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Roasted pepper cheese sauce in a bowl surrounded by tortilla chips and garnished with cilantro and jalapeños.

Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Nacho Cheese Sauce

This lusciously smooth and creamy Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Nacho Cheese Sauce is ideal for drizzling over tacos, nachos, or scooping up with tortilla chips. Crafted from cashews, jarred roasted red peppers, and pickled jalapeños-- it's bursting with flavor!
5 from 8 votes
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Liv King

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup Cashews soaked
  • cup Minced Yellow Onion
  • 1-2 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 Large Roasted Red Pepper jarred
  • 2-3 tablespoons Pickled Jalapeño or fresh jalapeño
  • ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt see note
  • ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 cup Water

Instructions

  • Boil water and then add the cashews and soak for 10-15 minutes to soften. Alternatively, soak overnight.
  • Dice the onion and garlic and sauté it in a pan over medium heat until it starts to soften and get lightly browned. If using fresh jalapeño (instead of pickled), mince and sauté it with the onions and garlic.
  • Add the softened cashews and onions to a high-speed blender along with the roasted red pepper, pickled jalapeños, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and water. Blend until smooth.
  • Touch the sauce and rub it between two fingers. If the sauce has texture, keep blending. 
  • Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your preference.
  • Add the cheese sauce to a pan on low heat to warm up or serve chilled as a dip with tortilla chips, drizzled on tacos, or burrito bowls. Enjoy!

Notes

Important Note about Salt: Not all salts are made equal and cannot be substituted 1:1. If you are substituting table salt for kosher salt, you will need to cut the amount called for in the recipe by at least half. 
When kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this vegan cashew cheese sauce can stay fresh for up to 7 days.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram!