Creamy Vegan Queso

Super Bowl Sunday, which this year also happened to be Valentine's Day, which made for an interesting mix of signals at the grocery store. People buying roses and chicken wings at the same time, their faces expressions of mild existential confusion. I have no dog in the Valentine's Day fight. I'm not with anyone and I haven't been for a while, and I've made a sufficient enough peace with that situation that it doesn't sting anymore. Though I did buy myself a really good steak, which felt appropriate.

The Rams beat the Bengals 23-20. I watched the game at home with Emma, Daniel, Lily, and James. Tyler called at halftime from Midland. The food situation was: smoked baby backs I'd been running since eight in the morning, the smoked queso I made the night before and reheated, a platter of spring rolls that Mai had sent over with me from Saturday's visit (she makes dozens on the weekends and parcels them out like she's running a food distribution operation), and the Valentine's Day steak, which I sliced thin and put out on a board with some herb butter. Not exactly a romantic meal. Not trying to be.

Daniel has grown on me more than I expected. He's quiet but not withdrawn — the kind of quiet where you can tell there's something solid behind it. He helped me clean up after without being asked, which is my primary test of character. He also ate everything on the table, including the spring rolls with fish sauce, without any hesitation, which is my secondary test. A man who won't eat fish sauce is a man with limited imagination.

Lily pulled me aside at one point during the second quarter and said, "What do you think of James?" I said, "I think he knows how to pick wood for a smoker." She said, "That's not an answer." I said, "Coming from me, it absolutely is." She smiled and went back to the couch. I meant it. James knows the difference between oak and hickory and why it matters. That is a window into a person's character. He pays attention. He respects process. He understands that the best things take time. These are not small things.

The queso was, without question, the most asked-about thing on the table that day — and I’d made it the night before without much fanfare, which is exactly the kind of recipe I trust. It reheats clean, it holds in a slow cooker, and it doesn’t require your attention when you’re also managing a smoker and a house full of people. If you’re going to run baby backs for eight hours, you need your supporting cast to handle itself, and this queso does exactly that.

Prep Time: 10 min (plus 2 hrs soaking) | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 20 min active | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours, drained
3/4 cup water, plus more to thin as needed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles, with liquid
1/2 cup jarred salsa or pico de gallo
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1 pickled jalapeño, sliced (optional, for heat)
Tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

Soak the cashews. Place raw cashews in a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse well before using.
Blend the base. Add the drained cashews and 3/4 cup water to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. There should be no gritty texture remaining.
Add the seasonings. Add the nutritional yeast, green chiles (with their liquid), salsa, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, lime juice, and salt. Blend again until fully incorporated and smooth, about 30 seconds.
Heat gently. Pour the blended mixture into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently and heat through, 5 to 7 minutes, until warmed and slightly thickened. If the queso is too thick, whisk in additional water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches a pourable, dip-like consistency.
Taste and adjust. Taste and adjust salt, lime juice, or chili powder to preference. For more heat, stir in sliced pickled jalapeños.
Serve or store. Serve immediately with tortilla chips, or transfer to a slow cooker set on warm to hold for several hours. To make ahead, refrigerate up to 3 days and reheat on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water to loosen.

Nutrition (per serving)

Creamy Vegan Queso — The Queso That Holds the Party Together