Hot Nacho Cheez Dip (or Sauce)
This is a much lighter take on the vegan cheez dips that are usually made with a cashew base. This is made with vegetables - potatoes and carrots - with added flavourings to amp up the dip and make it cheezy. It also makes a great sauce for a vegan pasta dish or over cooked broccoli/cauliflower or a baked potato.
Adapted from original recipe here: https://www.hotforfoodblog.com/recipes/2015/1/22/nacho-cheese/
- 75 grams white or yellow potato, peeled and chopped (about 1/2c)
- 32 grams carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1/4c)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (we use sunflower)
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (soy, pea or oat* to keep it nut-free)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
- 2-3 pickled jalapeño slices
- 1 1/2 tablespoon jalapeño pickling liquid/brine
- 3/4 teaspoons arrowroot flour/powder (you may be able to use cornstarch here but I haven't tried it)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast ("nooch")
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
- Cook the veg
Boil the potatoes and carrots for 5-12 min until easily pierce with a fork but not falling apart, drain and continue with the next step while the veggies are still hot.
- Blend
Blend the still-hot veggies using a stick blender, a magic bullet or any other kind of blender/food processor you have. If you have a choice, I think the regular blender or magic bullet work slightly better. Add all the other ingredients and blend until smooth. You can add water or more non-dairy milk to make it runnier.
Serve immediately or, if you want to eat it later, reheat in the microwave or gently on the stove, possibly adding a touch more plant milk or water to get it to the consistency you like.
*don’t have any plant milk in the house? Whizz 1 part oats to 2 parts water in a blender, strain and use. For example: 2T oats to 1/4c water will produce about a 1/4c of oat milk once strained.
