This Vegan Tomato Sauce is thick, creamy and full of flavour. Even better; this recipe uses only natural, plant-based ingredients, and includes a good boost of vegan protein.
I love to use this Creamy Cashew Tomato Sauce for Pasta but you can use it on anything – roasted veggies, stirred through crispy tofu or even as a dip. This recipe really packs in all the flavour; its tangy and garlicky, with a delicious nutty, cheesy element (thanks to that nutrient-packed nutritional yeast!). You can enjoy this thick and creamy tomato sauce without compromising on health goals or flavour!
Vegan & Dairy Free
You can’t beat a versatile sauce recipe; it’s definitely a kitchen staple. Having a go-to tomato sauce recipe, in my opinion, is an absolute necessity. But by no means does this have to be boring, and those of us who are vegan & dairy free can absolutely still enjoy a rich and creamy sauce, without compromising on flavour.
The cashews, almond milk and nutritional yeast are the magic ingredients here. They’re simple, healthy, and packed with nutrients – all while providing that rich & cheesy flavour and texture.
My top tip for getting this sauce really smooth is to soak the cashews in hot water (this speeds up the soaking process) then process with all the ingredients for a good 1.5 – 2 minutes in a high speed food processor or nutribullet. You don’t even need to remove the tomato skins! Bonus. An electric spice grinder also works too, though you may need to do in two batches depending on how big it is.
Serving Ideas
The great thing about this Creamy Vegan Tomato Sauce (other than the flavour of course), is how versatile it is. There’s lots you can do with a good tomato sauce recipe, and it makes for a really easy and tasty dinner.
Mix with pasta for a super flavoursome pasta dish of course, serve over tofu or chicken (if you’re not vegan) to jazz up a weeknight dinner or alongside your breakfast scramble. However you choose to serve this easy tomato sauce, I hope you enjoy it!
Creamy Vegan Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 1/3 cup cashews
- 220 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 60 g sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 150 ml unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 15 g fresh basil, chopped
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220C / 200 fan.
- Add the cashews to a bowl with boiling water and allow to soak for a hour.
- Meanwhile, place the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Toss with olive oil, salt + pepper.
- Roast for about 20 minutes until the skins start to blister and char. Remove the garlic from the skins and discard the skins.
- Drain the cashews. Add to a blender along with the tomatoes, garlic, balsamic, sundrieds, tomato puree, almond milk and nutritional yeast. Blitz in a small belnder for 2 minutes until smooth. You can also use a Vitamix but takes a bit of work as it's a small quantity. You can double the amount and serve 4 and freeze it for better results if using a bigger blender. An electric spice grinder also works for this small batch. Season to taste then stir though the finely sliced basil.
Nutrition (per serving)
