Healthy Vegan Queso
Cheezy Goodness
I love a good queso dip. And this queso is a creamy, melty, cheezy, heavenly concoction that just happens to be vegan!
My Healthy Vegan Queso is one of my new favorite snacks.
And an added bonus is that it literally comes together in less than 5 minutes. There's nothing better than a quick and delicious snack, that just happens to be healthy!
What is Queso?
If you've never heard of queso, it is a Mexican inspired dish of melted cheese sauce, sometimes with sauteed meat and/or tomatoes, chilies and onion, that goes perfectly with chips. This combination of chips and queso is literally addictive. There have been many times that I have been to a Tex-Mex restaurant and completely overloaded on chips and queso, so much so, that I don't actually feel hungry for my actual meal.
Queso is one of those dips that seems very finicky to make. There's all this cheese to melt, and watch to ensure it doesn't burn or get too thick and then impossible to dip into.
Chips and queso are also a universally acceptable snack for anytime that you are watching a major sporting event, like the Super Bowl. So I wanted to come up with a super quick and easy version of queso that comes together in minutes, and that you can feel good about eating.
Vegan Queso Tips
This queso uses coconut milk instead of dairy milk. It does give the queso a slight coconut flavor, but with the addition of your favorite salsa, it actually gives the queso a subtle sweetness, which is a great contrast with the spicy salsa.
I use the thickener tapioca flour in this queso. It is a fantastic thickener that doesn't leave your queso lumpy. You could also substitute it with cornstarch.
Queso is super versatile. Think of it as your cheezy, blank canvas that you can add you favorite flavors to. Here's some ideas:
- Fresh jalapenos, chopped tomatoes and red onion
- Sauteed ground sausage e.g. turkey, pork or beef.
- Fire roasted poblano peppers, red bell peppers and onions
- Corn, black beans and cilantro
Ready for a Super Bowl Snack?
I made this quick and easy Healthy Vegan Queso in my FB group, Get Nourished with Renata. This is a great group to be in to see weekly healthy cooking recipes, so make sure you join it!
Here is the video so you can see exactly how easy it is to make this delicious Super Bowl Snack!
Try this queso for Super Bowl Sunday! Share a photo with me on social by tagging me at @nourish_with_renata on IG and on FB.
Healthy Vegan Queso
This creamy, cheezy queso is the perfect dip for chips and comes together in 5 mins! Inspired by the vegan cheese sauce recipe from elavegan.com.
- 1.25 cups coconut milk, (plus extra if needed)
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp tapioca flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup kale, (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup salsa
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To a small pot, add the coconut milk, nutritional yeast, tapioca flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk together to combine.
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Heat the mixture over a low heat, whisking periodically, so that the mixture warms up and thickens more. We are aiming for a melted cheese consistency. If the mixture is too thick, add more coconut milk, a couple of tablespoons at a time, then whisk to full combine. Continue to do so till the queso is the desired consistency.
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Add the chopped kale and salsa, and stir into the cheezy mixture.
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Taste and add additional seasonings, if needed.
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Serve warm with your favorite chips or veggies for dipping.
Looking for more Super Bowl snack ideas? Check out some of my favorites!