more as necessary
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon rinsed oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce (I used Chipotle)
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar
• ⅔ cup well-drained fire-roasted tomatoes (I recommend Muir Glen brand) or chunky salsa
• 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños, optional
• Optional toppings: additional fire-roasted tomatoes or salsa or chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped fresh cilantro, thinly sliced fresh jalapeños or pickled jalapeños, and/or finely chopped red onion