With only 2 ingredients, this sauce is a life saver even if you don’t have any problems with dairy.
It couldn’t be easier. Just pop cashews, lemon and water in a jar. Puree with a stick blender and you have an incredibly flavoursome home made condiment.
Use it anywhere you’d normally dollop on sour cream or creme fraiche. Like these taco bowls or these burrito bowls.
It’s also a brilliant little (lower carb) alternative to hummus.
It’s the prefect sauce for a beautiful piece of pan fried salmon or to jazz up a store bought roast chicken.
I use roast and salted cashews for a bigger flavour punch but raw cashews will give a milder, creamier more sour-creamy result.
- 200 g cashews
- 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup water
- Place cashews, lemon and water in a tall jar or jug.
- Puree with your stick blender (or food processor) until you have a smooth creamy sauce.
- Taste and season with salt or more lemon if needed.
Variations & Substitutions
plan-B (pantry) – use vinegar instead of lemon juice
Keto / ultra low carb – use lower cab nuts like almonds, pine nuts, macadamias or walnuts.
different acid – lime juice, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, white wine vinegar.
herby – add a small bunch of fresh herbs like parsley, basil, mint or coriander (cilantro).
different nuts – all nuts work well some like macadamias will take a little longer to puree so you’ll need to be patient.
spicy – this will take it away from the sour cream territory but smoked paprika, cumin, coriander or curry powder are all excellent additions.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
cashews – keep them in the pantry.
lemon – whole lemon will keep wrapped in a plastic bag in the fridge for months.
Problem Solving Guide
bland – more salt! Or more lemon.
lumpy – keep processing with your stick blender.
no stick blender – a food processor will work. A regular blender can be used but you’ll need to start with the water and lemon in the base and then gradually add the nuts so that it will blend. Otherwise you can use ground nuts like almond meal and just stir together with a spoon.
Prepare Ahead
Yes! Just make as per the recipe. Will keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks or can be frozen.