Description
There’s nothing to be intimated about when making a treenut cheese. This is one way I make it when I simply want a soft, plain plant-based cheese to go with practically anything. Just remember to soak the cashews in water in the fridge in advance—I do it overnight. Be patient with blending the ingredients so that it’s velvety smooth when done. Serve it as is or add in herbs, spices, and more. It’s perfect on pasta, pizza, veggie burgers, grain salads, and beyond! Absolutely enjoy it in my Easy One-Pot Pasta with Lemony Greens and Cashew Cheese, too.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unroasted, unsalted cashews
- 2 cups + 3 tablespoons cold water, divided
- Juice of 1 small lemon (2 tablespoons)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a jar or sealable glass container in the fridge, soak cashews in 2 cups of water for at least 12 hours (or overnight). Drain well.
- In a blender, puree the drained cashews, 3 tablespoons water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt on high speed until a thick and super creamy smoothie-like consistency and slightly warm, about 3 minutes. (Note: If need, add more water by the teaspoon for proper blending; but for thickest consistency, aim to skip additional water.)
- Chill the cashew cheese in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It will slightly thicken as it chills. It’s an ideal topping for Easy One-Pot Pasta with Lemony Greens and Cashew Cheese—and it’s crave-worthy as a thick and creamy, plant-based stand-in for alfredo sauce.
Notes
Tip: Blend or stir in other flavorful ingredients to this cashew cheese if you like. Think onion powder, minced fresh garlic, ground turmeric, smoked paprika, peppercorns, fresh basil, or fresh chives. If you add fresh ingredients, store the cashew cheese in the fridge for no more than 1 week.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Condiment
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 2g includes 0g added sugars
- Sodium: 440mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg