Spicy Cashew Dressing
My family loves Trader Joe’s Spicy Cashew Dressing. We buy it—and devour it—on repeat. And so I was inspired to take a crack at making my own version using many of the same ingredients, like cashews, ginger, lime juice and soy sauce.
While making my own version, I discovered my taste testers had split into two opinionated groups—some preferred a savory spin; others enjoyed it with a sweet kick (staying true to the signature Trader’s Joe rendition). Which will you be on? Whichever camp you find yourself, elevate the flavor even more by adding minced herbs (I typically toss in one to two tablespoons of cilantro, basil, or mint.)
This dressing works well on salads, sandwiches, egg dishes, veggie bowls, or my Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Mango Cashew Coleslaw, Shrimp Summer Rolls or Spicy Mango Summer Rolls.
Try this Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce!
Spicy Cashew Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ½ cup boiling water
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, ~1 lime
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, optional
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger, or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 to 2 tablespoons minced herbs, optional
Instructions
- Add cashews to a blender and pour the boiling water on top. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes. (This will soften up the cashews for easy blending). Add the remaining ingredients and blend. Place in sealed container and allow the dressing to chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
- This dressing will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to one week.
I’ve been looking for a dupe to the Trader Joe’s version and this was it! I did add red pepper flakes and a garlic clove and a LOT more ginger than this calls for, but that’s my preference. Thank you!!!
Hi Jo, we’re so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, and we love the idea of adding more red pepper flakes, garlic and ginger for an extra flavor boost! Thanks for sharing your tweaks and for taking the time to leave your review!
—Donna
Thinking—boiling water on the cashews should be done in heatproof glass, not plastic—depends on one’s blender. As written, saves a step, but not healthy if blender container is plastic.
Great point—and thanks so much for bringing it up! We hope you love this recipe. — Eliza (Team Joy)
I would so enjoy this recipe. Unfortunately my husband is allergic to all nuts except for macadamia. A lot of your recipes are heavy nuts and so I don’t know if macadamia would work and they’re so expensive. I hesitate to try any other suggestions?
Hi Linda, Yes, you can make this with macadamia nuts! They’ll give the dressing a rich, buttery vibe and still blend up creamy and delicious. Just a heads-up: macadamias are a bit milder and higher in fat than cashews, so the flavor and texture may be slightly different—but still tasty. As you mentioned, macadamia nuts are very expensive: since this recipe only requires 1/2 cup, try to buy a small container. Enjoy! — Eliza (Team Joy)