Raw Vegan Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Super rich and creamy with a hint of sharpness, this vegan cheddar cheese sauce comes pretty close to its dairy-based counterpart (just without all the bad stuff). This walnut-based cheddar cheese sauce is just another proof of how tasty and easy making healthier cheeses can be! Try it over freshly spiralized zucchini “zoodles” for a perfectly delectable raw pasta lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (110 g) walnuts
• 5 halves sun-dried tomatoes, dry (you can use those packed in oil too though the sauce will no longer be oil-free)
• 2 cups (480 ml) filtered water for soaking
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) mellow (shiro) miso (use chickpea miso for a soy-free version or sub ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt for a raw/paleo version)
• ¾ cup (180 ml) almond milk (or other milk of choice)
• ¼ cup (15 g) nutritional yeast
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• juice of ½ lemon (ca. 20 ml) or to taste (a little bit of vinegar should work too)

Instructions

1. Soak the walnuts and dried tomatoes in filtered water for about 8 hours (don’t soak the tomatoes if using the ones packed in oil). I like to do this overnight. If you’re in a hurry, you can use my quick soaking trick to cut down the soaking time.
2. Drain the nuts an tomatoes and rinse them. Chop the tomatoes and transfer to a food processor or a high speed blender along with the nuts.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. You can leave a little bit of texture if you like or blend the sauce to extra smoothness. Stop the processor and scrape the sides as needed to make sure you mix everything thoroughly. Serve over pasta, gnocchi, zucchini noodles or as a dip or even a spread.