Warm Vegan Cashew Cheese Dip

Vegan cheese products can be very hit or miss. They are often very expensive, or just have something ultimately off about their taste or texture.

I find that vegan cream cheese to be the safest option, and many recipes utilize the creaminess of cashews to get a nice base going before adding in a mix of flavours. I myself am not vegan, but I have been making a conscious effort to cut back on my meat and dairy consumption while experimenting with new recipes and food combinations.

I concocted this dip recipe during one experimental afternoon last winter when I craved something warm and comforting, but felt too lazy to spend a lot of time prepping. This recipe comes together in about 15 minutes and is a great appetizer or snack option that will appease both vegan and meat eating crowds. I put this dip to the test at my Halloween party this year, and served it with some homemade pumpkin bread for some festive dipping. Everyone who tried it demanded that I share the recipe with them, but at the time I had eyeballed the entire prep process up to that point. Now I have measured out my portions, and can finally share the method with the world.

I give you, my secret recipe for the best cashew cheese dip EVER.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

on a wooden cutting board is a wooden bowl of herbs, a black bowl of cashews, a floral teacup of nutritional yeast , a glass bottle of apple cider vinegar, a small onion, and two cloves of garlic. — Ingredients

**½ cup of Nutritional Yeast**
**1 ½ cup of cashews**
**3 tablespoons of olive oil**
**1 small onion**
**1 clove of garlic**
**½ tsp of oregano**
**½ tsp of thyme**
**½ tsp of basil**
**1 tsp of salt**
**1/8 cup of apple cider vinegar**
**1 ½ cup of water**
**Pepper to taste**

Begin by sautéing the onion with the herbs in a pan with some olive oil until translucent and fragrant. Remove from the pan and toss them into your blender.

Combine your sautéed onions as well as your raw clove of garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, water, nutritional yeast and cashews. Blend until smooth.

Pour the blended mixture back into the pan on medium heat to allow some of the water to evaporate. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon to avoid burning.

Once the mixture is thickened to about the consistency of hummus, you’re ready to serve!

a yellow mixture is in a small pot over the stove and being mixed with a wooden spoon.

Another great option is to sauté some mushrooms or spinach and mix them in to the blended dip before serving.

I like to serve this dip with warm bread, but it is also great to serve with tortilla chips, pretzels, raw veggies or drizzled on top of baked veggies and potatoes. This stuff is versatile so try it on whatever speaks to you, and feel free to get creative!

Mixed with some spinach and served with some toasted, sliced ciabatta.

Enjoy!

A table spread with two small glasses of beer, the cashew dip and some pita chips. Candles are also on the table.

Recipes, Food & DrinkMichelle SpiteriJanuary 22, 2019Vegan recipes, vegan, cashew dip, cashew cheese, vegan cheese, vegan cheese recipe, vegan cashew dip, easy vegan recipes, easy recipes, quick recipe, vegan cooking