Yum Sauce From Eugene, OR - My variation

I never follow directions like they tell me to. There is something that we have to substitute for our gluten free diet or that we don't have on hand. This is one of those recipes that I only had some of the ingredients they called for, but was determined to make anyway. I am happy to report that I liked my variation much better then the restaurants. I really am not a huge fan for Cafe Yum, but while visiting a friends house, she doctored up their sauce and I liked it much better. I have made my notes in red. I got the recipe from this sight and she also has her own adaptations listed there.


Original Yumm Sauce:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup almonds (I used cashew butter. Normally when a recipe calls for a nut, I use what ever I have on hand.)
1/3 cup brewers yeast (I used Nutritional Yeast, because brewers yeast is made from barley and not gluten free. * See note below)
1/3 cup garbanzo beans - drained (I used instant humus)
1/4 cup soybeans (didn't have any and just skipped this one all together)
1/2 cup water (not sure how much water I used. I kept adding it in little by little to keep the consistency smooth.)
1/2 cup lemon juice (I used a squirt of Minute Maid pure lemon juice, because it is strong.)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder (I used garam masala, an Indian spice, because I was out of curry.)

Blend nuts, beans and oil in food processor. Then blend in yeast and liquids one at a time. Puree until smooth. Voila! (My food processor is packed and so I cut in the cashew butter with the oil and then kept blending in the other ingredients and kept adding water to make the consistency smooth. I also microwaved it for about 2 minutes to heat the sauce and allow the ingredients to melt together.)

This sauce is great with rice or pasta. It can also be used as a dressing for salads, a topping on soup & chili, a spread for sandwiches, a dipping sauce for veggies, a basting sauce for grilling, or a mayo alternative. It's really quite versatile! But best of all, it's egg free, dairy free, wheat free, gluten free, sugar free, cholesterol free and low in sodium. There are nuts in it, however, for anyone with allergies to nuts. My kids love it! I'm sure if you make it you'll find a ton of creative uses for such a flavorful, yummy sauce. Go for it!

* According to this article, the restaurant Cafe Yum uses Nutritional Yeast and not Brewers Yeast. They claim the sauce is gluten free and so I am assuming that they do use the Nutritional Yeast.