Cashew Dressing

A couple months ago, I unlocked the secret to eating more salad: really good salad dressing. I’m not talking about a balsamic vinaigrette - my preferred dressing is so luxuriously silky and richly flavoured that every time I make it, I sop up every drop with bread heels and, well, fingers. It is a nut-based Caesar dressing that beautifully balances the high-impact flavours; Funky fish sauce, bright rice wine vinegar, spicy red pepper flakes, and plenty of salted, roasted cashews (which are fatty enough to replace about half the oil you’d typically need) which are blended together to make a creamy, silky-smooth sauce with layers of toastiness and heat. I know it can be tempting to cut to the chase and skip roasting the cashews, but taking those few minutes to toast unlocks a whole new world of flavour.

½ cup salted roasted cashews
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
¾ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
¾ tsp. fish sauce
¾ tsp. pure honey
1 clove garlic
sea salt

Blend cashews, oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, fish sauce, honey, garlic, and ⅓ cup warm water in a blender until very creamy, smooth, and pourable. Taste dressing and season with salt.

Makes about 1¼ cups.

Make-Ahead:  Dressing can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.