Cilantro Cashew Dressing

The cashews have a neutral flavor and when softened, they can be blended into a dairy-free, oil-free, plant-based dressing or sauce.  For more cashew-based sauces, try vegan honey mustard (oil-free), vegan chipotle sauce, cashew ranch dressing, or vegan dijon cashew dressing.

The lime juice gives the cilantro lime cashew cream a little tang, while the crushed red pepper gives the dressing just a hint of heat.  The fresh herbs are the predominant flavor of the sauce and give it a beautiful green color. Give the sauce a try on my lentil walnut taco meat, vegan taco bowl, or vegan southwest sweet potato bowl with black beans, corn, and tomatoes.

For more dairy-free salad dressing recipes, check out our post for vegan oil-free dressings.

Options for soaking cashews

Soak overnight: Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with water, stick the container in the refrigerator to soak overnight.  This method soaks the cashews more uniformly but takes the longest.

Soaking in hot water: soak for about 15-30 minutes (or as long as possible) in hot water.  To do this boil enough water to cover the cashews.  Then turn off the heat once it reaches a boil, then pour the hot water over the cashews or add the cashews to the hot water. If the water from your faucet gets hot enough that can also be used.  The longer you soak the cashews, the softer they will be.  The hot water quickens the softening of the cashews, but the overnight method softens them more uniformly.

I have heard of some people suggesting boiling the cashews for 10-15 minutes to soften them, but I’ve personally never done this. 

If you forget to soak the nuts overnight, any amount of time is better than none.  The worst that will happen is the cashew cilantro dressing won’t be as smooth.  For the smoothest sauce, soak the nuts overnight and use a high-speed blender. 

How to Make Cilantro Lime Crema

The first thing you have to do is soak the cashews.  Once the nuts have softened, add them and the rest of the ingredients to a blender.  Blend until you have a smooth creamy dressing.  You may have to stop the blender and scrape down the sides as needed.  It’s really that easy.  If you prefer a thinner consistency, add a couple more tablespoons of water.

Tips and Adjustments

• If you prefer no heat, leave out the crushed red pepper.
• For a thinner consistency, add a tablespoon of water, then blend, and add more if needed.
• If you prefer an even more cilantro flavor, add more cilantro.

Storage

Store leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Cashew sauces thicken once chilled in the refrigerator, add a little bit of water to thin back out if needed.

More vegan cashew dressings/sauces

• Vegan Chipotle Sauce
• Vegan Oil-Free Ranch Dressing