Vegan Cashew Alfredo Sauce

1. Soak cashews in 1 1/2 cups water in a bowl until softened, at least 20 minutes.

2. Drain water; add almond milk. Blend mixture in an electric blender or food processor until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water, or as needed, until sauce is slightly thinner than you want it for the final product, as it thickens when heated. Add garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper; blend until smooth.

3. Pour mixture into a saucepan. Heat on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through and desired thickness is achieved, about 5 minutes. You can add additional water or almond milk if sauce becomes too thick.

Tips

You can use soy milk instead of almond milk, or a combination of both. Or, if you don't have milk, I've done this with just water. The sauce is a bit thinner and less creamy (the cashews don't seem to blend as well in just water), but the taste is very similar.

I have soaked the cashews anywhere from 20 minutes to 12 hours. It allows them to blend a bit smoother.

Using a blender is easier to pour from than a food processor.