Savoury Cashew Cream

This savoury cashew cream is a perfectly tangy, silky smooth, creamy addition to your toast, nachos, topping on a stew, or soup. You can also use it in place of hummus, other dips, or sour cream.

We love it because it’s just so versatile! This recipe was developed to be the perfect addition to our vegan borscht but quickly became a staple addition for so many other applications.

What is cashew cream made of?

• Raw cashews – they are the hero of this recipe. They provide the perfect base for a great cream. Neutral in taste, they can thicken up anything. Out of all the nuts, they blend up to a creamy consistency the fastest and easiest.
• Lemon juice – this provides the tangy background notes to add a bit of bite to the cashew cream. Please use freshly squeezed lemon juice if you have access to it.
• Apple cider vinegar – alongside the lemon juice, the ACV will bring that “sour” and different tangy notes to the cream.
• Garlic powder – for a great savoury flavour boost and garlicky humm.
• Nutritional yeast – it provides the cheesy and savoury notes and more complexity to the cream.
• Salt – to balance out the flavours and bring them out.

How can this savoury cashew cream be used?

As I mentioned previously, there’s a variety of ways that it can be used, including:

• On top of nachos.
• Smeared on bread as a savoury spread (as pictured above).
• Used as a dip for veggies and corn chips.
• Used in place of sour cream – for example topping borscht soup, lentil stew, on top of gibanica, mushroom fajitas, or use to top your Buddha bowl or burrito bowl.
• Thinned out with water and used as a salad dressing.
• Stirred into soup to thicken it.
• Added to a wrap (in place of hummus).
• In place of plant-based yoghurt or sour cream in some dishes.
• Spread on savoury crepes.

This is only a small number of possibilities. I’d love to hear how you use it in the comments below!

Some tips for making this quick cashew cream

• How long will my cashew cream last in the fridge? It’s best consumed within 3 days and kept in the fridge.
• For added umami and kick, stir in some Dijon mustard. This is what we do for topping our borscht. It’s divine!
• Use a high-speed blender for this recipe. If you don’t have one, soak the cashews in cold water for at least 6 hours (ideally overnight) or in boiling water for 15-20 minutes. If you want to speed up the process even more, boil them for 10 minutes until soft. Discard the water and they’re ready for use.
• For a firmer consistecy, place in the fridge before use.
• If you want a little added flavour, you can mix in herbs. Chives, parsley, rosemary, dill, or basil all work really well.
• Cashew cream turned out grainy? No problem. Blend it for longer and add a splash of water to loosen it if you think it’s a little too thick to blend.

This cashew cream is:

• Soy-free
• Gluten-free
• Sugar-free
• Paleo
• Dairy-free
• Quick and easy to make
• Very versatile!

Other recipes you’ll love:

1. Simple Creamy Vegan White Sauce
2. Easy Vegan Brown Lentil Stew
3. Easy Garlic Parsley Sauce
4. Healthy Vegan Green Goddess Dressing
5. Romesco Dip (Gluten-Free)
6. Marinated Vegan Bocconcini (Mozzarella Cheese)

If you try this recipe, let me know! We’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagram or share your photo of the recipe on Pinterest. 

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