If you’re a cheese lover and have recently started a vegan diet, then giving up cheese has probably been one of the harder foods to give up. While modern-day grocery stores have provided a handful of vegan cheese options, it’s still useful to know how to make a non-dairy cheese like this cashew cheese recipe.
Like its name implies, this cashew cheese recipe utilizes cashews to create the bulk of the recipe. Not only that, but the cashews devote a nutty flavor to this dairy-free cheese.
The agar flakes in this vegan cashew cheese recipe are what allow this vegan nut cheese to transform from a vegan cheese sauce to a firm cheese that can be sliced. You can display this cashew cheese on a cheese board with grapes and crackers, or you can grate this vegan nut cheese for your various recipes.
If you do decide to grate this cashew cheese, make sure you chill the cheese in the fridge first to make grating easier and hassle-free.
Summary |
|
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Idle time: 4 Hours
|
Level
|
Servings: Person
Unit:
|
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups raw cashews
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast available in health food stores
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
- 3 1/2 cups plain soy milk
- 1 cup agar flakes (a vegetarian gelatin available in health food stores), about 1 1/2 ounces
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup yellow miso (fermented soybeans available in health food stores)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Using the pulse button, finely grind the cashews in a food processor (do not allow the cashews to turn into a paste). Add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse 3 more times to blend in the spices.
- Combine the milk, agar, and oil in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the agar is dissolved.
- With the food processor running, gradually pour the milk mixture through the feed tube and into the cashew mixture. Blend for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is very smooth and creamy. Blend in the miso and lemon juice.
- For grated or sliced cheese: Transfer the cheese to a container then cover and refrigerate until it is very firm, about 4 hours.
- Once it is firm, grate or slice the cheese as desired.
- For melted cheese: Use the cheese immediately as melted cheese. To make the cheese in advance, cover and refrigerate it. When ready to use, melt it in a saucepan over medium heat until it is smooth and creamy, stirring frequently and adding more soymilk to the melted cheese to thin, if necessary.
Additional information
Updated by Beeta Hashempour on 7/30/2018
