This sauce is super versatile and can be used pretty much anywhere you'd use hummus. It's especially good with steamed green veg or with fish.

This sauce is a little tricky to make if you don't have a food processor. Try using pre-ground nuts or nut meal and finely chopping the garlic before stirring everything together. Add the water a little at a time.

makes: about 1 cup
takes: 5 minutes
200g (7oz) cashews
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons sherry or other wine vinegar

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor with 1/2 cup water.

2. Process until you have a creamy sauce. Taste. Season.

Variations & Substitutions

budget - swap some or all of the nuts for torn chunks of rustic bread. Sourdough is great.

nut-free - replace nuts with cooked or canned legumes such as cannellini beans, butter beans or chickpeas. You might need a little more or less vinegar.

no sherry vinegar? - no problem. Use lemon juice or other wine vinegars. Rice vinegar is great.

different nuts - pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts (or use peanut butter with less water). So many options.

cashew 'sour cream' - replace vinegar with 4 tablespoons lemon juice and slightly less water.

Prepare Ahead

Yes! Will keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. Can be frozen. The sauce will thicken over time, if this happens you can just add a little water.