Herbed Cashew Cheese
This herbed vegan cashew cheese & spicy tomato jam will make you forget all about the "real" thing. A rich and creamy cashew cheese is sprinkled with chopped herbs and paired with a sweet-n-spicy homemade tomato jam. Serve this vegan delight alongside baguette slices, crackers, or even fresh veggies!
Prep Time12 hrs 15 mins
Total Time12 hrs 15 mins
Course: Appetizer, Cheese
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, plant-based, Vegan
Servings: 1 ½ cups
- 1 cup raw cashews
- Water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons filtered water
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
For Garnishing
- Malden sea salt or other large flake sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped basil, thyme, oregano, etc.
Soak the raw cashews in about 2 cups of water for at least 4 hours (I soaked mine overnight).
Drain the cashews completely and add them to a food processor along with the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of water, white wine vinegar, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper. Process for 3-4 minutes or until you have a very smooth cream.
Transfer the cashew cream to a bowl and stir in the chopped basil, oregano, and thyme.
You can either enjoy the cheese as is or line a small colander with tightly-woven cheesecloth, pour the cashew cheese into the cheesecloth, fold the cheesecloth over top, and place the colander over a medium-size bowl so that it is suspended. Then, refrigerate overnight.
Once refrigerated, unwrap the cashew cheese, transfer it to a serving platter, and garnish with sea salt, black pepper, and chopped herbs.
Refrigerate leftovers.