No-Soak Nutritarian Cheese Sauce

Cheese.

You’re going to miss it when you adopt Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live program.

Maybe you haven’t been able to go fully nutritarian because you think you can’t give it up.

It’s not your fault!   Because cheese is scientifically proven to be addictive.

It has large concentrations of an opiate called casein–it’s literally like a hit of morphine, giving a calming effect (meant for nursing infant cows).

So, next time you find yourself hovering around the cheese tray, just think of yourself fastened to a morphine drip.  Except, it’s also making you fatter.

Cheese is one of the absolute worse foods for our health.  It has ten times the saturated fat as meat.

It’s critical to stay away, folks.

So, what’s a cheese-avoiding- (but-missing-desperately-) nutritarian to do?  How about make an absolutely delicious plant-based cheese sauce instead?  Sound good?

I get it if you’re skeptical at first–I mean you are a cheese addict after all 🙂

Why don’t you check out this quick how-to video to get you jazzed up for all the cheese-sauce-goodness to come:

I hope you’re inspired to give this whole dairy-free-cheese-sauce-thing a try after that video!  Because this recipe is a serious game-changer when you’re just starting out in this lifestyle and something you’re going to want handy in your arsenal of hey!-this-actually-tastes-good nutritarian recipes!

Let’s Make All the Good Things Better

I’ve talked about this a lot before but it’s a point that begs to be re-emphasized at every turn:

Sauces and dressings will make or break your compliance to this lifestyle.

As a nutritarian we aim to eat 1 pound raw and 1 pound cooked veggies daily.  For the average person just starting out that going from likely very little veggie intake to a whole lot of veggies.  And to make that massively-good-for-you transition to a high-veg, high-nutrient lifestyle you have to have an arsenal of health-promoting sauces, dressings, dips and spreads.

That means condiments that don’t have refined oils, don’t have loads of added sodium and offer the flavor you need to eat BIG.

If you want to know the crowning jewel of nutritarian sauces in my life, it’s this cheese sauce right here.

7 Simple (and Unexpected) Ingredients

The simple ingredients above don’t look like they’re going to make anything even resembling cheese.  I know, I know…

Have a little faith.  I promise when you taste this sauce you’re going to be a plant-based-cheese-believer!

But let’s temper those cheese-spectations for a hot minute.

Because if you’re coming off a serious SAD (Standard American Diet) and used to having dairy cheese daily, this No-Soak Nutritarian Cheese Sauce isn’t going to hit those same buttons in your brain.

And that’s okay.

If it makes you mad to think of this as a “cheese” sauce, then just think of it as a really tasty “red pepper sauce” until you have so many cheese-less days stacked behind you that you really can love hard on what this cheese sauce (er, I mean red pepper sauce) brings to the table!

You’ll get there!

The Beauty of Not Having to Soak Your Nuts

This fact right here is what sets this vegan cheese sauce apart from others of its kind.  Because we don’t always have the time or the foresight to soak our cashews or almonds (yes, either can work in this recipe).  All you need to make this cheese sauce happen are a few pantry staples, some lemon juice and s few spices.

You’re going to need a high-speed blender.

It takes about 3 to 4 minutes of blending time, till the sauce is slightly heated and you can see light steam coming out of the top.  That’s the trade off for not pre-soaking your nuts–a longer blend time.

It ends up with this gorgeous bright orange color–from the roasted red peppers.  If you add more peppers, it gets more orange, and vice versa.

I happen to love the flavor from the roasted red peppers (I use these from Trader Joe’s), but if you’re not a fan, stick to the lower recommendation of 1/4th cup.

Some of the Infinite Ways to Love on This Nutritarian Cheese Sauce:

• bean pasta (here are some of my favorite brands)
• steamed colorful potatoes (learn more about potatoes here)
• drizzled over steamed greens: kale, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, Brussels sprouts, chard (really any cooked veggie)
• in this Cheesy Kale Casserole

And I can’t wait to learn all the ways you’re going to make this cheese sauce your own!

4.9 from 19 votes

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Nutritarian Cashew Cheese Sauce

Curb your cheese cravings while you're on Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live plan with this delicious plant-based, no oil, no-added-salt, vegan cheese sauce!

Course Sauce

Cuisine American, Mexican

Prep Time 1 minute

Cook Time 4 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 8 1/4 cup servings

Author Kristen Hong

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup raw cashews or raw almonds (no soaking required)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

1. Decide on your level of red peppers: Minimum recommendation is 1/4 cup. I personally like my sauce brighter with more red pepper flavor so I use 1/2 cup.  Make sure you drain and rinse the peppers well.
   

2. Place all the ingredients in your high-speed blender and secure lid.  Make sure to use your hot soup lid that allows steam to escape.
   

3. Start your blender and gradually (over 1 minute) increase the speed until you reach your highest setting. 
   

4. Blend on high for another 2 to 3 minutes or until you see steam begin to rise in a steady stream out of the vent.
   

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Makes just over 2 cups.

Stores for up to 10 days in a glass Mason jar in the fridge. 

There is no added salt in this cheese sauce.

There is salt in Trader Joe's roasted red peppers, so rinse the peppers well before adding.  If you can roast and skin your own peppers--all the better!

I can’t wait to hear what you think of this No-Soak Nutritarian Cheese Sauce recipe!  Please leave a rating and comment below!