Easy Vegan Ricotta Cheese (tofu + cashews)
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
Cashew Cream
- ½ cup cashews, raw unsalted
- ½ cup non-dairy milk (or water)
Tofu Filling
- 350 grams firm tofu, crumbled
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup basil leaves, chopped
- hot pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Remove excess water from tofu by wrapping the block in a clean kitchen towel or a few paper towels. Place under a couple heavy cookbooks or a cast-iron pan while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Making the cashew cream: Place the cashews, dairy-free milk*/water, and salt in a high-power blender and process until smooth, thick, and creamy ~1 minute.
- Using your hands or a fork, crumble the tofu into small pieces in a medium bowl.
- Add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, minced garlic, onion powder, salt, and basil. Mix well. Taste for flavor and make adjustments as desired.
- Pour in ¼ cup cashew cream and stir to combine. Add more cashew cream as desired for creaminess.
- Add a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes (optional).
- Store in a covered container in the fridge for 4 or 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for a month.
Notes
Tofu - I use extra firm or firm tofu. Wrap the tofu block in a towel or some paper towels and squeeze out any excess water. If the tofu is a softer variety, wrap it and then press for about 15 minutes by adding a stack of cookbooks on top.
Tofu - crumble the tofu with your hands or a fork until it resembles dairy ricotta texture.
Storage - this vegan ricotta keeps well in the fridge in a lidded container for 4-5 days.
Leftovers - serve any leftovers in pasta dishes, on tacos, in soup or on pizza.