Queso Sauce (vegan & nut free)

This spicy queso sauce is a tasty way to spruce up your typical mexican meal-especially if you’re avoiding dairy.  I drizzled this over a kale taco salad (pictured) with chopped raw lacinato kale, purple cabbage, roasted bell pepper, chopped tomato, grassfed beef, my black bean dip, and mashed avocado.  Most cheese sauces are cashew-based and I’ve found that using sunflower seeds make a great nut-free sub!

What you need:

•  1/2 cup sunflower seeds

• 1.5 T nutritional yeast

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1/8 tsp chili powder

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1 T avocado oil

• hot water (roughly 1 cup; more may be needed)

How you do it:

1. Soak sunflower seeds in hot water for at least 1 hour

2. Drain off water and put seeds, nutritional yeast, spices and oil into a blender

3. Add a few tablespoons of water and blend

4. Keep adding hot water and re-blending until desired consistency is reached

5. Drizzle over mexican bowls, nachos or salads!  Store in the fridge in a glass jar

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