Recipe: Dairy Free Cheeses

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

This super simple recipe is perfect on top of pizza, pasta, roasted veggies, or anywhere else you’d traditionally use parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to bowl of food processor. 
2. Pulse until you have a fine meal similar to grated parmesan cheese.
3. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Tip: Leftovers will last for several weeks in the fridge!

Vegan Chipotle Queso Dip

This dairy free queso is creamy and has just the right amount of heat. Enjoy with tortilla chips and fresh cut veggie sticks. 

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 1 small sweet onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
• 1 ¼ cup vegetable broth
• 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast 
• 1 (+) chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• Pico de Gallo for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add carrots and onions. 
2. Sauté until tender – about 8 minutes.
3. Add garlic and continue cooking for one minute or until fragrant.
4. In your blender, combine cashews, broth, nutritional yeast, chipotle pepper, cumin, salt, pepper and sautéed carrot mixture. 
5. Puree until completely smooth. 
6. Taste and add more salt, pepper or chipotle pepper to suit your taste. 
7. Transfer to a clean saucepan and gently warm. 
8. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with Pico de Gallo. 

Marinated Tofu Feta

This vegan version of feta cheese has just the right amount of the tangy, salty goodness you know and love with traditional feta cheese. 

Ingredients

• 1 (14 oz) package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed (see TIPS below)
• 2 tablespoons white miso paste
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Cut tofu into small cubes and set aside. 
2. Whisk remaining ingredients together in a medium bowl.
3. Add tofu cubes and toss gently to coat. 
4. Transfer to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and allow to marinade for a minimum of 2 hours but flavor will be best if allowed to marinate for 2 days. 

Tips

• Press the block of tofu by placing in a shallow dish and covering with a small plate. Place a heavy object (cutting board, canned goods, etc.) on top and let sit for 30-60 minutes to remove excess water from tofu. 
• If you do not use all the “feta” at once, keep covered with a drizzle of olive oil in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Garlic Herb Vegan Cream Cheese

This delightful cheese can be used to spread on crackers, celery sticks, and sandwiches OR used as a topping for soups and grilled fish. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lemons, zested, juiced and divided
• 1/2 (+) cup water
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced dill, for garnish

Instructions

1. Place cashews, garlic, zest of one lemon, juice of two lemons, ½ cup water, nutritional yeast, salt and olive oil in your blender. 
2. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
3. Add up to ¼ cup more water – 1 tablespoon at a time - if needed to get mixture creamy and smooth. 
4. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed by adding more lemon zest, nutritional yeast or salt. 
5. Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and line with a clean kitchen towel.
6. Scrape cheese from the blender into the center of the towel.
7. Gather corners of the towel and twist the top to create a ball. Secure with a rubber band. 
8. Place towel wrapped cheese back into strainer on top of the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours to release moisture. 
9. To serve, unwrap from towel and gently form into a disc shape. 
10. Coat with chopped dill and zest of one lemon and serve.

Tips

• Cheese will be fragile once removed from the fridge – handle gently.
• Coat a small bowl with olive oil and press cheese into bowl to “mold” into a desired shape. Roll in herbs and lemon zest and serve. 
• Covered leftovers will keep up to 5 days.