Charred Scallion Chipotle Crema… drool.
Charred scallions. Brilliant, right?
Sadly, I can’t take credit for this idea. My partner was actually watching The Kitchen on Food Network one morning and saw Jeff Mauro make a crema using charred scallions, adobo, and sour cream. You can check out that recipe here. It sounded absolutely amazing, so we decided to whip up a vegan version straight away. I’m happy to report it turned out amazingly well.
I chose to use raw cashews as the base for the crema since they turn out so spectacularly creamy and rich when soaked and blended. It truly makes such a velvety sauce and a perfect substitute for sour cream. However, if you’re on a budget or can’t have cashews due to an allergy, I find that raw sunflower seeds work just as well. They have a neutral flavor, and, when soaked in hot water, blend up just as creamy and smooth.
This recipe has now become one of our obsessions. We put it on everything, but it’s especially good on tacos. As you can see below. I’ve also been adding it to wraps and sandwiches, and I’ve been drizzling it over burrito bowls, nachos, salads, tofu scramble, baked potatoes, and pretty much everything else I’ve cooked recently. It can also be used as a yummy dip with chips,
Last night we served it with fried green tomatoes as a dip, which was downright delightful. This chipotle crema is perfect for adding to a squeeze bottle so you can easily and artfully drizzle it over your meals, or you can just grab it out of the fridge and squirt it directly into your mouth. Not that I’ve done that…
Moving along.
Recipe time! If you make this be sure to take a pic and tag me on Instagram @thepeacefulepicurean so I can see how you decide to use your chipotle crema.
Vegan Charred Scallion Chipotle Crema
Ingredients
- 4 scallions or green onions (just trim the very end of the bulb off)
- 3/4 cup soaked raw cashews (or sub raw sunflower seeds for an allergy and budget-friendly option)
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons reserved adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- Juice of one lime (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked salt, or sub regular salt (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Place scallions on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the scallions have charred and dehyrated. The scallions should blacken significantly. Remove from oven and allow to cool. You can also char the scallions on a grill, see note for additional instructions.
- Place Scallions in a high-speed blender along with all remaining ingredients. Start with just one chipotle pepper if you don’t have a high tolerance for spicy food. Blend on high for 45 seconds, or up to a minute. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. Note: You can also do this in a regular blender so long as your cashews have soaked long enough, it will just take a little longer to become smooth.
- Taste the crema and adjust seasoning to your taste. Also check the consistency, if it seems too thick, add another tablespoon or so of water. Bear in mind, as the crema sits in the refrigerator it will become thicker. I like to make mine just a little runnier than I’d normally want to begin with. If you would like your crema to be spicier, you can add one or two more chipotle peppers. Blend for an additional 30 seconds, or until smooth and creamy.
- Pour crema into an airtight container or squeeze bottle. Store in the refrigerator for 7-10 days, if it even lasts that long. Enjoy!
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