Did you know it’s Hatch Chile season? Honestly I had no idea what a hatch chile was or that there was a season for them until we moved to Oregon and I saw signs at our local Whole Foods. I waited weeks anticipating their arrival and trying to figure out what I would make with this new to me chile. Finally they arrived and honestly they are tasty but I’m not sure I understand all the fuss, besides them only being available for a short window of time. Anyways I made a new recipe with them and it is super good (IMO). Don’t worry though if you can’t find hatch chiles you can leave them out or add your favorite chile to the recipe instead.
Cheesy Hatch Chile Sauce
This makes around 2qts so feel free to half or quarter this recipe. Also note you may need to add the broth in small batches if your processor or blender is on the smaller side.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 hatch chiles, diced
- 1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
- 3-4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat; add the onion, peppers and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 3-4 minutes until everything is tender.
Place all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until smooth, this can take a few minutes. Return the mixture to the large skillet and heat over medium while stirring constantly until it starts to thicken; this can take around 15-20 minutes.
Serve hot with tortilla chips, veggies or use as a sauce. We enjoyed it with homemade tortilla chips, as a sauce for pasta and as a sauce for enchilada casserole.
