Spicy Cashew Dressing (Copycat Recipe)
Spicy cashew dressing has bold flavors and is great on salads, pasta, bowls, and more. This homemade Sweetgreen copycat recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free with a nut-free option.
Ingredients
- ½ cup cashew butter
- 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems loosely packed
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup start with 1 and add more if needed
- 1 tablespoon lime juice plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes 2 is quite spicy, adjust accordingly
- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 raw garlic cloves or garlic confit or ½ - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt start with ½ teaspoon if using anything else
- water, to thin the dressing I used about 5 tablespoons
Instructions
- Add the cashew butter and remaining ingredients to the base of a blender. Thin with water until you've reached your desired consistency and blend until smooth.
- Season to taste with more maple syrup, kosher salt, or lime juice as needed. Increase the amount of red pepper flakes if you like it extra spicy.
Notes
This recipe yields roughly 1½ cups depending on the amount of water you add.
See the blog post for helpful tips, frequently asked questions, storage, and serving ideas.