Best Cashew Types For Vegan Cheese

Raw cashews are the base of this recipe, and when soaked and blended with a little water or milk, the nuts form into a beautiful, super creamy sauce full of fiber, protein and healthy fats.

Soaking the cashews

To speed up the process, you can add the cashews to a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and let the cashews sit for 30-45 minutes in the warm water, then drain.

The ingredients

• Raw cashews
• Water
• Lemon juice
• Nutritional yeast
• Salt
• Garlic powder
• Cayenne pepper
• Dijon mustard
• Carrot
• Coconut oil
• Tahini
• Paprika
• Agar agar powder

The blending process

Once the cashews are soaked, drain and rinse them. Then, add them to a high-speed blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender to ensure that all the ingredients are incorporated.

The consistency of the cheese sauce should be quite thick. If you want a looser sauce for pasta or nachos, add a little water and blend until you reach your desired consistency.

If you're serving the sauce with pasta, there is no need to warm it on the stove. Simply add it to warm, drained, and cooked noodles and stir. If you're serving with chips, warm the sauce in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat, whisking until thick and warm.

Boiling the agar agar

Step 1: Prepare the agar agar powder

Before you begin, ensure that you have the right amount of agar agar powder. The basic agar gel recipe is 2 teaspoons of powder to 2 cups of liquid.

Step 2: Soak the agar agar

After measuring out the correct amount of powder, soak the agar in the liquid for about 10-15 minutes.

Step 3: Bring the mixture to a boil

Once the agar has been adequately soaked, it's time to bring the mixture to a boil.

Step 4: Simmer the mixture

After reaching a boil, reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for a few minutes. Stir the mixture continuously until the agar is completely dissolved. This process should take about 5 minutes.

Step 5: Combine the agar agar with the cashew mixture

Now, it's time to combine the agar agar with the cashew mixture. Add the cashew mixture to the pot with the agar agar and stir the mixture constantly for 1-2 minutes until it thickens.

Tips:

• Make sure to use refined coconut oil. This is very important, as nothing else will work. If you use unrefined, your cheese will taste like coconut.
• Use a high-powered blender to get the cheese smooth and free of chunks.
• Always use raw cashews, as they have a neutral, buttery taste that is perfect as a base for cheese.

Pouring the mixture into a dish to set

Step1: Prepare the Mixture

Before pouring the mixture into a dish, make sure that you have prepared the mixture properly. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. You can use a blender to make the mixture smooth and creamy.

Step 2: Choose the Right Dish

Choose a dish that is the right size and shape for your cheese. You can use a regular bowl, a round bowl, or a ramekin. If your bowl is smaller, then use two bowls for two smaller blocks of cheese.

Step 3: Pour the Mixture

Pour the mixture into the dish. Make sure to pour it evenly and smoothly. You can use a spatula to help you with this step.

Step 4: Refrigerate the Mixture

Refrigerate the mixture until it is set. This usually takes a few hours or overnight.

Step 5: Remove the Cheese from the Dish

Once the cheese is set, you can remove it from the dish. Turn the dish upside down onto a plate to release the cheese.

Tips:

• It is important to use agar agar powder, not flakes, as the powder is much stronger than the flakes. If you only have flakes, you will need to use three times as much.
• This cheese can be grated, but it tends to get firmer the longer it is in the fridge. So, it is better to grate it on the second day than on the first day.
• You can also melt this cheese. Put a slice on a cracker and microwave it for 15 seconds, and it will melt!

Frequently asked questions