Smooth, thick and creamy, cashews are perfect for a versatile and finger-licking sour cream. You'll make it again and again, consistently finding new meals to drizzle it over. To top it off, this recipe requires only 3 ingredients. It's vegan, whole food plant based (wfpbno), gluten-free, oil-free, dairy-free and can easily be made SOS-free.
Method #1 - Boil the cashews: Place cashews in small pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil the cashews for 15 minutes. Then, drain and rinse in cool water. They are ready to use for your recipe.
Method #2 - Soak cashews in very hot water: Place cashews in a heat-proof bowl or glass measuring cup. Bring water to a boil in your electric kettle (or on the stove). Pour hot water over cashews so they are covered. Let the cashews soak on the counter for at least 20 minutes, but up to 2 hours. Then, drain and rinse. They are ready to use for your recipe.
1 cup boiling water
Method #3 - Soaking cashews in room temperature water on counter: Place cashews in a bowl, cup or jar. Pour water over cashews so they are covered. Let the cashews soak on the counter for 4 hours. Then, drain and rinse. They are ready to use for your recipe.
Method #4 - Soaking cashews in the refrigerator: Place cashews in a bowl, cup or jar. Pour water over cashews so they are covered with water. Cover with a lid or wrap. Place in refrigerator and let the cashews soak overnight for up to 12 hours. Then, drain and rinse. They are ready to use for your recipe.
Make the Sour Cream
Drain and rinse soaked cashews. Then add cashews to a high speed blender, along with all other ingredients.
1 cup raw cashews, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ⅔ cup cool water
Blend until smooth and creamy, about 60 seconds. Stop blender and scrape down sides with a rubber spatula, as needed. You may need to blend longer, if you still have pieces of cashew in the blender. Blend until it is completely smooth and no little chunks of cashew are present.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Freeze leftover cashew cream for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Enjoy with nachos, tacos, chili, tostadas, curry, pasta and more! This cream is incredibly versatile.
Notes
I use a Blendtec high speed blender with the Twister Jar for this recipe. The Twister jar is a smaller jar designed for thick mixtures like hummus, nut butters, etc.I have not attempted this recipe in a food processor. If you use a food processor, my recommendations would be to soak your cashews in hot water for 2 hours beforehand and process as long as you need to to get a smooth consistency.