Going vegan is not easy as it is a big switch from the foods that we know and love. One of them is cheese. This delicious filling in your sandwiches and topping on your pizza is hard to replace. But, not anymore. You can easily make vegan cheese at home with several plant-based ingredients. With some vegan cheese and bGREEN peanut butter in your refrigerator, there is no end to the delicious dishes that you can prepare every day.
#1. Almond Cheese
This is a simple vegan cheese recipe that is perfect to make a delicious grilled cheese and bGREEN peanut butter toasted sandwich.
Ingredients
- Unroasted, blanched almonds- 160g. The almonds should be soaked for at least 6 hours.
- Lemon juice- 2 ½ tablespoons
- Olive Oil- 3 tablespoons
- Sea salt- 1 ¼ teaspoon
- Water- ⅔ cup
Directions
- Blend the almonds with lemon juice, salt, olive oil and water.
- Remove the mixture and drain using a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Leave it in a small bowl in the refrigerator overnight.
- Once it is fully drained, invert it onto a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes and 180 degrees C.
- Let it cool and store this non-dairy cheese in the refrigerator.
#2. Vegan Mozarella Cheese
Vegan mozzarella cheese has the same stringy texture that is ideal for pizzas and sandwiches.
Ingredients
- Raw cashews, soaked overnight – 250g
- Hot water- 1 ⅔ cups
- Tapioca starch- 6 tablespoons
- Nutritional yeast- 4 tablespoons
- Sea salt0 1 teaspoon
- Lemon juice- 1 tablespoon
Directions
- Blend all the ingredients in a food processor to make the mozzarella cashew cheese
- Pour the mixture into a pan and stir continuously over medium flame until it begins to thicken.
- Remove from flame and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Mix sea salt into a bowl of cold water.
- Scoop out small balls of the vegan mozzarella cheese and put them in the water. Press into the desired shape with your hands.
- Store these cashew cheese balls in the refrigerator.
Tofu Cream Cheese
This is a simple vegan cheese recipe to make a delicious cream cheese spread.
Ingredients
- Tofu block- 450g
- Nutritional yeast- 2 tablespoons
- Coconut oil, melted- 3 tablepsoons
- Lemon juice0 2 tablespoons
- Apple cider vinegar- 1 tablespoon
- Salt- 1 teaspoon
- Garlic powder- 1 teaspoon
- Onion powder- 1 teaspoon
- Dried dill- ½ teaspoon
- Unsweetened soy milk- As required
Directions
- Blend all the ingredients for the vegan cream cheese to make a smooth puree. This is a thick mixture that you will have to scrape out from the sides.
- Add salt to taste.
- Place this tofu cheese mixture in a sealable plastic bowl. Cover it and leave it in the refrigerator.
- Use it on toast, crackers, or bagels as desired.
#4. Pesto Cashew Cheese
This is a delicious vegan cheese option that you can use for pasta, as a spread or even as a filling for sandwiches.
Ingredients for pesto
- Basil leaves- 1 cup
- Minced garlic- 2 cloves
- Ground black pepper- ¼ teaspoon
Ingredients for the cashew cheese
- Raw, soaked and drained cashews- 1 cup
- Agar flakes- 2 tablespoons
- Water- 1 ½ cups
- Coconut oil, melted- 1 tablespoon
- Nutritional yeast- 2 tablepsoons
- Onion flakes- ½ teaspoon
- Garlic powder- ½ teaspoon
- Turmeric powder- ¼ teaspoon
Directions
- Blend all the ingredients for the pesto sauce to make a smooth paste.
- In a glass container, whisk the turmeric powder and nutritional yeast together.
- In a saucepan, boil water and add agar flakes. Allow it to dissolve completely and then let it cool.
- In a blender, add the cashew, melted coconut oil and lemon juice and pulse it a few times to make a coarse plant-based cheese
- Add the nutritional yeast mixture and blend it to make a smooth paste.
- Now add the agar water mixture to this and blend all the ingredients till they mix well till it gets a smooth and silky texture.
- Fold the pesto mixture into the non-dairy cheese mixture till they are mixed well.
- Pour it into a bowl and leave it in the refrigerator till the cheese becomes firm.
Conclusion
Once you have mastered these vegan cheese recipes, you can move on to more advanced ones to make exotic cheeses like gouda. The best part is that these vegan alternatives are so delicious that you will not miss dairy-based cheese. They are just as creamy and are loaded with flavour. Of course, they are a healthy alternative to cheese and can even be part of a weight loss diet. Plant based cheese also comes with added nutrients like omega-3, vitamins and minerals that are extremely good for you.