Vegan Queso
Published Feb. 7, 2025
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 4garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1medium sweet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and chopped
- 1cup raw cashews
- ⅓cup nutritional yeast
- 1chipotle chile in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1teaspoon mustard powder
- Pinch of MSG (optional)
- Salt, to taste
- Tortilla chips, steamed broccoli, or French fries, to serve
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
240 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 220 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Combine the oil and garlic in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and barely golden, about 2 minutes. Add the paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 3 cups water, the sweet potato, cashews, nutritional yeast, chipotle, adobo, mustard and MSG (if using) and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato and cashews are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Step 2
Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until completely smooth. Generously season with salt to taste. (It should be cheesy, slightly spicy and have a mellow sweetness. If it’s too sharp, spicy or bland, it needs more salt.) If the mixture is too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time. Serve warm or at room temperature with tortilla chips, steamed broccoli, or French fries. (Store refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
Private Notes
Comments
This was good, but it needed a little tweaking to make it less sweet and give it more of a queso flavor. I added extra nutritional yeast, a bit of white vinegar to give it extra tang, and a can of green chilis. It was delicious and a good healthy alternative to normal cheese dip!
I was skeptical at first but this was surprisingly good! And healthy!
Not bad, but not queso. I can see using this as a sandwich spread if you keep it on the thicker side.
Made a version of this for some vegan mac and "cheese." I added three seeded, dried New Mexico chili peppers and around 2 tbs white miso. Only used one garlic clove (not sure why). Next time will use more. The chili peppers added some good zip. I made 12 oz of GF Jovial pasta and I have enough leftover sauce for at least another 12-oz box. Overall, a good recipe. I'll make it again and will experiment some. Maybe more chili peppers. Might also try a little more oil.
Tried this for the first time last week and I have been raving to vegan and non-vegan friends! Made it as is and used it as a warm drizzle on some crispy black bean tacos I made. Saved the rest (about a quart) and used to make a very quick stovetop vegan mac and cheese through the week. Added some chopped pickled jalapeños and a touch of the pickle brine to the queso while the pasta boiled. I adjusted some seasonings to taste (added more nooch and a touch more MSG) but overall a really solid interpretation of a vegan queso. It’s now a part of my rotating vegan sauces that make meals more interesting!
I liked it!