Cashew Cream

If you’ve been following me on Facebook, you’ve probably realized that I am obsessed with cashew cream. Vegan or not, it’s an amazing non-dairy substitute for mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch dip, even hummus… Plus cashews are rich in minerals like copper and magnesium.

This savory version is my favorite. We like to eat it with sliced cucumber, carrots, celery and gluten-free crackers. You can also thin in out with a little water and mix in chopped fresh herbs to make a delicious salad dressing, or add some Bubbie’s horseradish to make an awesome horseradish cream that goes well with lamb.

A high speed blender, like Vitamix, is essential to get the creamy texture. If you don’t have one, you can make it in a standard blender with a little extra water as a salad dressing, which still tastes great with a little texture.

Ingredients:

• 1 c raw cashews, soaked overnight
• 1/2 c filtered water
• 1/2 t sea salt, divided
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Process:

Soak the cashews overnight with 1/4 tsp sea salt (If you don’t have time for that, you can get away with 30 minutes if you use boiling water).

Drain and rinse soaked cashews and combine them with fresh filtered water, remaining 1/4 tsp sea salt, and lemon juice. You can add a bit more or less water to achieve desired consistency. Blend well and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Note: For a sweet version that’s awesome with apples, substitute the lemon juice for 2 Tb maple syrup and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.