additional fresh lemon juice or vinegar for adjusting the flavor
1/2teaspoonkosher salt
1cupwaterif using Vitamix plus 1/4 cup water (if using food processor)
Instructions
Place the cashews in a 3-4 cup container and cover with water. Soak them at least 8 hours. Mine soaked about 24 hours before I had a chance to finish making the recipe. They will expand in size while they soak. There should be slightly more than 2 cups worth of cashews after you drain the water.
Into a food processor or a very powerful blender, combine the cashews, 1 tablespoon each of vinegar and lemon juice, and salt. Puree for 1-2 minutes, until you have a thick and oily paste. (Warning: I thought it smelled pretty bad as this point!) Scrape the sides of your processor as needed during this process, to make sure everything is well blended.
The finished sour cream will be slightly more watery than regular sour cream, but it will thicken after it has been chilled for about an hour. This can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks or it can be frozen in small containers.
VERY slowly, just 1/4 cup at a time, while the processor is on, stream in the water. Let each 1/4 cup of water puree for a bit before adding the next.
I have it frozen this in several 1/2 cup containers and I'm looking forward to being able to make ranch dip as needed for my dairy-free friends as needed in the future.