Easy Raw: Cashew Cheese

Pasteurized dairy products simply don’t make it onto the menu of a raw and vegan diet, but that doesn’t mean you have to forgo milks and cheeses completely. Traditional dairy ingredients can be replaced with those made from raw nuts. When it comes to milk, almonds reign supreme, but a variety of nuts, including almonds, cashews and walnuts, can be used to create cheese substitutes. And, with the purchase of a nut-milk bag and a cheesecloth, these items are relatively easy to make at home. Check out our recipe for raw cashew cheese below.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cashews (soaked overnight and drained)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 probiotic capsule
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp. miso
• 1 tsp. pink salt

Method:

1. Blend the cashews with the lemon juice, nutritional yeast and pink salt.
2. Add the contents of the probiotic capsule and mix in the miso.
3. Place in cheesecloth in a strainer over a bowl and allow to ferment on the counter for two days.
4. When the cheese is fermented, flavor it with your favorite seasonings or herbs.
5. The cheese will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.