Food52 in 5
A 5-Minute Creamy Vegan Sauce You’ll Dip, Drizzle & Dollop on Everything
It's ultra-rich and ultra-riffable.
What can you do with just five minutes? Actually, way more than you think! Introducing Food52 in 5: your cheat sheet for speedy, delicious recipes, fun mini projects, and more.
It’s a dip! It’s a spread! It’s a sauce! No...it’s cashew cream! This five ingredient, five minute recipe is like a superhero in a jar, waiting to swoop in and sauce just about any weeknight dinner you can think of. The only thing missing is a cute little cape.
To make this creamy condiment, all you’ll have to do is break out the blender from your cabinet. You won't even need a knife—just let the blender do all of the work for you. Put the raw cashews, oil, water, lemon juice, and salt into the blender jar and let it work its magic...or, rather, reveal its superpower.
The key to creaminess is to emulsify the ingredients really well. To achieve this, blend the mixture twice. Start the blender on its lowest speed and slowly turn the dial until it's blending on full blast. Then, scrape down the sides and do it once more until the cream is smoother-than-smooth.
Since the sauce is a simple blank slate, and this recipe makes a few batches, you can use it anywhere and everywhere. Think of it as a vegan replacement for mayo or sour cream, but also as a base for creamy vegan dressings and dips of all stripes.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it:
Fake-Out Mayo
To the cashew cream, grate in a clove of garlic and a generous helping of freshly cracked black pepper, and the sauce will take on an aioli-like vibe. It's great for dipping crudite, spreading on a sandwich in place of mayo, or serving alongside these tingly Szechuan tater tots.
Dairy-Free Sour Cream
Mix the make-ahead cream with a little hot sauce, lime juice, and chopped cilantro to drizzle over a tray of nachos. Or, keep it simple and solo, and scoop it on top of a baked sweet potato. You could even maybe even dollop it into this 5-ingredient vegetarian weeknight chili.
Salad Dressing
No need to bust out the ranch when you’ve got this on hand. To the cream, add a handful of fresh chopped parsley, chives, and dill, with a little juice and zest from a lemon, and it practically tastes like the “real” stuff. Or swirl in a spoonful of spicy harissa and toss into a hearty kale salad.
A Quick Dip
If you’re looking to entertain a crowd, combine a cup of the cashew cream with two caramelized onions, a splash of sherry vinegar, freshly chopped chives, and lots of salt and pepper, and serve with plenty of chips to make secretly vegan crowd-pleaser. Or add a drizzle of honey and some Dijon mustard, and pair with some polenta fries.
With endless possibilities, this jack-of-all-trades sauce may quickly become your go-to weeknight dinner companion, as it has mine. And, since it only takes five minutes to make, you’ll have plenty of time to make that cute little red cape to tie onto this superhero.
| 1 | cup raw cashews |
| 3/4 | cup water |
| 1/2 | cup neutral oil (like grapeseed, safflower or sunflower oil) |
| 2 | tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons salt |
| 1 | cup raw cashews |
| 3/4 | cup water |
| 1/2 | cup neutral oil (like grapeseed, safflower or sunflower oil) |
| 2 | tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons salt |
Written by: Grant Melton
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13 Comments
- i have never used oil in cashew cream, been making it for years so definitely optional
Uses:
- whisk into a soup at the end of cooking for a “cream of” style soup
- make it thick and use in place of bechamel for dairy free lasagna
- as a base for dairy free alfredo or added to tomato based sauce for a vodka sauce
- for vegan ceasar dressing
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