I can’t believe I’m making this cultured cashew cream cheese, a vegan cheese spread, and I also can’t believe how well it came out, since it was my first try at plant-based cheese. But you’ll see—it even passes the bagel test. Made with soaked raw cashews, fermented until tangy, this spread is wonderfully creamy and tasty.
Prep Time::15 mins
Soak Time:: 8 hrs
Chill Time:: 1 hr
Additional Time:: 8 hrs
Total Time:: 17 hrs 15 mins
Servings::8
Ingredients
2 cups raw cashews
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons plain cashewmilk yogurt
1/4 cup water, or as needed
Directions
Place cashews in a bowl with enough cold water to cover, and soak cashews overnight or up to 24 hours.
Drain, and add nuts to a blender, along with sea salt, nutritional yeast, vinegar, cashew yogurt, and water. Blend on high until very smooth.
Transfer into a sterilized glass container (See Note), and let ferment in a warm spot for 8 to 24 hours, or until the mixture is as tangy and fermented as you want.
This can be done at room temperature, which will take longer, or wrapped in a heating pad set on low (about 90 degrees F (32 degrees C)), which will speed up the process.
Check, stir, and taste mixture a few times during the process to monitor its progress.
Once the mixture has fermented as long as you want, season with salt to taste. At this point, additional flavoring can be added such as garlic, herbs, or spices.
Chill before serving, at least 1 hour. For best results, refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours to let the flavors develop even more.
John Mitzewich
From the Editor:
To prevent rogue bacteria from taking over the fermentation process, use very clean tools. A dishwasher set to sanitize might be adequate for cleaning the spoon and blender you use, but the fermentation container and lid should be sterilized. Here are 3 easy methods for sterilizing:
Fill a bowl with boiling water to the brim; immerse container and lid. Let sit for 10 minutes. Drain and air dry.Wash and rinse container and lid; air dry. Place the container and lid in the oven at 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Dilute 1 teaspoon bleach in 3 1/2 quarts water. Immerse and soak equipment for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with hot water. Air dry. Cover until ready to use to avoid recontamination.