Nut Free Vegan Queso with Rotel

Making cheese dip with velveeta cheese and a can of Rotel is common place where I come from. Like every “taco” night include that queso. Every pot luck had it simmering away in a crock pot.

It is easy, and back in the day I thought it was delicious.

This vegan queso isn’ that…but it does have a can of Rotel in it, and it is delicious!

Rotel, diced tomatoes and chilies

If you are not familiar with Rotel, its basically just canned tomatoes and chilies. It comes in a variety of spicy heat levels, from mild to habaneros. So you can choose which level of spice you like!

I keep a few cans of rotel in my pantry mostly out of habit, but also because it is delicious and easily adds that spicy zip to queso, chili, enchiladas, and more! You could use a can of diced tomatoes and a small can of diced chilis if that is all you can find! It would work as well.

I make a lot of varieties of vegan queso, cashew being my base staple, and even already have a white “cheese” sunflower queso recipe on the site, but I wanted to make something more cheddar like, with some kick and some bite.

So I pulled out a can of Rotel and decide to use some sunflower seeds to make this vegan queso more affordable, allergy friendly, and super easy!

As much as I adore my original cashew queso recipe , I think this is a new family favorite. I like that it is a little spicier than my other quesos, but just as creamy, cheesy gooey, and delicious! Even my husband who normally isn’t a fan of spicy stuff, loved this queso….so if it’s Dave tested and approved, then trust me (errr him,) its good!!!

So give this vegan sunflower seed queso a try! I think you will be happy you did!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, plus water for soaking

• 1 can of Rotel

• 1 Rotel cans worth of water (just fill the can after you dump out the tomatoes)

• 2 tablespoon tapioca starch

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 2 tablespoons sauerkraut, no liquid (you can sub wit 2 teaspoons miso paste as well)

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

• 1 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons smoke paprika

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place sunflower seeds in a microwave safe container and cover with water. Microwave for 3 minutes. You can also soak the seeds in hot water for a few hours if you do not own a microwave.

2. Drain the water from the seeds. Add the seeds and remaining ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor .

3. Blend until completely smooth and liquefied, with no bits of seeds still visible.

4. Transfer the mixture to a medium sized pot and heat over med /low heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens to a queso consistency. Remove from heat once it has reached desired consistency. It will continue to thicken as it heats. if you get it too thick you can add a bit more water to thin it back out.

5. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can reheat this queso a microwave, or on the stove top. Once again, if it seems too thick when you reheat, you can add a splash of water or plant milk to thin it back out.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Easy Vegan All Purpose Cheese Sauce

Vegan Smoky Sunflower Cheddar

Vegan Cashew Queso

Vegan Matzah Oven Nachos

Matzah Matzah Matzah…You can actually do a lot with matzah if you are forced to eat it for a week!

But even if you don’t celebrate passover, matzah still makes a nice crunchy base for vegan nachos.

I actually get really excited about these nachos! Sometimes its just fun to change it up!

These nachos are covered in our gooey spicy, cashew queso, and topped with the yummiest tofu!

I love this recipe most because you built the nachos on a giant sheet pan, making them great for dinner parties or easy weeknight dinners!

They also make a great quick snack if your teenager comes home with a gaggle of hungry friends, and I might be speaking from personal experience here. I mean, who doesn’t want to dig in to a GIANT pan of nachos? Its literally the stuff of my dreams.

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INGREDIENTS:

• 5-6 sheets of matzah

• 1/2 batch vegan cashew queso (If you are celebrating passover, substitute with a passover appropriate option or omit the nutritional yeast in the recipe. It will still be tasty)

• A handful of shredded lettuce

• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes

• 1/4 cup sliced olives

• A few tablespoon sliced green onions

• 1 can refried beans

• 2 avocados

• Juice from 1/2 lime

• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

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MARINATED TOFU:

• 1 block of extra firm tofu

• 1/4 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos

• 1 teaspoons onion powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

• 1-2 teaspoons agave or maple syrup

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Drain tofu and wrap in a few paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Place a few books on top and let sit for 10 minutes to press out any excess liquid.

2. Dice the tofu into small 1/2 inch cubes. Whisk the ingredients for the marinade in a shallow baking dish and add the tofu. Allow the tofu to marinate for 10-15 minutes.

3. For the guacamole, scoop the avocados from the peel into a small bowl. Mash the avocado using a fork until they are relatively smooth. Add the lime juice, cumin, and chili powder and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

4. While tofu is marinating prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with foil or parchment paper. Break up the pieces of matzah and scatter them on the pan. Dollop the beans over the matzah. Set aside.

5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu along with the marinade to the pan and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed and the tofu begins to brown and and crisp.

6. Scatter the tofu over the matzah and drizzle with the queso cheese sauce. Place the pan in the oven for about 10 minutes. The nachos just need to say in long enough to heat the beans and warm the queso.

7. Remove from oven and top with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, onions, and guacamole to serve.

Vegan "Meaty" Cheddar Queso

In college I waited tables at popular casual dinning restaurant. Not naming names, but one of our jingles involved baby baby ribs, and customers thought it was hilarious to ask us to sing it.

But hey, the job got me through college!

One of our most popular appetizers was a chili queso dip in a skillet, and I probably ate my weight in this dip before I was vegan. I have not eaten that dip in forever, but I think of it often and knew I needed to try and create a vegan version.

This one did not disappoint, and I can still eat my weight in it! You can use any store bought meatless crumble, vegan sausage, or you could even use your own vegan crumble recipe.

I love to roll up warm flour tortillas and dip them into this cheesy, spicy, magic! It also makes a delicious enchilada or quesadilla filling!

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INGREDIENTS:

Cashew Queso:

• 1 bag of frozen spicy meatless crumbles or vegan sausage (we like Beyond Meat brand, but use your favorite) or one package of vegan chorizo ( I like Trader Joe’s soy chorizo)

• 1 cup cashews soaked in hot water for one hour or microwaved for 3 minutes

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 2 teaspoons of miso paste or 2 tablespoons sauerkraut with out the juice

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon of turmeric

• 1 - 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1/4 cup of tapioca/corn starch or arrow root powder

• 2 cups of water

• 1 small can of chili peppers

• a few shakes of favorite hot sauce

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COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add all ingredients except the, crumbles, chilis and hot sauce to a high speed blender or food processor.

2. Process and blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth (no lumps at all).

3. Transfer the mixture to a medium size pot and cook on medium heat, stirring with a whisk continually until the mixture thickens.

4. Once the queso gets to a pudding like texture remove it from the heat and mix in the chilis and hot sauce.

5. Heat the crumbles in a pan until cooked.

6. In a baking dish or smalls cast iron skillet, combine the queso and cooked crumbles. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

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Serve with chips, rolled tortillas, or veggies. Add to burritos or enchiladas. 

My favorite vegan cookbook is “Veganize It!” by Robin Robertson. I adapted her recipe for cashew “cheese” sauce and created this queso. If you omit the hot sauce and chiles, and meat you will be left with a very versatile cheddar “cheese” sauce.