This is the classic of The Healing Kitchen cheese collection — a rich, golden, deeply savory cashew cheese sauce built on a foundation that appears again and again in plant-based cooking: raw cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic, onion, nutritional yeast, and a starch to thicken. What makes this version distinct is the pimiento — roasted red peppers that add sweetness, color, and a gentle complexity that transforms a good cashew sauce into an exceptional one. Three steps: blend, cook, thicken. The result is a versatile sauce that works on pasta, nachos, baked vegetables, grain bowls, or anywhere a rich, creamy cheese sauce belongs.
🌿 The Healing Ingredients
- Raw Cashews (⅔ cup) — The foundation of the sauce’s creaminess. Raw cashews blended with water produce an extraordinarily smooth, neutral-flavored cream that provides the body, richness, and fat of a traditional cheese sauce without any dairy. Rich in monounsaturated fats, magnesium, zinc, and copper. → Shop Cashews, Whole | Shop Cashews, Whole 320s, Organic | Shop Cashews, Large Pieces, Organic | Shop Cashews, Large Pieces
- Pimientos / Roasted Red Peppers (4 Tbsp.) — Adds natural sweetness, vivid golden-orange color, and a gentle roasted complexity that distinguishes this sauce from plain cashew cheese. Red peppers are exceptionally rich in vitamin C (3× more than oranges) and beta-carotene.
- Nutritional Yeast (¼ cup, optional) — The source of this sauce’s cheese-like flavor. Rich in B vitamins, selenium, and beta-glucan fiber. → Shop Yeast Flakes, Nutritional, Organic | Shop Yeast Flakes, Nutritional w/B-12, Red Star
- Fresh Lemon Juice — Provides the bright acidity that mimics dairy’s natural tang, balancing the richness of the cashews.
- Onion Powder & Garlic Powder — The savory flavor backbone of the sauce. → Shop Organic Onion Granules | Shop Organic Garlic Granules
- Corn Starch (2 TB) — Thickens the sauce to a glossy, coating consistency when cooked over medium heat.
📖 The Three-Step Method
Blend everything until completely smooth — a full 60–90 seconds in a high-speed blender. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The cornstarch activates as the sauce heats, thickening it from a thin liquid to a thick, glossy, coating sauce. Continue cooking and stirring until the desired thickness is reached. The sauce continues to thicken slightly as it cools.
📋 The Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup Raw cashews
- 2 cups Water
- 4 Tbsp. Pimientos (red peppers)
- 1 Tbsp. Onion powder
- 2 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 2 TB Corn starch
- ¼ cup Nutritional yeast (optional)
Directions
- Blend until smooth.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Continue cooking until thickened.
💡 Tips & Serving Ideas
For the smoothest sauce, blend for the full 90 seconds. Stir continuously during cooking; the cornstarch can settle and scorch if left unattended. The sauce thickens more as it cools — remove from heat while slightly thinner than the desired final consistency. Serve over pasta, as a nacho dip, over roasted broccoli or cauliflower, or alongside plant-based burgers. Refrigerates well for up to 5 days; reheat gently with a splash of water.
Part of The Healing Kitchen series at Black Hills Health Retreat.
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