1-Preparing Your Cashews: First, soak the cashews in boiling water for 5 minutes up to an hour, then drain and discard the soaking water. This step is crucial for achieving a smooth, creamy texture. The hot water softens the nuts, making them easier to blend thoroughly. If you’re using a regular blender instead of a high-powered one, you’ll want to soak the cashews for the full hour (or even overnight in cool water) to ensure they blend completely smooth.

2-Blending to Perfection: Once your cashews are softened, it’s time to blend. Add the soaked cashews to a high-powered blender along with 3/4 cup fresh water, the jalapeño (stem removed), lemon or lime juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, salt, and black pepper. Blend on high until very smooth and thick, scraping the sides as needed. This process may take a few minutes, so be patient and keep blending until you reach that silky consistency.

If your sauce is too thick for your liking, adjust the consistency by adding more water a tablespoon at a time until desired thickness is achieved. Taste the sauce and season with additional salt or lemon juice if necessary. Remember, you can always add more seasoning, but you can’t take it away, so start with the recommended amounts and adjust to your taste.

3-Using Your Cashew Cheese Sauce: The beauty of this sauce is its versatility in serving methods. For pasta, toss the sauce with warm cooked noodles without heating. The residual heat from the pasta will warm the sauce perfectly without compromising its texture. This method works beautifully with any pasta shape, from spirals to penne to linguine. Check out our delicious pasta salad recipe for a cold dish option that pairs wonderfully with this sauce.

For a dip or nachos, warm the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat while whisking until thick and warm. Heating thickens the sauce and improves texture when used as a dip or on nachos. This makes it perfect for movie nights, parties, or anytime you’re craving a cheesy comfort food. It also works great as a sauce for Mexican-inspired dishes, adding a creamy element that complements the bold flavors.