Vegan White Pizza Sauce

 

 White Pizza Sauce is a tangy garlicky recipe that makes the most flavorful base to a pizza.
* non- vegan option

• 1 cup cashews raw
• 1 1/4 cups almond milk unsweetened (*HW: non vegan- use any milk you prefer) 
• 2 tablespoons flour (* HW: gluten free -sub 2 tsp of arrowroot starch slurry (see tips)  for 2 Tablespoons of white wheat flour)
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast 
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (omit or try rice vinegar for sulfate sensitivity)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder (omit or try rice vinegar for sulfate sensitivity)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (HW: I like avocado oil)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• pinch ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Soak the cashews in water for at least 4 hours to overnight.
• Drain the cashews and place in a food processor.
• Pulse a few times until it is finely chopped
• Add the remaining ingredients and blend until a smooth sauce.
• When completely smooth stir in the fresh herbs and it is done.

Notes: 

If freezing::

Package in rigid sided containers as defined in my article Preparing Food for the Freezer ½ cup freezer jars would be ideal.

You can take out one or two jars to defrost when pizza night is approaching.

To prepare after freezing:

Remove from the freezer and put in the refrigerator overnight because it is a pretty solid mass and will take longer to defrost.

Ready to use when defrosted. This is also a great vegetable dip.
Tips: 

How to use arrowroot flour

Arrowroot flour soaks up a lot of water to form a smooth, gel-like consistency. It’s often added to desserts like puddings, cakes or custards, and can also be used in savory recipes like hot sauces, milks and broth.

When using arrowroot to thicken a sauce, soup, etc that is hot, you’ll need to make a slurry with the powder first. Otherwise, when you add the arrowroot to the hot contents, it just turns into a big ball of jelly – no bueno.

To make the slurry, you’ll combine arrowroot to room temperature water at a 2:1 ratio. Once you stir that up, you should get a starchy water. Wait until the end of the recipe to add it , then stir the slurry into the recipe to thicken.

Always make a slurry first. Stir the arrowroot powder with a small amount of cold liquid first (like water) to create a slurry, before adding to your recipe. Add the slurry at the very end of the recipe.

You don’t really want to cook with arrowroot as it will break down at higher temperatures, so stir in right before serving. Bonus: arrowroot holds up beautifully when used with acidic ingredients or frozen (not so with cornstarch), so feel free to batch cook and freeze your recipes.