Vegan Cashew Ricotta with Basil

Recipe Difficulty: Easy (just takes a bit of forethought to soak cashews overnight)

Recipe Tags:

• Vegan Cashew Ricotta
• Basil
• Vegan Cheese
• Pizza, Pasta, Lasagna
• Salad, Wraps, Sandwiches

My cashew ricotta recipes notes
Cashew Ricotta is a simple dairy free plant based alternative to ricotta cheese, and it tastes amazing! Raw cashews are soaked overnight, and then blended with a bit of tofu, hot water, nutritional yeast, olive oil, garlic, miso paste, lemon juice, onion powder, fresh basil & salt. The results are actually incredible. Not all home made vegan cheeses that are this simple result in something I love as much as I love this recipe. It just works. 

If you are new to a recipe like this, making plant based cheese might seem like a bit of a hurdle or even unappealing... But.... I promise you, the flavour is impressive, and it couldn't be more simple to prepare. All you need is a food processor to blend up the ingredients and you will be on your way to making something that's delicious and satisfying all while using good for you ingredients. 

​I originally developed this cashew & tofu based ricotta to use in my Zucchini Involtini Recipe.
 I have also made incredible lasagna, heirloom tomato salad, and a tomato and caramelized onion galette using this recipe. I wish I had the lasagna and galette recipes solidified, I have the notes in my books, but I need to revisit them.

You could also simply spread this cashew ricotta on toast (fancy!), use it in sandwiches or enjoy it tucked into wraps for a flavourful and healthy alternative to mayo or dairy based spreads and cheese. 

I have tried this ricotta just before adding the basil, and it isn't as good without. It is the fresh basil that takes it over the top and makes it such an epic ingredient in the dishes I've used it in. So while I think it could be fun to try different herbs and variations, I definitely recommend trying it this way first. 

Cashew Basil Ricotta Recipe

Yield: about 1  3/4 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight in water to soften
• 1/4 block of tofu
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• juice from half a lemon
• 1 - 2 cloves garlic (if they are really big 1 is likely enough)
• 1 tsp miso paste
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 cup basil (packed)

Method

1 .  In a food processor combine all ingredients except for the basil. Blitz until as smooth as possible,       scraping down sides a couple of times. 
2.  Now add in basil, and pulse just to give it a chop and mix in evenly. 
3.  Scrape ricotta into a container and refrigerate to set up before using in desired recipe. 

zucchini involtini with cashew basil ricotta & marinara

succotash with mint, jalapeno & Lime Vinaigrette

Vegan kale, white bean & sausage stew with rosemary & lemon ​