Cashew “Cheese”
With my vegan goddaughter and her boyfriend coming for a visit, I wanted to try out a new recipe. I had decided on making a cashew “cheese”. Of course, this isn’t an actual cheese. There is no dairy in it. Its a mixture of soaked, raw cashews, nutritional yeast, almond milk and a few more ingredients. Its a nice alternative for anyone who does not or cannot consume dairy products.
There were plenty of recipes out there and I ended up with a recipe that was a mix of several of the ones I came across. The final product can be used as a “cheese” sauce or dip, depending on how thick or thin you make it. Its very easy to make. The longest part of prep is soaking the cashews in water before blending.
We made it in class the other night. For Gwen and Brian, we spooned it over vegan enchiladas and brown rice. They loved it. I have made it with almond milk, but also tried it with oat milk. Any non-dairy milk can be used. You can use less than the recipe calls for if you want a thicker consistency. Add more “milk” if you want a runnier sauce. I found the oat milk made a thicker “cheese” than almond milk.
So here is the recipe. Enjoy!!
Cashew “Cheese”
1½ cups raw cashews
3-4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup unsweetened almond or oat milk, plus more to thin if necessary
1 jalapeno, chopped (feel free to de-seed or leave out if sensitive to spice) I love what it adds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 t. smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Soak the cashews in 4 cups of water for at least 2 hours; otherwise I’ve found that you can easily speed up the process by adding the raw cashews to a pot with water and placing over high heat. Bring water to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat; let the cashews sit for 30-45 minutes in the warm water, then drain. Add drained cashews with remaining ingredients to a blender. Blend until a thick sauce comes together. If you want a thinner sauce, add a bit more almond milk. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Enjoy! Serves 6-8, depending on how you use it.
