Mexican Queso Dip/Sauce #2 (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free)

This is the dairy-free version of my favorite Mexican cheese dip (original recipe is here) and I have to say that it comes out really close to the original flavor and texture!

This was quite amazing to me, considering that the original Queso Dip is really one big dairy feast, and this one has no dairy whatsoever in it!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of diary-free sour cream (cultured for about 18 hrs. and then briefly drained to thicken)

1/4 cup Rejuvelac

1/2 cup of cashew milk or Mimic Cream

1/3 cup raw macadamia nuts  (or macadamia flour/butter if not using a high powered blender)

3 tbsp. sliced jalapeno juice

2 tsp jalapeno slices (chopped if not using a high powered blender) - or more if you like it spicier

2 tsp chicken or vegetable stock bouillon powder

1 large egg (vegan: replace with 1 tbsp of cornstarch and 3 tbsp of water)

3/4 cup of meltable vegan/dairy-free cheeses (I used half Daya cheddar and half cheddar flavor rice shreds in my latest batch, but any meltable dairy-free cheeses will work.  I have also used my homemade meltable nut cheeses  successfully in this!)

Sea Salt to taste

Vitamix Instructions:

Add everything to the Vitamix, go to variable 1, then up to 7 quickly,  then process on high for 7 minutes. The mix should resemble the consistency of hot cheese sauce.

If it doesn’t thicken (somewhat depends on how much thickening agent your cheeses have,) add 2 tsp of corn starch (or tapioca starch, or potato starch, or agar powder) and process for a further 2 minutes or until thickened.

You can now use this sauce as a cheese sauce (over enchiladas or such) or cool down to room temperature and then cover and chill overnight for a thick Queso dip (it will thicken as it chills!)

Stovetop Instructions:

First off, you will likely not get as smooth of an end result as you do with a commercial blender, as the macadamias add a lot of the creaminess and the high speed processing adds a little “fluffiness”. However, you still get a pretty decent tasting cheese sauce!

Let’s get started!

Add the dairy-free sour cream, Rejuvelac, the cashew milk, the macadamia flour/butter , the jalapeno juice, jalapeno pieces, stock powder and egg to a saucepan. Whisk to combine and heat under constant stirring on medium heat until slightly thickened.

Once it has thickened a little, add the cheese shreds and continue to stir until all the cheese is melted into the sauce.

Taste the mix and add salt if needed.

You can now use this sauce as a cheese sauce (over enchiladas or such) or cool down to room temperature and then cover and chill overnight for a thick Queso dip (it will thicken as it chills!)

Recipe and substitution notes:

1.) If you prefer, you can omit the chopped jalapeno slices at the beginning of the recipe and add them once your sauce is thick at the very end. It gives your Queso dip a tad more texture, especially if you are making the dip in the Vitamix.

2.) I have not tried making it with other nuts, so I don’t know if it works. Chances are that you will get a completely different result, so experiment at your own risk.

3.) Macadamias are an important addition here. They provide a lot of the creaminess, so if you substitute with something else, chances are the result will just not be the same! Having said that though, cashews may come the closest in creaminess and would make a "close enough" kind of substitute.
4.) To make this dish vegan, replace chicken bouillon with vegetable bouillon and replace the egg with 1 tbsp of corn starch and 3 tbsp of water.

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