Giving up dairy cream and butter is not a sacrifice when there are so many nutritious alternatives that are easy and delicious. Follow this recipe exactly, or play around with various combinations of nuts, beans, and vegetables. You can't get it wrong . . .
Prep Time | 10 min |
Cook Time | 0 min |
Servings |
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Ingredients
- 15 oz canned white beans of choice substitute riced cauliflower, tofu, pumpkin or squash
- 1 cups raw cashews, soaked substitute almonds, walnuts or other nut; pumpkin, sesame or sunflower seeds; tahini or unsweetened yogurt/kefir
- 1/2 cup red onion substitute sweet or green onion, or 1 Tbsp. onion powder
- 2 cloves garlic substitute 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 4 tsp. apple cider vinegar substitute other vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp spices optional: consider Italian seasoning, curry or chili powder, cumin, dill, ginger, horseradish, turmeric, cilantro, etc.
- 1 cup water optional: amount will vary based on desired consistency
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Place all ingredients except for the optional spices in a high speed blender. Omit the water if you want to create a thick dip similar to cream cheese. Blend until creamy and smooth. Add water to achieve desired consistency.
- Taste test. If it doesn't "WOW!" your taste buds, add another pinch of salt. Once you are satisfied with the base, add desired spices to create Asian, Mexican or Italian flare.
- Taste test again and add more seasoning if desired. Caution: let it sit for a minute between tastings. Allow the flavor to linger on your tongue. Take your time. Depending in how spicy your food is, less can be more. Cream sauce is meant to enhance the richness of your food, not stand alone for flavor (unless you're making a dip for raw veggies or bread--in that case, go for it!).
Colleen Kachmann is a health coach, writer, teacher, yogi, mother of 4 (+3 bonus stepkids), and personal chef. She has a B.S. in education from Indiana University, and a master of science in health coaching from International Health Coach University. She also successfully completed the Women’s Functional & Integrative Medicine Professional Training Program through the Women’s Integrative Medicine Institute. Buy her book on Amazon. Find her on Twitter Pinterest Instagram YouTube Facebook