The BEST vegan chili cheese dip
You're going to want to look for any excuse to add this vegan chili cheese dip to your food line-up. "Friends, it's time for an emergency game of Uno. Mommy needs cheese dip." Packed with three bean chili, seitan chorizo, and creamy cashew queso, you'll have no problem polishing off this dip with every last tortilla chip in the bag. Don't say I didn't warn you!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 167kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashew pieces*
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste
- ½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ cup vegan three bean chili or your favorite vegan chili
- ½ cup seitan chorizo I use Upton's Naturals seitan chorizo
- 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- In a high speed blender, blend raw cashew pieces, water, white miso paste, and nutritional yeast flakes until smooth.
- Pour the cashew mixture into a medium-sized pot along with vegan three bean chili, crumbled seitan chorizo, 1 to 2 teaspoons of hot sauce depending on your heat preference, and up to ¼ teaspoon salt. (Depending on your chili and chorizo, you may need more or less salt, as those things vary in saltiness.)
- Bring the pot to a medium heat, stirring often. (The cashew mixture has a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan, and so you want to prevent burning by stirring regularly.)
- Cook for about 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced, leaving a thick, velvety queso. If the mixture is too thin, keep cooking until it reduces more. If the mixture gets too hot and starts to bubble, lower the heat. If it gets too thick, add up to ¼ cup water.
- Serve hot with chips for dipping.
Notes
*If you're not using a high speed blender, you'll need to soak the raw cashews in water for a few hours to soften them. Drain and continue the recipe as follows. Or if you need queso in a hurry, grind the dry raw cashews in a clean coffee grinder until they become a flour. Add them to your regular blender and make the recipe as follows.
This dip will thicken in the refrigerator. So if you're making it ahead of a party or gathering to re-heat later, you may want to add up to ¼ cup of water either while making the cashew queso initially or when reheating.
If you're using a meaty vegan chili (like one with soyrizo), you can use a full cup of chili (instead of ½ cup) and omit the added seitan chorizo.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for about 4 days. Reheat in a pot on the stove over a low medium heat, or in the microwave, stirring often.
It can also be frozen in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 450mg | Potassium: 333mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 2.7mg
