MAKES: 1½ CUPS
TIME: LESS THAN 10 MINUTES
The rock star combination of just maple syrup and whole grain mustard makes a superb all-purpose dressing, but adding cashews adds a creamy richness that’s practically illegal. It’s a natural served with any of the toothsome tempeh salads in this book but is equally graceful tossed with delicate spring salad greens.
½ cup unroasted cashews
½ cup hot water
¼ cup whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon minced shallots
½ teaspoon salt
1 Soak the cashews in the hot water for 30 minutes. Then pour into a blender (including the soaking water) and blend until very smooth. Alternatively, if you have a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix or Blendtec), no soaking is required: just pulse the cashews into a fine powder, add the hot water, and pulse again until very smooth.
2 Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until creamy and smooth. Chill the dressing in a tightly covered container until ready to use, or at least 20 minutes for the flavors to blend. Store chilled and use within days.