Vegan ricotta, made from cashews and silken tofu.
My ricotta recipe comes very, very close to the non vegan original! My fully plant based ricotta substitute is just as creamy, slightly sour, with a fine hint of sweetness and a fine cheese aroma. Just like real Italian cream cheese.
And the best part is: ist can be prepared in only 5 minutes. This vegan cheese is absolutely easy to make at home.
Real ricotta consists of double-heated sweet whey. Hence its creamy mouthfeel and its slightly sweet taste. There is also a slightly sour, almost lemony note. After skimming, the cheese has a soft, minimally crumbly structure.
I recreated these taste and structure properties in my vegan ricotta. Instead of sweat whey it is made from cashew nuts and silken tofu.
In the photos you can see my vegan ricotta substitute with sun-dried tomatoes and a bit of rocket rolled up in grilled zucchini slices. This snack is very easy to prepare and it is wonderful as a small appetizer or on an anti pasti plate.
My vegan ricotta substitute goes very well with plenty of dishes. I particularly like it for pasta dishes such as vegan cannelloni or ravioli.
For more vegan cheese recipes ckeck out my cheese section. Here on Daily Vegan – vegan every day cuisine.
Ingredients for approx. 300 g vegan ricotta:
200 g silken tofu
90 g cashews, soaked for 3 hours or overnight
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp yeast flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 fermented garlic clove, finely chopped (alternatively 1 normal garlic clove)
If the ricotta is to be used for desserts or other sweet dishes. Just use half of a fermented garlic clove. Or leave it out entirely.
Preparation:
Put all the ingredients for the vegan ricotta in a tall bowl. Then puree thoroughly. Until a creamy, homogeneous mass is created. Depending on the wattage of the hand blender, this can take a few minutes. You can also use any other blender for this step. Or a food processor.
The vegan cheese keeps well in the fridge for several days. The best way to keep it, is to keep it sealed in a screw-top jar or a reusable plastic container with a firm lid.
Enjoy!