This past week I was chatting with our friend Chef Libby in Austin about different sauces she uses to dress-up proteins during the long, hot Texas summers, adding interest and flavor to the food she dishes up in her catering business.
Being based in Austin she of course has a decided bias toward the flavors of Texas, one of her favorites being Tex-Mex or Southwestern cuisine (I share her bias as well!). She’s been using a variety of nut-based recipes the past few years to create innovative sauces; this has in part been driven by increasing requests for vegan-compliant recipes, but also because they just taste good, hold well, and can be worked into a variety of other dressings and flavor profiles.
One of her go-to versions is what she calls her Verde Cashew Wonder Sauce, based on either raw or roasted cashews, a handful of flavor-packed fresh herbs, a splash of acid, and whatever flavor additions her recipes for the day call for.
Libby insists her very favorite version uses fresh lime juice (instead of the vinegar), cilantro, and a bit of arugula for its peppery bite, along with a chopped serrano or two, though she was careful to point out that the sky is the limit in terms of what herbs to use.
She also noted there were two other minor decisions to make; one, whether to use raw or roasted cashews. Of course, if using roasted cashews, be mindful of the oil they’re roasted in, and you’ll (most likely) want to dial back the added salt (adjust to taste). After making dozens and dozens of recipe batches, she said she prefers to use roasted nuts for the added flavor dimension as well.
The second decision to make is whether or not to soak the nuts for 10 minutes prior to blending; Libby said her vegan chef friend who taught her the recipe always soaked raw cashews, though Libby insists the recipe works just as well without soaking in her kitchen, whether using raw or roasted nuts.
We’ve enjoyed this one alongside a bit crudite platter and cold ancho cumin coffee roasted pork tenderloin this week…
2 cups cashews, either raw or roasted
1 cup fresh, tender herbs, i.e. parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, chives, etc
2-3 tbsp unseasoned rice or white vinegar
1-2 tsp good salt
1 cup (plus a bit more) filtered water
Optional (see notes above)
1-2 crushed garlic
Lime or lemon juice instead of the vinegar
Chipotles in adobe
Other fresh peppers (i.e. jalapeño or serrano)
If soaking the cashews: bring two cups of water to a boil, place the cashews in a heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over, cover for 10 minutes, then drain.
To prepare, add the nuts to your trusty blender, add the herbs, vinegar or citrus juice, salt, and one cup filtered water. Blend for one to two minutes until smooth and yogurt-like; you will likely need to add a bit more water.
Enjoy.
