This raw vegan ricotta is a cashew lover’s dream. Made with rich and creamy cashews, this vegan cheese makes for the perfect spread or topping for a raw zoodle entree. Have a cashew allergy or just dislike them? You can replace them with raw almonds, but make sure to use slivered almonds, as whole almonds don’t yield as creamy a consistency. Cashews are commonly used to make vegan and raw vegan cheeses, which is why we decided to use them. Just make sure to soak them for an hour or two prior to blending. That will soften them and allow for easier blending.
For this recipe, we highly recommend using a food processor, as a blender may not be able to do the job effectively. Because this is ricotta cheese, you want the blended mixture to retain some texture. For this reason, keep an eye on the ingredients during while you blend them. If you end up with a super creamy spread, don’t think that you have wasted ingredients. You can still enjoy the spread, which will be more of a creamy sauce. Ricotta cheese tends to have some curds, giving it a lumpy texture. To get a similar texture with cashews, blend for 30 seconds at a time. Scrape down the sides of the processor each time and repeat until you achieve a texture that appeases you.
Finally, if you feel the need to add a little pizzazz to this cashew ricotta, you can do so with the following measurements:
- Fresh chopped herbs: Add 1/3 cup of cilantro, dill, or basil
- Pepper: Add one teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes for spice
- Fresh chopped garlic: Add one or two cloves of minced garlic
- Prep Time:10m
- Total Time:10m
- Serves: 8 servings
- Category: Full Body Cleanse Approved, Dips & Spreads, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 2 c raw cashews (soaked for an hour then drained)
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 c water (plus more to aid blending)
- 1/4 c homemade cashew milk
- 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend for about 30 seconds before stopping to scrape down the sides.
- Repeat this process until you achieve a consistency that resembles ricotta cheese. You may also need to add water one tablespoon at a time to aid the blending process.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. You can choose to add the optional ingredients mentioned in the recipe description if you want to flavor the cashew ricotta. Enjoy!
