Shredded Cashew cheese is a vegan cheese that taste like cheese and melts like cheese. Perfect for adding to pizza or pasta, ito use in grilled cheese sandwiches and to sprinkle on top of soups and stews.
February is Februdairy month and for me, a month to enjoy and celebrate vegan dairy. Whether store bought or homemade, vegan dairy is the delicious, versatile, kind and healthier option.
The Need for Vegan Cheese
Giving up cheese is one reason why many people won’t go vegan. A lack of good vegan cheeses was once a valid excuse, but thankfully it not valid anymore. In 2005 when I first began to go vegan, there was only one commercial vegan cheese available, and it tasted like a bad quality processed cheese, didn’t melt and crumbled when sliced. Now there are hundreds of amazing vegan cheeses available that do everything non vegan cheeses do.
I love cheese, so I was happy to suddenly have so many options to choose from, but the real gamechanger for me was finding a recipe to make my own cashew cheese. The recipe was simple and highly recommended so I tried it and love it. I made a few adjustments such as using salt free seasoning instead of salt, and now it’s my go to shredded cheese recipe.
Making Shredded Cashew Cheese
Making shredded cashew cheese is very easy, with only a few basic ingredients and very little prep work required. You will need a sieve, blender, food processor or grater, and a preferably glass container for molding and freezing.
The only ingredient you might not have on hand is the salt free seasoning. I make my own blend, which is best because it adds a bit of sweetness to the recipe, but you can use a commercial one as well or omit seasoning altogether. (I use salt free seasoning because I don’t eat salt at all generally as it’s unhealthy if you eat too much, and any amount makes my ADHD symptoms much worse. Also, this is a mild flavoured cheese and salt can overpower it.)
Begin the recipe by boiling the cashews and carrots in a pot of boiling water, until the carrots are fork tender, about ten minutes. Once cooked, strain them through a sieve and reserve the cooking liquid. Set it aside.
Add the cashews and carrots to a blender. Then add the nutritional yeast, tapioca flour, lemon juice, salt free seasoning and 2 1/4 cups of the cashew water. Blend until smooth.
Note: Be careful when blending, especially if using a small blender. I cover the top of the blender with a folded over clean dish towel and press down hard on the lid while its blending. I’ve been badly burnt when the mixture sprayed out the top. That’s also why always wear an apron when cooking.
Once the cashew mixture is smooth, do a taste test and add and blend in more nutritional yeast if you prefer a stronger cheese flavour. The next step is to pour the mixture back into the cooking pot and cook over medium high heat until the mixture is thickened but not lumpy, stretchy and pulls away from the sides of the pot. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon using a strong circular motion. It thickens very quickly so you want to insure all the cheese is well mixed.
Pour the thickened cheese mixture in a rectangle or square freezable glass or plastic container and let cool for an hour or so at room temperature. The texture should be thick and not liquid at all. Refrigerate the cheese for a few hours until it is completely cooled. Place cool cheese in the freezer until frozen.
To shred, remove the frozen cheese and let thaw slightly until you can slice it. You can do this at room temperature or heated for 30 seconds in the microwave. Slice it in half and shred with preferably a food processor or a hand grater. Refrigerate or refreeze until using.
Versatile and delicious
Shredded cashew cheese tastes yummy and cheesy, and it can be used anywhere you would use dairy shredded cheese. It melts beautifully and can be used to make cheese sauces and to top pizza and baked casseroles. Use it to top baked pasta, burgers, tacos and in a grilled cheese sandwich as well. Anyway you choose to eat it, you’ll be glad you did. Enjoy!
More Cheesy Recipes
Vegan cheese is great for those comfort foods that require it. Nothing is better than cheese and vegan cheese is a tasty, melty and healthy option. Here are some “cheesy” recipes for you to try:
Baked Spaghetti Squash with Cashew Cheese
Shredded Cashew Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 medium carrot roughly sliced
- 2 1/4 cups cashew and carrot water saved from boiling
- 8 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 8 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon stevia seasoning or your favorite salt free seasoning
Instructions
- In a medium sized pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the cashews and carrot and boil for 10 minutes, or until the carrot is tender enough to be easily pierced by a fork.
- Place a sieve over a medium sized mixing bowl. Pour the cooked cashews and carrots into the sieve. Reserve the cooking liquid.
- Transfer the cashews and carrot to a blender.
- Add the nutritional yeast, tapioca starch, lemon juice, salt free seasonings, and 2 cups plus 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water to the blender. Blend mixture on high speed, until smooth.
- Pour the mixture back into the pot and heat, stirring over medium low heat. Lumps should immediately begin to form. Continue stirring for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened, stretchy and pulls away from the pot.
- Remove cheese from heat and pour into a preferably glass freezable container. After filling, tap the container on the counter to release air bubbles and smooth the top.
- Let cheese cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate until completely cool and freeze.
- To shred: Remove frozen cheese from the freezer. Run container under hot water to remove the cheese. Let sit at room temperature until it can be sliced with a knife. You can microwave it as well for 10-20 seconds.
- Slice cheese into 2 or 3 pieces, small enough to fit through the food processor slot.
- Grate each piece with the food processor using the shred plate. You can hand grate it as well.
- Store grated cheese in the fridge until use. It can also be refrozen.
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