Vegan Queso Dip

Vegan Queso Dip recipe is made with vegetables, making it sneakily healthy. It’s a terrific appetizer for holiday parties, and it's a great snack for game day. Open a bag of chips and dig in!

This flavorful dairy-free cheese is also terrific when poured over a baked potato or drizzled on tacos. It can even be used as a sauce for a spicy non-dairy mac and cheese! This easy recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

Vegan Queso Dip

Queso dip is the ultimate snack food. It was one of my favorites in my pre-vegan days. I fondly remember noshing on it on Friday nights while watching Scully and Mulder chase aliens years ago.

After ditching dairy, I lived without it for a while. I’m pretty sure my system went it shock the early post-queso days, but thankfully, dairy-free queso is easy to make, and my taste buds are happy that it’s back.

The base of this Vegan Queso Dip is carrots, cauliflower, and onion, along with a handful of cashews. To give it flavor, I’ve used nutritional yeast, spices, and TABASCO® Original Red Sauce.

How to Make Vegan Queso:

This recipe is super easy to make!

• First, you place the vegetables in a pot with enough water to cover them. Bring it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. You want the vegetables to be fork tender.
• Next, you drain the vegetables and save the water. Allow them to cool for a few minutes.
• Then, you blend the vegetables along with half of the tomatoes, the spices, a cup of the reserved water, and the TABASCO® Original Red Sauce in a food processor or high-speed blender.
• Now, you return the sauce back to the pot. Add the rest of the tomatoes and the chiles. Simmer it for a few minutes, until it’s heated throughout.
• Serve the dip warm, with a little more TABASCO® Sauce swirled in.
• Watch it disappear!

TABASCO®

I’ve used TABASCO® Original Red Sauce in this recipe, because it enhances the flavors of the dip without overpowering it. I really like that it’s made with just three ingredients: aged red peppers, salt, and distilled vinegar. The fact that it’s non-gmo and gluten-free is a huge bonus.

While I frequently use TABASCO® Sauce as a condiment on everything from tofu scramble to tacos, it’s also a great ingredient that can be used in the cooking process to add flavor. It has zero calories, so pour on as much as you like!

Several Varieties

Most people know the classic TABASCO® Original Red Sauce, but did you know that there are several other varieties? The Chipotle Pepper Sauce is made with smoke-dried jalapeno peppers, and it brings a balance of smoke and heat to foods, and it works well in marinades. The Green Sauce is my favorite. It’s made with jalapenos, and it has just the right amount of heat. It’s the perfect condiment for Mexican food.

TABASCO® sauces have been a favorite for years—in fact, this year is their 150^thanniversary! Every bottle of TABASCO® sauce comes out of Avery Island, Louisiana.

Serving your Vegan Queso

Vegan Queso is sure to be the hit at your next get-together. Serve it with cut veggies at your holiday party or your New Year’s Eve soiree. Pair it with chips for game day snacking. Leave the TABASCO® bottle out with your snack spread, so your guests can flavor their food to their liking.

No one will guess that this dip made with vegetables. I've served it at potlucks and parties, and even omnivores were surprised that this creamy dip is dairy-free!

Vegan Queso is also delicious over a baked potato or on tacos, and it can be used to make a spicy mac and cheese!

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Vegan Queso

Dianne

This Vegan Queso is made with vegetables, making it sneakily healthy. TABASCO® Sauce gives it a big flavor boost. It’s a terrific dip for holiday parties and game day snacking. Open a bag of chips and dig in!This recipe makes about 2 cups of dip. A serving size is 2 tablespoons

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 32 servings

Calories 20 kcal

Ingredients

  

• ½ cup chopped carrot (about 1 medium-sized or 2 small carrots)
• 1 heaping cup chopped cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• ¼ cup raw cashews
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes drained, divided
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons TABASCO® Original Red Sauce more to taste
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles drained
• Jalapeno slices for serving, optional

Instructions

 

• Place the carrots, onion, cauliflower, and cashews in a large pot. Fill it with enough water to cover the vegetables plus about two inches.
• Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork tender.
• Drain the vegetables and save the water. Allow the vegetables to cool slightly and then place them in a high-speed blender or food processor along with ¾ cup of the diced tomatoes, nutritional yeast, garlic, TABASCO® Sauce, cornstarch, apple cider vinegar, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Add 1 cup of the reserved cooking water and blend until smooth and creamy. Add a little more water if the mixture is too thick. Keep in mind that it will thicken when it’s heated.
• Pour the sauce in a medium-sized sauce pan and place it over medium-high heat. Add the remining diced tomatoes and the diced green chiles. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat and allow to thicken slightly.
• Remove from heat. Swirl in a little extra TABASCO® Sauce, and garnish with jalapeno slices, if using. Serve warm with cut veggies, tortilla chips, or crackers.

More dip recipes you might enjoy include:

• Buffalo Chickpea Dip from The Main Street Vegan Academy Cookbook
• Garlicky White Bean Dip
• Five Layer Dip
• Roasted Garlic Hummus