The Best Salsa Con Queso (That Happens to Be Vegan)

You guys. 

I have a confession to make.

I freaking love salsa con queso.

You know, the weird processed cheese stuff that comes in a jar and probably doesn’t actually have any real cheese in it?

Let me clarify; I loved salsa con queso when I was a teenager. I haven’t actually had the stuff in years because nothing about it looks or tastes appealing to me. I mean, it’s congealed mystery cheese with food dye and all sorts of suspicious non-food additives. And it doesn’t really taste like anything other than salty sort-of-cheese. No thank you!

And yet, the other day, after I made a big batch of this salsa, I found myself wondering what might happen if I swirled it into a thick, creamy bowl of something cheesy. 

Let’s just fast forward a bit here to the part where this dip isn’t made with Velveeta, nor is it actually made with any cheese at all. I know you’re skeptical. But, aren’t you skeptical of the jarred stuff, too? The one that tastes like salty, not-quite-cheesy teenage disappointment? 

Me too. So, let’s make some Salsa con Queso that actually tastes good. I’m talking hover-over-the-bowl good. Don’t-share-it-with-anyone good. Yeah. We can do this. 

I originally imagined this dip would be made with cheese, and tried to make it that way, too. I wanted to take the salsa con queso of my childhood and make it with some real deal ingredients. I set out to make my health-food loving heart proud, but the results were decidedly not queso. It was freaking delicious cheese sauce, but not queso. 

Then I realized that to achieve the queso of my adult dreams, I needed to get out of the cheese game. I mean, really, no one was arguing that the jarred stuff was made with real cheese to begin with. So, I used cashews as the base (just like in this tart!), and ended up with the most thick, creamy, luscious dip ever. 

To make it cheesy- but not actually cheese-filled, I opted for nutritional yeast. Have you used it before? I’m kind of obsessed. It’s essentially an edible yeast (not like the yeast that makes your bread rise, don’t worry) that’s loaded with B vitamins and tastes, well, sort of like cheese. In this dip, it’s literally everything I could have asked for in a queso. 

Lest you think I blended up cashews and nutritional yeast and called this dip queso, rest assured that there’s sauteed onion, garlic, and jalapeno blended into this whole situation as well. And salsa, obviously. This is SALSA con queso, after all. 

So, if you’re feeling like you need another dip in your life- maybe one to add to your Fourth of July spread- this unexpectedly vegan salsa con queso is going to be your new BFF. Use it as a dip with some extra salty, crunchy tortilla chips. Warm it up and drizzle it over nachos. Slather it onto sandwiches, quesadillas, or enchiladas. Whatever you do, go pick up some raw cashews and nutritional yeast at the store today, and make your inner teenager proud. It’s the right thing to do.

Happy Fourth of July, Friends! I hope you’re all having fun, safe, chip-and-dip filled days. 

The Best Salsa Con Queso (that happens to be Vegan)

Chelsea Colbath

A thick, creamy salsa con queso made with real-food ingredients like raw cashews, nutritional yeast, jalapeno, and garlic. Despite not having any actual cheese involved, this is the best salsa con queso, ever!

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Ingredients

  

• 2 cups raw cashews soaked in cold water overnight*
• 1 jalapeno seeds removed for less heat
• 1/2 a small red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast**
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric this helps make the queso yellow
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup salsa to swirl in at the end

Instructions

 

• 1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Roughly chop the jalapeno and onion, and add them to the skillet with the olive oil. Cook for 6-8 minutes, or until starting to soften and turn golden brown. Roughly chop the 2 cloves of garlic, and add them into the pan; cook 1 more minute before turning off the heat.
• 2. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews, and add them to the bowl of a food processor or high-powered blender. Add all remaining ingredients (except salsa!), including the sauteed jalapeno mixture, and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
• 3. Scrape the queso mixture into a bowl, top with salsa, and gently swirl it in with a spoon. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Gently reheat in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of water when ready to serve again.

Notes

*Soaking the cashews overnight helps them soften up, and makes this dip extra smooth and creamy. If you don't have time for this step, you could soak them in boiling water for 30-60 minutes instead.
**Nutritional yeast is sold in both powder or flakes, and either one works fine here. I buy nutritional yeast in the bulk bins at Whole Foods, in the 'natural foods' section at most major grocery stores, and recently have seen it on the shelves at Trader Joe's. Which is to say, you should be able to find it anywhere!