‘Vegveeta’ Cheese Dip

This warm ‘cheesy’ dip has a mild flavor that can be used to accompany many foods… and also combines very well with salsa to mimic the velveeta/salsa dip from years ago. I make this without nutritional yeast, but if you like it, feel free to add in the nooch!

‘Vegveeta’ Cheese Dip [Vegan]

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1 tablespoon tahini (or 1/8 cup pine nuts)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup and 1-3 tablespoons plain unsweetened almond milk (see note)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8–1/4 teaspoon turmeric (for color)
• optional: 1 1/2 -2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until very, very smooth (start with 1 cup + 1 tablespoon milk). Transfer mixture to a small/medium saucepan, and heat over low/low-medium heat for 5-8 minutes, until mixture is starting to slowly bubble and thicken (stir frequently through heating). To thin sauce slightly, stir in another 1-2 tablespoonp of milk. Avoid thickening sauce over high heat (or increasing heat too quickly), since this sauce can scorch easily. Once sauce has thickened, transfer to a serving dish… and get dipping!

Notes

Use plain unsweetened almond milk in this cheese dip. It has a more neutral flavor than soy milk, and isn’t sweet-tasting as rice and hemp milks can be. Try using the almond milk if you can. *The color of this dip will deepen with heating. When first blended, it is quite light without much color, but with heating, more yellow/orange color develops. For a nacho “Vegveeta”-style dip, try stirring about 1/3 – 1/2 cup of your fave salsa into the heated sauce. Other add-in’s to consider (add after blending/warming sauce): - a handful of sliced green onions - chopped sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed, drained) or fresh chopped tomatoes - sliced olives - chopped parsley or cilantro. - for heat-lovers, a few tablespoons of chopped jalapeno peppers or a few dashes of hot sauce.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/vegveeta-dip/