Barley Free Vegan Cashew Cream Sauce
Rich, velvety, and completely plant-based, this cashew cream sauce is the kind of kitchen staple that makes you wonder how you ever cooked without it. It comes together from just five simple ingredients — raw cashews, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and water — so there's no guesswork about hidden grains or additives sneaking into your meal. Many store-bought cream sauces and dairy alternatives contain barley-derived ingredients or are processed on shared lines, making this blended-from-scratch approach a genuinely stress-free alternative. A quick soak in boiling water softens the cashews so your blender can work them into something impossibly smooth and luxurious. The consistency is totally adjustable: keep it thick and spoonable for pasta and casseroles, or loosen it up with a splash more water for soups and dressings. That bright hit of lemon juice and the subtle warmth of garlic powder keep it from tasting flat, giving you a sauce that's creamy without being heavy. Once you have a batch ready, you'll find yourself reaching for it constantly.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ cup water, plus more to adjust consistency
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- 1
Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse thoroughly.
- 2
Transfer the drained cashews to a high-speed blender. Add the 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, salt, and garlic powder.
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