When I was a kid, I fell into a brick of cheese and this is where the love story began.  I have always been intrigued by vegan cheeses. After reading the Artisan Vegan Cheese cookbook, I finally decided to prepare some cashew cream cheese. The result is outstanding: you get a really smooth and silky cheese that could easily be mistaken for dairy cream cheese. I added some fresh herbs and spices to add flavour to this cultured cheese. I will definitely use this method to experiment and create more types of vegan cheeses in the future! Making cashew cheese is a several step process if you prepare your own homemade rejuvelac, but it is so delicious it makes it all worth it.

The first step is to prepare your rejuvelac. Rejuvelac is a fermented liquid that is filled with natural probiotics, lactic acid, vitamins and minerals. It helps with digestion and is a commonly used beverage in the raw diet. I explained how to make rejuvelac from sprouted quinoa here.

Once you have made rejuvelac, you can prepare a batch of cultured cashew cream cheese that you season with fresh herbs and garlic. You can really play with various types of herbs and spices that you use in this cheese depending on what you have on hand and your preferences. The creaminess of the cheese, along with its tangy taste make it the perfect spread for a grilled vegetable sandwich, a vegetable wrap or simply a topping for homemade gluten-free crackers.

Herb and Garlic Cashew Cream Cheese with Rejuvelac {Vegan, Gluten-Free}

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

This cultured cashew cream cheese is so creamy and has the aromatic taste of herbs and garlic. This vegan cheese is delicious served with crackers, or spread on a sandwich or wrap.

Author: Homemade Hearts, adapted from Artisan Vegan Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw cashews
• ¼ cup rejuvelac
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh chives, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Soak the cashews in a bowl filled with water for approximately 8 hours. Once the coaking is completed, drain the water and rinse the cashews.
2. In a high speed blender, process rinsed cashews with rejuvelac until smooth and creamy. You will obtain a plain cashew cream cheese.
3. Place the cashew cream cheese in a clean glass or ceramic bowl and let rest at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours. During that time, the cashew cheese will culture and thicken. The taste will also sharpen.
4. Mix cultured cashew cream cheese with nutritional yeast, sea salt, garlic powder, parsley and chive.
5. Place cream cheese in a container, cover with plastic or a lid and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

Notes

This vegan cream cheese will keep in the fridge for about 2-3 weeks.

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