Yum Yum Bowls with Knockoff Cafe Yumm Sauce
One of our favorite meals, these healthy and delicious yum yum bowls are quick to throw together, and that secret Yumm sauce takes the whole glorious, messy rice bowl way over the top!
Now. Let’s talk Yum Yum bowls.
If you live near a Cafe Yumm restaurant, you might be familiar with these glorious little rice and vegetable bowls.
I, poor soul that I am, do not live by a Cafe Yumm, but thankfully, my in-laws do. And when we went to visit them last month, one of the first meals they made us was their version of these delicious, healthy rice bowls.
We love them! (My in-laws and these Yum Yum bowls)
So customizable, my kids were in heaven carefully curating their bowl to reflect their own personality (I’m looking at you, my wee bean-hater of a son), while Brian and I piled on every topping in sight.
What makes these every day rice and bean and vegetable bowls different from every other rice and bean and vegetable bowl I’ve ever made is the secret knockoff Yumm sauce.
That sauce alone is worth today’s post.
My in-laws had the real deal Yumm sauce in a jar they bought from Cafe Yumm for us to use on our Yum Yum bowls. It was delicious, of course.
But after taking a quick glance at the back of the jar, I knew it wouldn’t be difficult to replicate a knockoff recipe at home.
An essential task, since I knew I’d be leaving Cafe Yumm Sauce far behind after our vacation was over.
Completely unique from any other sauce I’ve ever made, Yumm sauce is creamy (without any milk or dairy) with a kick of lemon and garlic.
There’s a bunch of good stuff going on in this sauce: almonds, white beans, coconut milk and curry powder. And…nutritional yeast.
Have you ever used it before?
I try to stay away from recipes calling for super specific, unusual ingredients that might be hard to find, but in our house, nutritional yeast is a staple.
We always have it in our pantry so we can sprinkle it on our air-popped popcorn (a tasty tip we learned while living in Minnesota a few years ago).
Nutritional yeast has a delightfully nutty, salty, cheesy flavor with a dry, flaky texture. My local grocery store (Winco) carries it in the bulk bins, but I usually buy it online and have used the Bragg’s, Bob’s Red Mill, and Hoosier Hill Farms brands with great success.
If you absolutely can’t find it or want to try a substitution, you could add a handful of salted, roasted cashews and see how that goes (or increase the salt in the recipe).
You’ll miss the punch of flavor the nutritional yeast gives, but I’m a big fan of working with and around recipes, so don’t be afraid to experiment if you need to.
And, as I mention below in the recipe notes, my father-in-law usually nixes the Yumm sauce altogether and pours on the ranch dressing while the rest of us eagerly use up his Yumm sauce portion.
Do what you will! No judging here.
That Yumm sauce should not be reserved for Yum Yum bowls alone, just so you know.
It is terrific for a fresh vegetable dip, spreading on flatbread, or spooning over salads (try dipping these Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps in the Yumm sauce and watch your life be changed forever).
The recipe below makes a lot of sauce (about 4 cups); you could easily halve the ingredients or use the leftover sauce all month long on every food in sight.
Its name says it all: Yum-Yum-Yummy (sorry, couldn’t help myself). With such a delicious flavor explosion happening, you won’t even miss the meat in these Yum Yum bowls.
But if you have to have a little meat in your meal, I won’t fire you if you add grilled chicken, cooked shrimp or thinly sliced steak.
Speaking of meatless, many of you have asked lately for a list of my meatless recipes.
Here’s the link to all my meatless main dishes (and I’ve also included it as a category in the Recipe Index for easy access).
And with that, I think I’m officially done talking your ear off! Now the only thing left to do is make these Yum Yum bowls happen in your kitchen ASAP!
What To Serve With This:
There’s a lot happening in these bowls; you could easily serve them as a stand-alone meal, but if you are looking for a couple side dish options, I’d suggest: Fresh, seasonal fruit Pao de queijo or my favorite cornbread
One Year Ago: Browned Butter Vanilla Rice Krispie Treats
Two Years Ago: Amazing Romaine Salad with Light Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
Three Years Ago: Roasted Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Yum Yum Rice Bowls with Knockoff Yumm Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Yum Yum Bowls:
- Warm, cooked brown or white rice, quinoa, or other “base” (see note)
- Canned black beans, rinsed and drained (warmed lightly, if desired, or for extra yumminess)
- Chopped olives
- Chopped red, green, yellow or orange peppers
- Chopped tomatoes
- Chopped or shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- Chopped avocados
- Chopped, fresh cilantro
- Sour cream
- Salsa
Yumm Sauce:
- ½ cup avocado, canola, or vegetable oil
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup canned Great Northern or Garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup light coconut milk, from a can
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice, from about 3 large lemons
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
- Pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast (see note)
Instructions
- For the Yumm sauce, add the oil, almonds, beans and water to a blender. Process until very smooth, 1-2 minutes (or as long as needed).
- Add the coconut milk, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, curry powder, oregano, cilantro and nutritional yeast. Process again until creamy and smooth. Add additional water to thin out the sauce, if needed. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve (this tastes best after it’s had time to rest – even several days – but you can also use it right away).
- For the Yum Yum Bowls, layer rice or quinoa in the bottom of a bowl. Add black beans and a healthy dollop of Yum Yum sauce and salsa. Follow it with all the toppings your little heart desires (peppers, olives, cheese, tomatoes, avocados, fresh cilantro, sour cream, and more salsa and yum yum sauce, if desired).
- Dig in!
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: introduced to us by my mother- and father-in-law after they ate at Cafe Yumm in the Portland, Oregon, area and decided to recreate the bowls at home and serve them to us; the sauce (knockoff Yumm sauce inspired by this recipe)
264 Comments on “Yum Yum Bowls with Knockoff Cafe Yumm Sauce”
We absolutely love this recipe-it is a family favorite! My daughter was in Washington and went to Cafe Yum and said “Mel’s Yum Yum bowls are way better than that place!” We have used your recipes for 95% of our meals for the last 10 years. Thank you for your time and dedication to helping us all put great meals on the table each day!
Thank you so much, Tricia!
I really hate admitting this but I deliberately missed my flight outta Portland b/c they have a Yum Bowl in the airport and I was not done indulging!
Been missing Yum so much! Like serrrriously! If you know, you know!
I was so hopeful for this recipe to work and OMG! Here is Yum Bowls right in my own kitchen!!! Been making this regularly now. Made it exactly like the recipe the first time and I felt it needed some more body, I put about a 3-4 tablespoons of tahini. I do agree it needs a sleepover in the refrigerator for all the flavors to fall in love and marry and taste even better indeed!
I LOOOVE curry!!! But I think there was a tiny smidge too much, but not by much at all. The curry is like the secret hidden flavor that blends in to the layers of (married) flavors.
10 outta 10!! This is such a close, 99% dupe! Bravo!
The bowls themselves are super customizable to your liking. LOVE this all around, thank you!!!!!
Yes! This is amazing! I can’t have true yum sauce because of the soy so I tried this and just wow. Thank you!
Curious about the reason for coconut milk in your recipe as it is not one of the ingredients in the original recipe. And what do you do with the rest of the can after using the 1/2 cup?
I use it in this recipe for flavor. You can store the remaining coconut milk in the fridge and use in smoothies or other recipes (or freeze it).
Made this exactly per your recipe for a large family gathering. My brother passed away last year and his wife is in her mid-seventies and her home needed some work. Family traveled from all over the country and we met at her house for a week of family time and work. One nephew from Portland Oregon is vegan. When I asked him for suggestions of things I could make he recommended yum bowls. I decided to get online and find a copycat version of the yum sauce he is used to in Portland Oregon. This was a absolute hit with every family member. This will be in our family recipes for many years to come. Thank you
yummmmm!
I’m curious to try your recipe for Yumm sauce. I used to live in OR and loved going to Cafe Yumm. I still go every time I visit. I also usually buy Yumm sauce, wrap it in foil and put it in my suitcase. Gotta bring some back.
Our family was divided on this one. Some disliked it and others thought it was okay. The kids said they prefer ranch or cilantro dressing over the yum-yum sauce.
Loved this! Kids weren’t crazy about it. (Weirdos) I can’t figure out why. They are usually big fans of pick your own toppings type meals.
Hi Mel- do you think you could substitute olive oil for the oil? Thanks so much!!!
Yes, I think so! The flavor will change a bit, but it’s definitely worth a try.
Can the Yumm sauce be frozen for later use? (Since this recipe makes so much)
Yes, it can be frozen.
Do you think this could be frozen?
I don’t know how the fresh veggies would fare being frozen…but the sauce freezes well.
Thank you for the recipe. I used hummus instead of plain garbanzos, full fat coconut milk and didn’t have enough lemon…but close.
To me the sauce had too strong of a brewer’s yeast flavor so I tamed it a bit with tahini and Bragg’s amino acids which made it turn out PERFECT!!
I’m a huge fan of Yumm sauce, so was happy to find a close relative!!
Are there any bad recipes on this site? I think not. This was yet another stellar recipe. Very flavorful and the most time consuming item was making the sauce. We also served with a bit of lettuce and some chipotle ranch for some kick. Yum Yum!
I laughed out loud at your ranch dressing note! I grew up putting that stuff on everything from tacos to pizza – good times.
Not yummy at all! We really did not like this sauce. It was overall bland with a nasty curry aftertaste. (Even my not picky, curry loving husband hated this one.) It also left me with a partial can of beans a most of a can of coconut milk to deal with.
You can’t please everybody. I think it was lemony delicious.
There is a sauce in the Asian aisle at Walmart called Yum Yum sauce. It looks like the same color as the Cafe Yumm sauce. Is it the same thing?
I haven’t seen that, so I’m not sure – sorry!
NO! Haha we tried it and it’s good, but nothing like the cafe yum sauce
We actually thought it was and ate it for awhile and then realized that it’s actually a Japanese steak sauce and not at all the same flavor! It’s good though haha.
I was a bit sceptical but this was delicious. It’s now on my recipe rotation.
I love this sauce! It is a great way to use up veggies and a quick dinner! And it freezes well which is a bonus since it makes so much! Just made a bunch for after I have our 4th baby. 🙂
Is there a substitute for the almonds for those who have nut allergies? I couldn’t see where this topic has been addressed. Sorry if it is a repeat inquiry,
I’m not sure – sorry, Connie! I haven’t tried anything as a substitution for almonds.
Amazing my husband and I love this sause. Thank you so much for share. It freezes really well too. Delicious
Wheat Nuts is a great substitute for nuts. They’re not in groceries anymore but Amazon sells them. I discovered them in the 80s & I’ve always loved them
Try hemp seeds
Have you ever tried “Bitchin’ Sauce” (forgive my language)? It’s at Costco right now and reminds me of this YumYum sauce and I’m thinking it’d taste SO good on a meal like this. You should go try it, and maybe make a copycat recipe.
This is really good, but it’s not a substitute for yumm sauce from Cafe Yumm. There’s no coconut milk in yumm sauce, for one.
This recipe has been sitting on an open browser page f.o.r.e.v.e.r. just waiting for me to get my act together and buy some nutritional yeast. Finally bought some and wow! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the sauce over a modge – podge collection of vegetables needing to be eaten and some leftover coconut rice (the hint of curry paired very nicely with the coconut rice!) This will be a regular go-to for sure!
This sauce recipe calls for 2 cups of liquids, with only 1 cup of beans and some yeast flakes for thickener. Mine is runny with grit of almonds. Maybe in a food processor instead of a blender? I’m going to try doubling the beans and yeast. If that doesn’t work maybe I’ll try again with cashews instead of the almonds, which would mush up better. The flavoring seems to be good if I can make it thicker.
CouldI leave out or lower the curry? I recall making a different Yumm Sauce knockoff and the curry was overpowering.
Yes, you can definitely adapt it to your taste preferences.
Love this. Making for the second time this week. We like the option of having shredded chicken as one of the toppings.
Printed it and the ad covered half the yum yum sauce recipe
Hi Cherie – that’s odd. Did you print from the web page or did you select the “print” button below the recipe title?
I liked these. However, I think next time I’ll cut back on the curry powder, because I felt like it was too dominant; it’s really the only flavor that came through in the sauce.
I love this recipe and love the sauce too! I have relatives in Eugene and have been to the Yum Café, and this sauce meets or beats theirs. Question…the sauce recipe makes a TON. Do you think it could be frozen in small portions? Would freezing it do anything bad to it?
I think several people have said the sauce freezes great!
This recipe is amazing !! My husband remembered the sauce from when he lived in Oregon, and went online in search of a recipe. There are only the two of us, but I’m going to have to start doubling the sauce recipe because it disappears so quickly. We use it on grain dishes, eggs, sandwiches – you name it. Thank you so much for creating and posting the recipe. We love it!
Would the taste be too altered with original coconut milk instead of light?
No, it should be fine. 🙂
My yum yum sauce was not yummy! I am not sure what I did wrong. The only substitution I made was bottled lemon juice instead of fresh because I didn’t have any lemons on hand. We enjoyed the bowl with salsa instead.
Years ago I found a recipe from Faux Martha for something called Bitchin’ Sauce that sounds very familiar to this yum yum sauce recipe, although yours has more ingredients that sound “yummy”. Bitchin’ Sauce is one of my favourite things to make in the Vitamix so I’m going to have to try this recipe as I love coconut and curry flavours. Can’t wait!
Interesting to be reading this blog post after I just discovered a bottle of yum yum sauce for the first time in the Asian section of a local grocery store a few days ago. I didn’t buy it because I wasn’t sure if it was good or not! Now I want to try your recipe! Can you suggest a substitute for the almonds, though? We have a tree nut allergy in our family. Also, could the cilantro be left out; or is there something we could substitute for that? We’re just not cilantro fans. Thanks!
You could try subbing in parsley for the cilantro. As for the almonds, maybe you could try peanuts??
Thanks-I’ll try those substitutions!
Hi Mel! I am eating WFPB with no oil. Does your Yumm sauce recipe need to have oil? Have you tried making it without oil?
I haven’t tried it without oil, sorry!
Regarding leaving oil out…I know it would change the color and perhaps the taste but avocado’s work well in subbing for oil. Just a thought. Leaving oil out would create more of a paste which wouldn’t be palatable.
So excited to try this! I have Yumm bowls at least a few days a week for lunch and would love to just make it on my own (a lot cheaper!). Thanks!
A wonderful healthy recipe! The recipe you suggested for the black beans was a great addition. I will definitely be making this again. Did you see they just opened a Café Yumm! in Eagle, ID?
Yes, someone just told me that!
This looks delicious- any substitute for coconut milk? I don’t have any but have everything else and would love to make this today.
You could try almond milk or even regular dairy milk in a pinch
Mel, I rarely comment but wanted to this time. Your recipes match my tastes 99% of the time (That darn chocolate quinoa cake – I can never get it to turn out like yours). I read your posts and often think to myself, how like minded we are. We had Yum Yum Bowls tonight and we loved it. Thanks for another outstanding recipe! We didn’t even miss the meat, it was so satisfying and delicious.
Thank you so much, Marie!
What a fun, unique meal!! Also good when cooking for someone vegan.
Hi Mel, Just a quick question about the nutritional yeast…I found it in bulk in either large flake or more like a powder. Does it matter? Just wondering if it would affect the recipe as the powder might pack down more when measuring?
That’s good to know so I can specify in the recipe – I’ve always used the flakes so you might be right – if using the powder, you might want to use less.
Can the extra sauce be frozen?
Many people have reported they’ve frozen the sauce with great results!
How long will this last in the refrigerator?
Probably a week or so.
I just made this last night and I ate the leftovers for lunch and dinner today! YUM! At first I thought the sauce tasted a little strange (I think I was imagining it would taste like tomatillo dressing which I LOVE) but by the end of dinner I was converted and then craved it again (and again!) today.
My family liked it okay. I need to serve this again to get them used to the curry flavor, but being able to put whatever we wanted into our bowls meant everyone found something they liked. And I felt good knowing it was a healthy meal. Thanks!
Can this be made without the oil?
I haven’t tried it but you could experiment!
Do any of the veggies need to be cooked or are al the ingredients raw except for the rice?
We leave everything crunchy and uncooked but you could blanch or cook any of the veggies.
Thank you so much! Saw your recipe posted on a HCLF discussion. Loved it- big bowl of healthy food and the sauce made it so satisfying- kind of want to add some spice to the sauce to mix it up for leftovers- what would you suggest?
Maybe a little crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes?
Tried my latest batch adding roasted hot hatch chili peppers from the grocery store- new fav thing
Sirachi Sauce is great to add that “kick”
I switched up the ingredients and proportions a bit, based on what I had on hand and personal preference. I used fresh squeezed lime juice instead of lemon. It was very easy to make, and so tasty!
Yum Mel! We really enjoyed these tonight! My 6 year old scarfed it up! My husband loved it & my fav part was the sauce! We used brown rice & it was just delicious! Thanks again!
Excellent recipe. The rice bowls have long been a favorite, since the company only existed in Eugene. I did add more of the yeast (1/2 C total) and since I used Meyer lemons I did more lemon juice and less water. I also was more generous with the garlic and definitely used the sweet curry and fresh cilantro even though I’m not a fan of it. You don’t taste the cilantro per se, but it adds to the overall flavor. Thanks for figuring this recipe out for all of us. Everyone I share it with loves it and the idea of healthy bowls. We also use it as a veggie dip.
This is a great facsimile of Yumm sauce. But I’m concerned about all the attention given to a substitution for nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is the “secret” ingredient in this sauce. Some may not like that sort of umami bomb (and prefer ranch dressing!), but if you want Yumm sauce, you must include nutritional yeast. Full stop.
Fully agree on this point, a magic ingredient for this recipe and definitely experiment by increasing the amount.
Love the recipe. I worked years ago at Cafe Yumm. I personally don’t like the business but loved the sauce. I made my one variation of the recipe. I had no almonds, lemons and curry. I had everything else with using lemon juice and it was good. Next time I’m going to add tomatoes. So many variation you can do.
I made these last night for dinner for my family. I loved that they are Vegan friendly! They were DELICIOUS! Thank you.
Love Cafe Yumm and love your sauce! I tried a different recipe years ago that required soybeans. It was good too but love that they’re mot missed in your recipe….. therefore, no extra trip to the store. I had all the ingredients on hand (even the nutritional yeast from Winco!)Great as a veggie dip, too. I live on quesadillas and like to add a ” shmear ” of this to the inside and a handful of spinach.
I had never heard of Yum Yum sauce until this post… instantly I was intrigued! Well, I just ate rice, beans and yum yum sauce for the last 5 meals! Loved it. I did not alter the ingredients. Followed the recipe.
I am sooo excited to try this recipe! I discovered Cafe Yumm in Portland over the summer and have been craving this ever since.
I have never heard of Cafe Yumm but I made these tonight & even my two pickiest eaters loved them! Definitely adding into our regular rotation. THANK YOU.
We also do a breakfast bowl version using Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo, avocado, and many of the other condiments. We plop a fried egg on top and then the sauce. Really a hit and filling.
Just made these for the second time and we LOVE them! Mel, you’re a hero!
Looooove these!!!
This copycat is AMAZING. I do live near Cafe Yumm but it’s inconveniently located on the other side of the county and, truthfully, a little pricey for the bottled sauce. Now I can make as much as I wish! I adjusted for flavor, adding a little extra lemon juice and curry, we’ll so how it goes as it ages a little, and also some paprika and turmeric for color. I use a Ninja Pro blender, which works great. People will definitely need something powerful to get a good, smooth texture. Thank you, so much, for posting this.
Thanks for the detailed review! So happy you liked the knockoff version!
Our local Whole Foods was sold out. Googled and found this – SO GOOD!!! It’s so easy. Thank you!
I’ve never even heard of Cafe Yumm, and after this I am so sad I don’t live near one. This was delicious. We all ate as though half starved and came back for seconds. The sauce is amazing and I will be using it in other meals. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’ve made these 4 times since you posted them so I thought I should hop on here and give them a rating! They’re AMAZING!!! The sauce is so good, everyone in my family looks forward to this meal!
Love cafe yumm but since we moved from the Pacific Northwest to Arizona we have been deprived. This was pretty darn close to the yum sauce, but my constructive feedback is less lemon juice and add soy sauce! Thanks for posting!
You should search “Mama Pea’s Yum Sauce” and you will find a nearly perfect copycat recipe for the sauce!
I am curious as to why you put in coconut milk.
The other copycat recipes I found did not have this ingredient.
It does also not to be an ingredient in the Yumm Sauce from the Cafe. There is also a big difference in the amount of curry powder used from recipe to recipe. However, that makes sense because curry powders differ greatly in taste and heat.
I know you love Pensy’s curry. My new curry is from S&B. I love the curry roux bricks from that company. Least expensive at a little Asian market in Tigard, Oregon. A little more at Amazon. Very expensive other places.
I haven’t tried the store-bought sauce. I made your recipe without the coconut milk. I don’t know what is supposed to taste like, so I have no constructive feedback. Night 2 my youngest just used Ranch Dressing instead.
I am not a fan of nutritional yeast, however, that was not an overpowering flavor in this sauce.
I have a great ice crushing blender that is an attachment for my Bosch. However. not very effective with the almonds like a Blendtec or Vitamix. After a few minutes of blending, still very grainy.
So I just let it sit in the blender and the almonds softened. About a half hour later, I blended again, and it was smooth.
Serving it again tomorrow. Part of my family is traveling to Lake Oswego, Oregon today. I’m going to have them pick up a jar for me so I can compare. (I live in McMinnville, Oregon)
I want to like it, however, maybe I don’t. |
No one hates it, and no one loves it.
This recipe is a winner, thank you! The flavors were so fresh and delicious. I added zucchini and mushrooms and used everything else you suggested. Everyone loved it, I’m sure I’ll make it again and again!
This stuff is really addicting! Happy to report that for those who don’t have (or don’t like) nutritional yeast, grated parmesan (the soft stuff in the canister) is a great substitute. It lends a nice savory note, plus it’s cheese. ‘Nuf said 🙂 Though like Mel suggests, make it ahead of time so the flavors have time to meld.
Other toppings we like to add are roasted canned corn (just drain, put a bit of oil in a pan on medium heat, and let sit on each side for a couple of minutes) and diced chicken, seasoned with lime, garlic and salt & pepper– also easy to make in advance.
So happy to add yet another great Mel recipe to the meal rotation!
I didn’t see a nutrition info, how many calories and fats and carbs and fiber ! Do you know this info? Thx it sounds yummy and can’t wait to try it , I have to watch my nutrition daily. Thx!
I don’t have that info – sorry!
It appears that I live within an hour of about 8 Cafe Yumm, and yet never heard of it until yesterday. So then I went hunting around the Internet and discovered the Yumm bowl is the coveted thing on the menu.
Then what pops up when I Google for a copycat recipe? Mel!! No need to even look any further. Mel never lets me down.
Mel, I’m so glad you have family in Oregon. I am also glad that labels are required to list ingredients. The only time that is frustrating is when it lists “spices” but not what the spices are!
I haven’t tried this yet, but I plan on serving it similar how I do Hawaiian Haystacks and let everyone bring an ingredient they might like and let everyone build their own plate to personal perfection. I think it would be excellent with corn, especially fresh corn just off the cob.
I also plan on some chicken, some edamame, and some green onions.
I put the recipe on my FB without trying it first. That’s how much I trust that this will be excellent!!
That’s a GREAT way to serve it! And I hope you love it when you try it. 🙂
I’m wondering why mine is so thin, maybe I’ll put the rest of the can of Northern Beans in it? Maybe I’ll also try refrigerating it to thicken the coconut milk? Any suggestions?
Adding more beans may do the trick – not sure why it was on the thinner side! If anything, mine is usually too thick. It might depend on the different brand of ingredients we are each using.
Wow. I love Yumm Cafe in Portland, and I’ve wanted for so long to get Yumm sauce for when I’m NOT in Portland. Excited to try this out.
Trader Joe’s now carries Nutritional Yeast! Yay!!
Serious?? Awesome!
We served this for a crowd during a bridal shower and it was a hit! I love it with the Himalayan blend of rice/quinoa from Costco. The sauce also freezes well. Thanks for another great recipe!
These sound delicious! I have never been to a cafe Yum before. If I wanted to add chicken what kind would go good with the Yum sauce flavoring?!
I’ve found a simple lemon and garlic grilled chicken goes well, but the recipe is really adaptable, I’m sure you could try a lot of other flavors (even a simple rotisserie chicken).
I didn’t read all the comments so someone may have already mentioned this, but we made this over a month ago and froze the leftover sauce. I thawed the sauce (in a bowl with warm water ) tonight and we had yum yum bowls for dinner. Seemed to freeze ok! The sauce was a bit thinner than when originally made, but it still tasted great. Possibly a tad more lemony tasting but not 100% sure since this was my only my second time eating these 🙂 in any case, still tasted delicious so anyone wondering if it’s freezable, I’d say yes!
Good to know!
Made these last week and they were a hit! Just found the Yumm sauce hiding the the fridge, and since we were out of the tikka sauce we used on the tikka pizzas from last night, I used some Yumm sauce to make one for lunch today. Maybe sounds strange, but it was YUMM!
A healthy meal my kids will eat. Thank you!
This was a hit! Super easy dinner. I used the Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice to simplify even more- and I will make this on repeat! Also today I made a wrap using the sauce- it was tasty! Whole wheat wrap, turkey, spinach, carrots, feta and the Yum Yum sauce. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’ve been wanting to try these since the recipe first posted, and just made them tonight. These bowls completely live up to their name without a doubt. I’ve never used nutritional yeast in cooking before, so this was a first. Even my picky teenager loved them! Thank you for another winner, Mel!
Hoping someone will have a good suggestion for a pork (hopefully in the crockpot) recipe that will go with this. I made the sauce today and hoped the flavor would give me a guide but I’m not feeling what will go well. I’m feeding 6 missionaries this tomorrow night! The tomatillo pork? Something more basic? Live the sauce just can’t come up with a complimentary pork flavor profile on my head!
Hi Carla, what about this chili verde? I think it would be excellent.
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/chili-verde-mexican-stewed-pork/
My vote is that your recipe tastes so much better than the real Cafe Yumm dressing! Thanks for the knock-off recipe. I live in Indiana now, so has to give it a go to feed the addiction! FYI I used regular coconut milk and the dressing thickened after refrigeration and it has a green hue from the cilantro, hit not a big deal to me. Again, thanks so much! You’re a genius to recreate this from just reading the jar ingredients!
How about a Brianna’s copycat recipe for Poppyseed dressing? I’ve tried and failed.
That’s high praise, Julianne – thank you! I’ve tried multiple recipes for that poppyseed dressing. I’ve come close…but not quite there.
Avocado isn’t included in directions. Is that why it’s thin and beige? Is avocado in sauce or a topping? It’s in ingredient list. Sounds yum yum! Can’t wait to try it.
Would Parmesan sub for nutritional yeast (less amount)? I think yeast is the sub for parm in vegan cooking.
Avocado is just a topping (not in the sauce). You could probably sub Parm, but if I were out of nutritional yeast or didn’t want to use it, I’d leave it out and just up the salt/nut amounts slightly.
I was confused for a moment, but it’s avocado OIL in the sauce. The green color comes from the cilantro – don’t leave that out!
Just made the sauce for dinner tonight. Do you serve it cold over the rice?
Yep.
This dressing is great! We just made our second batch of the sauce since we devoured the first batch in no time flat. I was too lazy to go to the store so we used walnuts instead of almonds and it was fantastic.
The sauce really does freeze nicely. We froze half of the first batch and once it thawed, the texture and taste were exactly the same as if it hadn’t been frozen. This time around we multiplied all of the ingredients by 1 1/2 times so that I could use the entire can of beans and can of coconut milk. Worked perfectly and now we have some jars in the freezer and some in the fridge waiting for tonight’s dinner.
Thanks for the recipe!
Great tips and advice, Judith – and thanks for checking back in about the sauce freezing well!
This was so good! Thanks for a great meatless meal option!
I am a devoted fan of yours and was so excited to try this recipe. When I opened my bag of bob’s mill nutritional yeast from amazon I took a whiff and thought, that smells weird. I went ahead and dumped in a third a cup. And the sauce was awful! It tasted like feet. The yeast was absolutely overwhelming. So my question is, despite how much everyone loves nutritional yeast are there some people who hate it? Is it possible that the yeast was bad? Can that happen? I’m so sad! I wanted to love this recipe like I love everything else you do. What do you think happened?
Hmmm…well, nutritional yeast definitely has a unique smell but I’ve never thought it was overpowering or gross (having said that, we’ve eaten it a lot over the years so maybe I’m just accustomed to it?). I’m sad that you didn’t love it, but maybe it’s just a matter of taste preference. You can always try the sauce again and leave out the nutritional yeast (maybe up the salt just a bit).
Thanks for the reply! I think I will try the sauce without the yeast — all the other ingredients are so yummy!
I also thought the nutritional yeast was over powering in the sauce. I guess I’m one of the few who doesn’t care for the strong flavor. I will however make the sauce again and will only use a tablespoon or two. Besides the yeast flavor I think the sauce is terrific!
I also thought the yeast smelled funky, and I checked it out at three different stores to make sure it wasn’t just an off batch. I tried the roasted, salted cashews substitute and needed to add more salt. I still didn’t love the sauce, the lemon flavor was a little overpowering, but when it mixes with salsa in the bowl it tastes more balanced. This recipe reminded me how good rice and bean bowls are, but the sauce didn’t add that much.
Hmmm, sounds like nutritional yeast might not be for everyone! Thanks for adding your experience for others! Maybe some of us are born with taste buds that love nutritional yeast and others aren’t. 🙂
I made this the other night and we loved it. I made your Quinoa Patties today and put the Yum sauce on them…delicious! Thanks for all the great recipes.
Why didn’t I think to pair this yum sauce with the quinoa patties??
I have only come across your page today! I was wondering have you thought to pair this sauce with falafel? I saw you did a post on falafel with tzitziki sauce but as much as I love some
Of the cucumber sauces that I’ve had at Mediterranean restaurants when I’ve been served falafel, I think that the yumm sauce would go wonderfully with falafel as well! (As I’ve already scarfed down hash browns with both the cafe yumm’s chipotle yumm sauce AND my own homemade yumm sauce – along with cauliflower and broccoli tots dipped in them as well – perhaps this is why I think the falafel would taste great with yumm sauce?!) Or maybe there’s a way to incorporate yumm sauce into a tzatziki sauce of its own? I’m curious to try that. Maybe you can figure out how to make the chipotle flavored yumm sauce? I’ll google it but so far I’ve only seen one main recipe. And yours varies from most I’ve seen. I never thought to try Parmesan but I LOVE the yeast. Perhaps some people are not using the correct kind of yeast. It is sold right next to brewers yeast and I get the flakey yeast not powdered. Can’t go wrong with bragg’s but I found one for cheaper that had way more, so I got IT. So much to say, Sorry such a lon reply. Thanks for your recipes!
Thanks for the input! I haven’t tried this sauce with falafel but I bet it would be delicious!
I’m really excited to try this recipe. It looks like it will make more than my family will use in one meal. Do you know how long it will stay good for?
The yum sauce? Probably a week or so in the fridge (can definitely try freezing, too).
I made my yum dressing 2 weeks ago and I just ate it again last night and it tasted even better. I bet it would last at least 4-6 weeks with the amount of lemon juice it has in it. I bet you could freeze it until your next meal with great success too if you’re a food-spoiling-worrier.
I have some family members who detest cilantro and can detect it in the tiniest quantities. In many of your recipes I simply leave it out. Do you think that would be ok here, or do you recommend a substitution?
Oh yeah, you could definitely leave it out.
I’m kind of confused! I just made the sauce and it is tan colored, not green like yours, and it is quite thin. I looked over the recipe several times and am wondering if I did something wrong?
Mine is tan colored, too! I think you did it just right. The green in the pictures is probably from the avocado.
This was AMAZING. We are in the middle of a HUGE kitchen remodel where we are doing the majority of the work ourselves (translation: it’s going to take FOREVER). Right now, I have no sink, dishwasher, stove, countertops. I DO have a rice cooker and a microwave. This recipe was perfectly delicious, filling, and healthy compared to all the *crap* we’ve been eating over the past few weeks. I loved it so much that I blogged about it on our family website. You can check it out here: http://beautifulmess46.blogspot.com/2017/01/veggie-bowls-with-yum-yum-sauce.html. I tweaked the sauce a bit, admittedly, but it was such a wonderful meal. I’ve been a big fan of yours for a long time! Thank you!
So happy you loved it…and good luck with that kitchen remodel!!
Do you think using peanuts instead of almonds would make me sad?
Ha. You make me laugh. If it were me, I’d definitely try peanuts.
Loved this!!! I LOVE your recipes and have been eating a lot less meat recently so this is perfect. Thank you!
Oh this may be my new favorite dinner!!!! Mel! These are amazing! I want to live in a vat of this sauce!!! Once again, you made me look like a rock star and I wish we were neighbors!
So happy you loved it!
My family of 7 all ate it! It was a dinner miracle! Thank you for posting so many great recipes. I have your website marked as a favorite right next to Amazon for quick access.
Thanks, Sunny!
I made this for dinner tonight, it was delicious! My husband thought the name was kind of silly but after eating it was won over. Thank you so much for all the recipes you post. You have helped me branch out more in the types of food I make and my whole family (immediate and extended) think I’m an amazing cook because of you.
Thank you, Melissa! You are so sweet. And I’m glad your husband was won over by these. 🙂
Loved this! The sauce is unique and addicting.
Does it have to be light coconut milk?
I think regular coconut milk could work but the sauce will be thicker so you’ll probably want to thin it out with additional water.
Are Penzeys spices available in most local grocery stores? Or is it online only? I live in Northern Virginia. Do you think I can find them in stores near me?
I’ve never seen them in store (other than the Penzey’s store)..I always buy them online.
There was a Penzey’s store near me when I lived in Falls Church.
Hi! I’m going to order the curry from Penzeys…but I want free shipping ($20) so what other spices do you love from them?
Hi Robyn – I love their signature cinnamon blend, smoked paprika, mexican oregano, chili powder, basil, sandwich sprinkle…
Thanks!!
Tried this tonight and the flavor is awesome. Our sauce came out MUCH thinner than the pictures show though. I’ve double checked the measurements and they all are correct. Just wondering if anyone has any idea what may be causing the difference or has any experience with this one.
Hi Carrie – not sure why your sauce would be that much thinner – what brand of nutritional yeast did you use?
I just bought it in the bulk section of my Smith’s grocery store. It was the consistency of large flakes, similar to potato flakes only bigger. My husband and I triple checked our measurements, but all I could think of is there might be a difference in the canned beans. I’ve made hummus a lot and garbanzos make great thick hummus. For the yum sauce I used drained, white beans, but ended up adding the whole can in the end to make it as thick as I could. I may omit the water next time and add oil to the consistency I like. Do you think the oil type matters? I think we may have used grapeseed. I will say, they were awesome regardless of the sauce consistency. My kids devoured them and we’ve had leftovers for two days. Yum indeed!
Hmmm, I suppose oil type might matter. I’m making this sauce later this week and I’ll use grapeseed just to check it out and see.
Mine also came out much runnier. The only thing I did differently was use garbanzo beans and I ended up using sliced almonds rather than slivered. Don’t know if that would make such a big difference though…any suggestions? (I used Red Mill yeast.) thanks for the recipe though! Can’t wait to serve tomorrow.
Hey Em, it must be a result of the little changes (or maybe just the brands of ingredients I’m using – coconut milk can vary widely in consistency). I’d say if you make it again with that same lineup of ingredients, omit the water and see how that goes.
Just wanted to chime in and say mine also turned out very runny, though I followed recipe exactly (used Bob’s Red Mill nutritional yeast). Will try omitting the water and adding the whole can of white beans next time too!
confession: I live quite close to a Cafe Yumm ( once I come down off my mountain) but I’d never even considered trying it. I didn’t know a thing about it until now! Did purchase myself some nutritional yeast, so I’ll give this recipe a go first:) Thanks Mel!
Haha, literally made Yumm bowls for dinner last night. We <3 Yumm sauce. It's awesome on cucumber slices, scrambled eggs, fish sticks. I make "yummlettes", omelets with black beans and topped with sauce, salsa, avocado, whatever I have left over.
One bowl variation we do a lot (inspired by Cafe Yumm) is shelled edamame, white rice, salsa, cucumber, avocado, and nori. We are addicted to Trader Joe's wasabi nori.
Yumm!!! This was seriously delicious. I wasn’t too sure about the sauce when I first made it. The ingredients seemed a bit random and it felt a little gritty when I first tasted it. Three hours later the grittiness was totally gone, the flavours had melded and it was so so good. We ate it as suggested but added shredded carrot and edamame and left off the sour cream and olives. You could really dump this stuff on pretty much anything and it would be delicious. My husband was eating it by the spoonful. Thanks for a lot for a unique and really tasty recipe. Will definitely make this one again!
Thanks, Lynn -and thanks for your comments/opinion on the sauce!
Had these last night. Mmmmm! I was so certain that my husband would turn up his nose at a meal that has curry powder in it AND is meatless, but alas he loved it and had double servings. I won’t tell you how many servings I had.
SO GOOD!!! We had these tonight and I’m already dreaming of the leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. Thanks, Mel!
So glad you liked this recipe, Annalisa – thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Harmons sells nutritional yeast!! I am so excited to go grab some and make these!! I love meatless dinners!!
Mel- although we have yet to meet, it was past time for me to comment as our 5 kids all “know” you by name. 🙂 Yesterday after adding graduations for our oldest daughter to our June calendar, I checked your website as I planned our menu for the week. Something about all those beautiful colors and textures made me instantly know I “needed” to make these that very night. Seeing Yum Bowls pop up on the family calendar grabbed peoples curiosity and everyone loved them! As a bonus, we already had nutritional yeast in the cupboard as a dear friend had introduced us to the magic that happens when combined with popcorn, we get ours at our local Fred Meyer in the bulk food section.
What a huge milestone for your daughter! I’m so happy that your family loved this recipe…yay!
We made this last night and had the leftovers for breakfast and loved!! It. Thank you for the recipe!
Yay!
Thanks for creating the “Meatless” category in your Recipe Index. I’m wondering if I could be a major pain and request a “Vegan” category as well.
🙂 I’m not sure if I’ll add a vegan category mostly because I think I only have 1-2 recipes that are truly vegan (since I use chicken broth and other non-vegan ingredients even in “meatless” main dishes). I’m not sure I’m the best resource for true vegan recipes!
I will say, Mel that I have been on a 21 day vegan fast/diet and I used several of your recipes for inspiration and direction. Sad at times to forgo the cheese but I used vegetable broth/stock with great results. The best I think was the black bean/sweet potato burritos.
We are a small family. I will halve the sauce recipe, but how long will it keep? it seems the only really perishable ingredient is the garbanzo beans. Could I/should I freeze it until the next use?
Hi Jane, I think you could definitely try freezing…it would also probably last 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Good morning Mel. I enjoy so many of your recipes on a weekly basis. This looks amazing. My one question is why the canned coconut milk? Can I use the kind that comes in a box ?
Hi Alyssa – you can certainly try! I only ever have canned coconut milk on hand so it’s what I use. The flavor of coconut milk in the carton is a bit different so just be aware it might change the consistency/flavor of the sauce a bit.
I made these tonight and LOVED them!! My 2 yr old twins ate 3 helpings!!!! This is my first time commenting but your recipes are used weekly!!!
Thanks, Alyssa!
Do you recommend warning the rice and beans before building the bowl?
That should read “warming the rice”
I always have the rice warm (usually because I just cooked it) and probably warm the beans half the time. Honestly, either way is pretty delicious.
So for those who have a Winco by them nutritional yeast is sold in the bulk foods section!! I am so excited to try this as I have been dairy free for over a year and have missed sauces for a LONG time. Thanks for sharing!!
First time commenter! 🙂 Thanks for this recipe! Looks amazing. For the canned coconut milk – do you shake up the can first? Or use the solid stuff? Or the clearish liquid?
Good question, Rikki – I usually use light coconut milk which doesn’t separate quite as much, but if I’m using full fat that has that thick layer of coconut cream, I try to mix it up and get equal parts cream and clear liquid. Does that help?
Yes! Thanks!
Thank you so much! My roommate used to work for Cafe Yumm, and we’d go there at least once a week. It’s been 8 years since I moved away, and I miss Yumm sauce SO much! I’m so excited for this recipe. My favorite bowl was always will brown rice and edamame. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thanks for this post! I’ve been experimenting with meatless (and cheese and egg free recipes) the last few weeks so I was SUPER excited to see this post today. I’m going to try it out this week. Thanks also for meatless section. Awesome!!!
Mel, I love you and can’t wait to try this. Do you know if the sauce can be frozen?
Hmmm, that’s a good question…I haven’t tried it! But I am in the camp that most things freeze ok, so I think it’s worth a try.
So so so excited for menu plans!!!!!! I have recently noticed them on the bottom of your posts and have been taking screen shots each week. You seriously made my day!!!
Mel, I’m so happy you posted this recipe. My daughter is away at college and really misses Yumm sauce. I sent her this post so she can make it herself. Thanks
Thank you! This is such an Yummy looking recipe, I can’t wait to try! I have used nutritional yeast before and enjoyed it so I will be getting some for this recipe. I’m looking for more vegetarian options and appreciate your making a seperate link.
Nutritional Yeast is used in a lot of vegetarian/vegan recipes because it is a source of Vitamin B-12. Omnivore eating folks get B-12 from meat. I eat omnivore but the B vitamins and particularly B-12 are good-good-good for us!
Can’t believe I’ve never even hear of cafe yum! Silly question, but since I’m new to cafe yum, maybe not…do you eat the sauce cold? Or warmed? Room temperature?
I think you really could do any of the above, but I usually pull it out of the fridge and use it like that.
It’s like salad dressing- it can get weird hot, though my boyfriend will zap his Yumm bowl in the microwave and that’s fine
These look so good. We discovered nutritional yeast in 1982. Found out about it in The Farm Cookbook. It has been a staple in our kitchen ever since and I keep it in a canister. My husband has a shaker bottle of it for his popcorn.
My son came over yesterday to take me shopping, my husband hates to grocery shop, we went to Costco and Whole Foods. At Whole Foods my son spotted a Vegan Parmesan Alternative called Parma. The second ingredient was nutritional yeast. Basically it was ground sunflower seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and herbs with salt and nutritional yeast. I went ahead and got a jar for my husband to see if he liked it on his pop corn for a change thinking I could make it myself if he did. My son and I both agreed it probably does not taste like Parmesan cheese. lol
Mel have you ever made Rice by boiling it like pasta? I had bought some Basmati rice at H-Mart earlier this month and while my son was waiting for me to get ready he decided to make some for him and his dad. They both like plain rice. Reading the directions it talked about the ways we normally prepare rice and then said the traditional way is to boil it. My son decided to give it a try. He made 2 cups of rice and ended up with a large amount of rice. Much more than you would end up with if you were to steam it. The grains were separate and perfect like you find in Indian restaurants. If you are interested I will give you the directions.
Thank you dear Mel for all the work you do in putting together your posts with your recipes. I realize it just doesn’t happen and I appreciate the work you put into it.
Hi TerriSue! Boiling rice that way is actually one of my favorite ways to make brown rice (I posted about it several years ago here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/mels-kitchen-tip-how-to-cook-perfect-brown-rice/) but I haven’t ever tried tit with other rice varieties! I love basmati rice and will definitely be trying it after your comment. Thank you!
This sounds awesome, and I’m super excited to try nutritional yeast. Do you have any recommendations for an almond substitute in the sauce? We have nut allergies in our house.
Hmmm, good question, Michelle. I’d probably just make up the lack of almonds by adding in a bit more nutritional yeast and more beans, maybe? You could also try subbing in a seed, like sunflower seeds.
These look delicious Mel! Can’t wait to try them.
These bowls look delicious! I need to make these next week!
Paige Flamm
The Happy Flammily
http://bit.ly/2jEd6V2
Hi Mel!!! These look awesome…but beans do not agree with me. I’m trying to think of a good substitute for them…wondering if you think cashews would work? I don’t know how critical the beans are for the flavor. Thanks so much!!
Btw…the cashew chicken lettuce wraps? One of my new faves!!
Hey Jackie – yeah, maybe cashews…or some of the knockoff recipes online called for tofu. Might be worth a try?
Mel, my third try for this recipe I used silken tofu instead of like my first two tries which were first with canned black soy beans (still yummy) and the second try was with soaked then boiled dry soy beans (tan/white?). They both tasted awesome but the third one is by far my best yet with the silken tofu. It was creamier even though I actually added to my almond flour actual almonds – slivered and sliced. Also, Cafe Yumm is the first place I ever tried braggs aminos so perhaps it influenced my judgement on this, but I did see that one recipe used it in the sauce, so I tried just a single teaspoon and I’ve gotta tell you it really completes the flavor of the sauce. I’m on a low sodium diet, so I use a lower sodium salt. It might be affecting the outcome of the taste a bit but adding the Braggs liquid aminos helped out quite a bit. I use braggs on my rice bowls anyway, among many other things, but I think it helps to add it to the actual sauce when preparing it.
Thanks for the input!!
I’m excited to make these!! Also, we use nutritional yeast + garlic salt on our popcorn and love it! Well, my husband doesn’t. He usually fakes gagging sounds until I scoot away from him on the couch.
hahahahaha. That sounds EXACTLY like my husband.
I live in Portland and we adore Cafe Yumm (but don’t eat out all that often). I bought the sauce on our last visit and we did love having it at home (though I burnt myself out a little when I put it on everything until it was gone). You cracked me up when you mentioned your industrious response to the ingredients list; my response was “guess I’ll have to buy this because I have no idea what nutritional yeast is!” 😉 Luckily we shop at Winco too and I’m sure it’s there–can’t wait to try it. Thank you, as always. You are my food guru and I am so thankful you!!
Thank you!!! I had wanted to get some Yumm sauce while visiting our daughters in Oregon at Christmastime, but it just didn’t work out! This is fantastic! 🙂
This sounds wonderful. I’ve never been to a Cafe Yumm, but I don’t get out much! Both situations need to be changed I think.
Haha, you and me both. 🙂
I am SOOOO beyond happy to see this recipe on here!! Living in the PNW/Oregon, I quickly came to love these filling, delicious, and nutritious yumm bowls. But the bottles cost like $13 and I can never eat it quick enough to have it on hand at all times and justify that price. So you better believe I am making this asap!!
Bless you, Mel! Cafe Yumm is my all-time favorite restaurant, and I haven’t lived near one for ten years. I miss my Yumm Bowls! Can’t wait to make them at home. Thank you for sharing!
Why do I get a HUGE yellow happy face in the middle of my printable copy?
Me too. Trying to print, but would rather not have the smiley face, cute as it is. 🙂
Sorry about that – an innocent smiley face in the notes seemed to grow larger than life. It’s gone now. 🙂
Oh, that’s not good! I’ll fix it now!
I tried Cafe Yum for the first time this Fall when visiting Portland for the TOFW. It was yummy and so is the sauce. I can’t wait to add another meatless recipe to my collection! Thanks.
Looks like a greatly versatile family pleaser!
The sauce made me think of a easy concoction I threw together the other day – not nearly as complex as the Yum Yum Sauce, but it really turned out well. Great for dipping chips, veggies, topping off salads or bowls like the one you posted.
Mashed up 1 avocado, added a few tablespoons of sour cream and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder. I’m sure you could add some other great seasonings too, but this basic combo let the flavors come through, kinda clean and fresh tasting.
Thanks for sharing all your great ideas and experiences 🙂
Yum!
I want to try this asap! Looks delicious! Does it really matter if you use slivered or sliced almonds since they are blended up?
Hi Holly – I had the best luck getting a smooth sauce with slivered almonds, but you could definitely experiment with other types.
I have a blendtec blender and had no trouble getting a smooth (delicious!) sauce using whole almonds.
Oh hooray! I’m so excited to try these! We eat Hawaiian Haystacks regularly (with your awesome sauce of course). We love them because they are healthy and customizable – I am certain I will love these yum yum bowls for the same reasons. Thank you!
I agree! Customizable dinners for the win!
Hi, Mel! Do you know if I could use whole raw almonds instead of the slivered ones? We lived close to a Cafe Yumm for a few months but we never made it over there to try it before we moved – I’m so excited to try the copycat recipe!
Hey Rebecca – I’m sure you could. The advantage to using the slivered almonds is that they blend up a little better in the sauce for a smoother consistency. If you have time, you might try soaking the whole almonds and draining well before using. Or…just toss them in and see how it goes. I had the best luck with slivered almonds.
Instead of a regular blender, I have a VitaMix blender. I’m sure that the whole almonds would work in a VitaMix if you have one. A VitaMix is a workhorse that will blend anything!
Looks amazing! I’m making it tonight!
These look like the perfect solution for Sunday night dinner at my house! Sundays are crazy, and I never feel like cooking anything complicated, but I hate to start the week with eating takeout. I’m pretty sure this is going to save my Sunday!
Thanks for the recipe!
Looking forward to making this healthy looking dish (I love all the colors!) using my new handy dandy insta pot. I have never heard of nutritional yeast before! It almost sounds as tho, esp after reading Liz’s post, that it could b sprinkled on spag & meatsauce. I must admit that I do not always grate parm & sometimes take the easy route of using the processed stuff in in the pasta aisle next to the sauce. Would nutritional yeast b good spooned over spag?
Yes, delicious!
Mel this looks wonderful! Do you have a favorite jarred salsa? Or do you make your own usually?
I have some of this favorite home canned salsa on our shelves we pull out, but we also love the Trader Joe’s classic salsa, and my husband is a sucker for good ol’ Pace Picante (medium, of course). 🙂
We don’t have a Cafe Yumm in our town so I’m not familiar with it, but these bowls really do look delicious. I have made copycat Chipotle rice bowls with black beans and veggies, using whatever vegetables were on hand, but your bowls with yum sauce sound so much better. Thanks for sharing! Please sign me up for the Friday email recipe. I’ve tried signing up several times with no luck. Thanks!
Hey Teresa – I show your email address already signed up to receive the weekly newsletters…and it shows that all of them have been sent successfully, without bouncing. Any chance they are going to spam or to a promotions tab (like in gmail)?
Never heard of yumm cafe. #midwestissues but I’m excited to try this!
Haha, don’t worry – #idahoissues too – I had never heard of it until visiting the in-laws. 🙂
Look at you gettin’ all fancy with your food design pics! Looking good Mel!
You are my hero! My husband is a PNW native and misses Cafe Yumm a lot, so I will definitely be adding this to the rotation.
Good grief, this looks and sounds wonderful! And that sauce! I’ve never heard of Café Yum so nothing to compare to when I try it.
I’m also a fan of nutritional yeast: popcorn, a spoonful in a bowl of soup, on pasta. And I use it in homemade crackers for a bit of a cheese taste. Here in small town northwest Montana I see it in bulk bins (great way to try some and see if you like it), also the Bragg’s and Bob’s Red Mill. It also makes a non-dairy “cheese” sauce combined with cashew cream.
I can’t wait to try the sauce. Thanks Mel and Mel’s in-laws!
I hope you like it, Liz! That sauce really is something else…and glad to know you are a fan of nutritional yeast, too. We love it enough to keep it on hand!
Liz, I always love and learn from your comments. Those homemade crackers sound really yummy. I’ve always wanted to try to make them. Maybe Mel will post a cracker recipe one day for us!!! Love this Yum Yum recipe Mel.