This creamy vegan cheese comes together easily and can be enjoyed spread on crudité and crackers. But don’t stop there. It’s also divine dolloped over roasted vegetables or used as an alternative to ricotta cheese in lasagna.
1/2 cup (125 mL) raw cashews
1/2 cup (125 mL) raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup (60 mL) water or dairy-free milk of choice
2 Tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
2 Tbsp (30 mL) apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp (15 mL) nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp (2 mL) kosher salt
1/2 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, cilantro, chives, or parsley
Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
To heatproof bowl, add cashews and sunflower seeds. Pour over just-boiled water and set aside for 20 minutes.
Drain cashews and sunflower seeds and add to blender or food processor along with water (or dairy-free milk), lemon juice, vinegar, nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic. Blend, stopping to scrape down sides of container as needed, until mixture is as smooth as possible. If very thick, add additional water or dairy-free milk, 1 Tbsp (15 mL) at a time, to arrive at a thick, spreadable consistency.
Transfer to bowl and fold in chopped herbs. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Makes about 1 cup (250 mL)
By Lawren Moneta
