I’ve been considering my list of essential recipes. I quickly realised that I regularly use my cashew & tofu cream cheese as an essential ingredient in a variety of recipes, rather than just a spread on its own (although I definitely still enjoy it just as a spread).
If you’re still drawn to “traditional” spreads while you’re transitioning to a plant-based diet, you’ll love this. It has a lot of the creaminess and acidity that you enjoy from dairy cream cheese.
A batch of this will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, but it can also be frozen too. This easy cheesy recipe uses a few readily available ingredients and it’s a doddle to make.
Cashew & Tofu Cream Cheese
Equipment:
A high speed or vortex blender produces the best results. A food processor or bullet style blender will work, but your mixture may not be a smooth as it could be.
Ingredients:
- 280g firm tofu – drained
- 100g raw cashews soaked at least 2 hours or approximately 150g once soaked/drained
- 50 – 75ml water to blend (see kitchen note below)
- 15ml lemon juice
- 8ml apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sea salt
Method:
Add the soaked/drained cashews to a blender with enough water to blend into a paste.
Add the drained tofu, salt, lemon and apple cider vinegar to the cashews and blend until combined.
While the blender is running add water a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture resembles a cream style cheese.
Taste to check seasoning and acid (the lemon and vinegar), add more if you think it needs it.
Kitchen note: the brand of firm tofu you use will determine how much water you need. If you make the mixture too wet/runny, strain it though a nut bag, or leave it overnight in the fridge in a muslin lined sieve.
For more easy dairy-free plant-based cheeses, you might like to try some of these.
