Vegan Jalapeño Poppers with Lemon Cashew Cream

Instructions

1. Cut jalapeño peppers in half length-wise, then boil them in a medium saucepan for 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the jalapeños, and immediately put them in an ice-water bath to stop them from cooking further.

2. Your cashews should be soaked in water for 2 hours in advance, unless you have a high-speed blender. Add soaked cashews, lemon juice, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, low-sodium soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp. salt, 1/2 tbsp. onion powder, and 1/2 tbsp. garlic powder to a blender and blend until smooth (2-4 minutes, depending on your blender).

3. Fill each jalapeño half with lemon cashew cream. The cream should be piled higher than the jalapeño itself, to give the poppers a rounded shape. Transfer the jalapeño halves to a baking sheet, and place in the freezer to allow the cream to firm slightly, about 10-15 minutes.

4. While the jalapeños are in the freezer, prepare the coating batter. In a medium mixing bowl, add 1 cup flour, 2 tsp. garlic powder, 2 tsp. onion powder, 2 tsp. salt, sugar, baking powder, and white pepper, and mix. Then add water to your flour mixture and mix well until there are no lumps remaining. Separately, on a small plate, add 1/4 cup flour.

5. Remove jalapeños from the freezer. Dip one jalapeño in the batter, using a spoon to coat the entire pepper, except for the stem. Then, using the stem to hold the pepper, pull the jalapeño out and allow any excess batter to drip off. Then place the pepper on the plate with flour, and turn the pepper to ensure it’s entirely coated. You can use a separate spoon to add flour to places that get missed. Then, place the coated jalapeño on a wire rack to dry (you may wish to place a baking sheet or parchment paper under the wire rack to catch any dripping batter). Repeat with the remaining peppers, adding more flour to the plate as needed.

6. After the jalapeños’ first coat of batter has set (around 20 minutes), you can apply the outer coat. Remove the plate of flour, and prepare a second plate with 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs. Dip a jalapeño in the batter and coat it just as you did in the previous step. Then place the pepper on the plate of breadcrumbs and turn to coat, using a spoon to fill in empty spots as needed. Return the pepper to the wire rack to dry, and repeat with the remaining jalapeños, adding more breadcrumbs to the plate as needed.

7. In a large saute pan, heat about 1 inch of oil over medium heat. When the oil is ready, it should ripple, and will crackle a bit if a drop of water is tossed into it. (If it crackles too violently, your oil is too hot).

8. When the oil is ready, use a metal spatula to add each jalapeño popper to the pan, leaving some space between each popper. Allow the poppers to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the breading is golden brown, then turn the poppers to cook the other side another 2-3 minutes. Use the spatula to remove the poppers from the oil and place on paper towels to drain. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

When cutting and handling jalapeños, be careful to only handle the skin on the outside. The heat can transfer to your hands easily. You may wish to wear gloves when cutting jalapeños and removing the seeds.

To soak cashews, place in water for 2 hours, or boil for 10 minutes. This step is not necessary if you have a high-speed blender.

This recipe made enough filling and batter for 20 jalapeño halves in my tests. However, depending on the size of the peppers, you may need more or less batter/filling to fill 20 halves.

If you prefer, you can also bake these poppers instead of frying them, however frying creates the best texture. To bake them, bake at 475°F (250°C) for about 25 minutes, turning halfway through. Then broil on low for 2 minutes per side.

These poppers are best when eaten fresh, but they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the oven at 400°F for 15 minutes.