Harissa Cashew Cream. Spicy, yet slightly sweet, so creamy you’ll question it’s dairy-free status. Perfect on a sandwich or wrap, right at home on a baked potato instead of sour cream or tossed with roasted cauliflower. A dollop on top of chili or stew. So many possibilities yet so few ingredients!
In case Harissa is new to you, I’ll quickly share a bit about it. It’s a hot pepper paste often attributed to Tunisian or Libyan foods. While it can be made at home with a variety of peppers, cumin, garlic, coriander and caraway, it’s widely available in jars at the grocery store. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s. Always good to check all ingredients. I’ve not seen one made with gluten, but you should check always.
Tomorrow I’m sharing a recipe that is perfect for using about half a recipe of Harissa Cashew Cream, a roasted cauliflower dish with dates and pistachios. But today I’m eating this on top of a baked sweet potato. The sweetness of the potato combined with the flavor of harissa in a creamy sauce is so very nice.
Harissa Cashew Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 to 3 teaspoons harissa paste
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
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Soak raw cashews in enough water to fully cover them overnight. Drain and rinse when ready to use.
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Place cashews, cold water, lemon juice and sea salt in carafe of high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth.
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Add harissa paste 1 teaspoon at a time until desired level of heat is reached. I like to add a full Tablespoon but some find that too spicy.
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Once desired level of heat is achieved, you can add water 1 teaspoon at a time to reach the thickness you like best.
Sauce recipe looks great. How long does this sauce last in the refrigerator?
I’m not a food scientist and can’t make a recommendation on food safety issues, but Google says no more than 5-6 days. It sure doesn’t last that long here anyway. I hope you enjoy!