What can I do with soaked roasted cashews?

April 5, 2021 10:07 AM

I frequently make cashew cream based condiments by soaking raw cashews and then blending them (I use this recipe). Unfortunately, last night I set some up to soak only to later realize I had grabbed my bag of roasted cashews instead. My understanding is that it’s important to use raw because roasted has a strong cashew flavor instead of a neutral flavor. Is there something I can make with the soaked roasted ones? Maybe something more dessert-like, that wouldn’t be weird to have cashew flavor in? Restrictions - vegan, otherwise very flexible. Please help me save my cashews.
posted by nevernines to Food & Drink (14 answers total)

You could always try re-roasting them low to dry them out again. Maybe 325 Fahrenheit for an hour or so?
posted by rossination at 10:11 AM on April 5, 2021 [1 favorite]

I'm having a hard time seeing why a roasted cashew flavour is bad! I have used raw and roasted cashews in a variety of savoury dishes - cream of tomato soup, butternut squash soup or pasta sauce, curries... I think garlic/onion would overpower the nutty flavour.
posted by cranberrymonger at 10:12 AM on April 5, 2021 [5 favorites]

I haven't tried this recipe but it's the concept I was thinking of: Creamy Cashew Tofu Curry. I was thinking Cashew Chicken-ish but this would use the creaminess of them since they're already soaked.
posted by brilliantine at 10:20 AM on April 5, 2021 [3 favorites]

I’ve re-crisped (for lack of a better term) roasted and soaked walnuts. Works fine. Put it on baking sheet in the oven at the lowest temp your oven can go, turning it off and just leaving the light on in between heating cycles, until they’re crispy.

But agreed with above, if you are okay with the different flavor, just use it as you normally would.
posted by Neekee at 10:24 AM on April 5, 2021

I'll make an absolutely lovely creamy pesto. I often sub roasted cashews that I've soaked for a little while, instead of using pine nuts.
posted by desuetude at 10:24 AM on April 5, 2021 [4 favorites]

Any savory cashew-based cheese/cheesy sauce would be ok with roasted soaked cashews, I think, even if the recipe calls for raw. As long as they are only roasted and not salted (which I think would hugely impact flavour), roasted nuts might add a bit of depth to things like cashew queso, cashew pesto, or this very adaptable basic cashew cheese. In all of the cashew cheese recipes I've ever made (and I've made about four billion!) the predominant flavour tends to be the nutritional yeast/garlic/whatever herbs and spices you mix in, and not the base cashews. Adding a little more nutty/roasty flavour would not be a huge negative, in my opinion, and might even be a really nice variation.
So long as the roasting hasn't greatly impacted the texture of the soaked nuts (i.e. they can still be blended to a creamy, not-grainy consistency), I think you'd be fine to use them in any savory application.
posted by Dorinda at 10:39 AM on April 5, 2021 [1 favorite]

Scalloped potatoes, you can add some chickpea flour, as well. pretty much sliced potatoes and onions, layered with (vegan) butter and fill the casserole dish @ 1/2 way up with the nut milk. Bake covered, then remove the cover for the last 10 minutes or so.
It would be delicious in curry as a base for sauce.
posted by theora55 at 11:01 AM on April 5, 2021

I have made a nacho 'cheese' sauce with a cashew cream base; while I use raw cashews the spices might mask the flavor of the roasted ones. My recipe uses cashew cream, nutch, tapioca, ancho powder, chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin, blended until extremely fine and silky.
posted by Behemoth, in no. 302-bis, with the Browning at 1:07 PM on April 5, 2021

Looks like Dorinda beat me to it with the cashew queso link; my version is that plus ~ 1 tsp each of ancho powder and tapioca starch.
posted by Behemoth, in no. 302-bis, with the Browning at 1:12 PM on April 5, 2021

I'd make something like a peanut sauce to eat with tofu/rice/veggies--blend them with sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, hot water, maybe some toasted peanuts or Szechuan chili oil or garlic or something too, top with scallions and cilantro.
posted by music for skeletons at 1:14 PM on April 5, 2021

They'd also be delicious in the Kick Ace Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese Ball, which I have made many times and is loved by vegans and omnis alike.
posted by QuakerMel at 1:14 PM on April 5, 2021

The recipe for Sri Lankan Cashew Curry asks for raw cashews but it might work with roasted ones!
posted by Blissful at 10:05 PM on April 5, 2021

Curry or soup came to mind immediately. A blended sweet potato soup with cashews sounds bomb!
posted by aggyface at 5:08 AM on April 6, 2021

I've actually made plenty of creamy stuff both sweet and non sweet with soaked roasted cashews. I think it tastes good, and not overly strong. I've heard that warning as well, but in practice its minimal. Unless you, like, hate the taste of cashews I would just use them as planned.
posted by ananci at 12:10 PM on April 6, 2021 [1 favorite]