Cashew Cilantro Sauce

5 from 1 vote

This creamy vegan Cashew Cilantro Sauce is a great for tacos or a flavorful appetizer dip! It's made with garlic, jalapeno, and lime juice.

Prep Time15

Soaking Time:2

Total Time2 15

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan

Keyword: cilantro lime sauce, cilantro sauce for tacos, vegan cashew sauce

Servings:

Calories: 73kcal

Author: Christine Rooney

Equipment

Food Processor or high quality blender

Ingredients

1 cup cashews raw, unsalted
1-2 cloves garlic
½ cup water
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper seeds removed for less heat
½ heaping cup cilantro
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Soak The Cashews:

Place 1 cup of raw, unsalted cashews in a small bowl. Top with enough water to cover the cashews.
Allow the cashews to soak for 2 hours at room temperature.
The cashews may soak for a few extra hours if needed. Do not allow them to soak too long, or they may become slimy.
After 2 hours, drain the cashews and rinse with cold water.

To Make The Sauce:

Peel 1-2 cloves (depending on how strong of a garlic flavor you prefer) of garlic and cut them in half.
Cut 1 jalapeno pepper in half and remove the seeds and membranes for less heat. Chop the jalapeno into chunks.
Roughly chop a heaping ½ cup of fresh cilantro.
Place the rinsed cashews, garlic cloves, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, ½ tsp. kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper into a food processor or blender. Pulse all of the ingredients a few times.
Slowly pour ½ cup of water and 3 Tbsp. lime juice into the food processor or blender. Puree the mixture until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
See notes below on achieving your desired sauce consistency.
Taste and add a bit more salt if needed.
To Serve: Serve on top of tacos or any of your favorite Mexican inspired dishes. Alternately, this sauce can be served as a dip with chips or fresh veggies, drizzled on roasted vegetables, or used as a spread on a sandwich or burger.

Notes

Make sure that the cashews used to make this sauce are raw and unsalted. Choose a brand that is gluten free if gluten is an issue for you.

A food processor or blender may be used to make this sauce. For a creamier sauce, use a high quality blender.

To make the sauce creamier, try soaking the cashews a few extra hours. Alternately, you can puree the mixture for longer in your food processor and make sure it set to the 'Puree' setting.

Nutrition