As a should-be dairy free person, I really miss the creaminess that cheese and sour cream provides. The other day I found my vegan sour cream made with almonds that I used a lot while I was vegan. The recipe was ok but a little bitter for making dips. You could tell it was a sour cream substitute. In attempts to make it better, I thought to add pureed white beans for that consistency and to help balance out the taste. It turned out great! This will definitely be a staple in my refrigerator now.
You can use it for anything. I make it plain, like the recipe below, then add things as I need them. So one batch can provide produce a bunch of different dips or toppings. I mixed it with garlic and Italian seasoning to make an 'Alfredo' sauce, red sauce to make a vodka sauce, taco seasoning (homemade) for a taco dip spread, hot peppers to top a black bean Mexican dish or try it with any spices you want! You can even add this to any hummus-like dip to make it extra creamy and delicious.
I didn't take exact measurements since this was an experiment but this should be pretty close.
~3/4 c. blanched almonds (can be soaked but not necessary)
16 oz white beans
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 squirts lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. garlic
Place the almonds in a blender or food processor. I found the blender worked better since 3/4 cup doesn't fill the food processor enough to really puree them. Add water to cover the almonds and begin blending. I blended them for at least 3 minutes to make sure all bits were eliminated. If it starts sticking to the sides or getting clumpy and not really blending anymore, scrape the sides of the blender down and add more water. You will have added enough water when the almonds are pureed into a fine paste, about the consistency of sour cream.
Add the remaining ingredients until you reach a creamy consistency. The beans will completely puree so you won't even know they are there! You may need a bit more water once the beans are added but judge as you go along.
Sorry I don't have better measurements for the amount of water. Next time I'll be sure to keep track and repost!
Enjoy :)
