Name: The Best Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons vegetable shortening or palm oil; 1 small onion, thinly sliced; 2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground paprika; 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder; 1 chipotle pepper packed in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce; 4 ounces russet potato (about 1/2 medium), peeled and thinly sliced; 4 ounces roasted cashews (about 1 cup); 1/2 cup water; 1/2 cup almond milk; 1 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Frank's); 2 teaspoons pickling liquid from a can of pickled jalapeño peppers (plus peppers, to taste); Kosher salt to taste

The Best Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe

A thick, creamy, tangy, gooey vegan nacho sauce made with supermarket staples. Perfect for dipping or topping nachos, baked potatoes, veggie burgers, or macaroni and cheese.

25 min total 5 min prep 20 min cook 8 196 cal

Instructions

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1 Melt shortening in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeños and cook, stirring, until completely softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and chipotle (with sauce). Cook, stirring, until fragrant and mixture starts to sizzle, about 1 minute.
2 Add potatoes and cashews and cook, stirring, until cashews are lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add water and almond milk. Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, until potatoes are fully tender, about 10 minutes.
3 Transfer mixture to the jar of a high-powered blender. Add hot sauce, jalapeño pickling liquid, and a pinch of salt. Start on low speed and slowly increase speed to high. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, about 2 minutes, adding water a few drops at a time as necessary to thin to desired consistency. Season to taste with more salt.
4 Press mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, using the bottom of a ladle to get it through. Cheese sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 1 week. To reheat, microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, or reheat in a small pan on the stovetop, stirring constantly, and adding extra water to loosen sauce as necessary.