Vegan Hollandaise Sauce (Soy-free)

I have never had an egg benedict before or real hollandaise sauce, but whenever it is a special occasion I ask my husband to make a vegan version of it.  I just can’t get enough of warm home-made English muffins and that sauce!

So, over the Easter weekend I asked him to make it for our Easter dinner. Really fancy!! However, none of the stores that were open had unsweetened soy milk, which is what I always use for my sauce. We tried other non-dairy milks and even a soy creamer. So, when they tell you that there should be no substitutions when making vegan mayo (needed for my recipe for the sauce), they are not lying! It was a disaster.

My husband was the one who suggested we use a cashew cream to make it. We weren’t abandoning the idea since we had already made all of the other components and really, had no back up Easter dinner plans. Plus, cashew cream just works for everything.

This version is soy-free, but not nut-free, and tastes equally ask good as the ones made with soy.   You have to make a larger batch of cashew cream for this recipe because it is hard to make a small batch of cashew cream, so if you want, you can double or quadruple the recipe by using more of the seasoning and more or all of the cashew cream.

MAKES 1/4 CUP

INGREDIENTS
Cashew Cream
– 1.5 cup soaked cashews (at least 4 hours or overnight)
– 1/2 teaspoon organic sea salt
– 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
– 3/4 cup water

Seasoning
– 1/4 cup cashew cream
– 1 tablespoon water (+ more as needed)
– 1 teaspoon fresh turmeric, finely grated (I use a microplane)
– 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
– 1 tablespoon dairy-free spread (I use Earth Balance)
– pinch of freshly ground black pepper
– 1/4 teaspoon organic sea salt
– optional add-ins (pinch of garlic powder, pinch of cayenne pepper)

DIRECTIONS
1. Make your cashew cream but combining all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender (e.g., Vitamix)
2. Measure out 1/4 cup of the cashew cream and store the rest in the refrigerator for another use.
3. In a small saucepan or medium-low heat, combine the 1/4 cup of the cashew cream with the remainder of the seasoning ingredients.  Using a whisk, mix it up until fully combined and warm.  Adjust the seasoning to your taste. Also, you can add more water if you like a thinner consistency.  It will be slightly salty by itself, but once you have it on your sandwich it will be fine.  Serve on your favourite sandwich!
4. Store leftovers in refrigerator.