This stuff is so great. It’s ready in less than 5 minutes and I truly believe it tastes better than the real thing in my recipes. The texture is so similar to real ricotta and it even behaves in a similar way when baked.
It has some similar additions to those in my best ever cashew cheese recipe, but in much smaller quantities to match the more subtle flavour of ricotta. You could replace the almonds with cashews for this recipe, however the resulting cheese would not resemble real ricotta as much. This is because cashews are softer and blend to a much silkier consistency. The almonds will maintain a little bit of texture while still having a nice creamy taste.
How to Blanch Almonds:
If you can’t buy blanched almonds or you already have a whole heap of almonds with the skin-on, you can blanch and remove the skins yourself. Here are the steps:
- Bring a small pot of water to the boil, then chuck in your whole almonds with skin on.
- Turn the heat off and let the almonds sit in the hot water for 60 seconds.
- Drain the almonds and rinse them with cold water.
- Gently pinch the almonds into a bowl so they fall away from their skin. Ping one across the room at your partner or roomie just to make it a bit more fun.
That’s how easy it is! Not only is it strangely satisfying, but it’s also a lot cheaper than buying them already blanched.
One of my favourite recipes to use this in is my Vegan Spinach & Ricotta Cabbbage Rolls.
And if you enjoy a good homemade vegan cheese (like I obviously do!), try these recipes:
Enjoy! x
Ready in less than 5 minutes and better than the real thing!
- 1 cup blanched almonds *see note
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 1 tsp gluten free miso paste (white miso if available)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast
- pinch fine salt
-
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until very smooth, approx. 1-4 minutes depending on the power of your blender.
*See the introduction above for instructions to blanch almonds at home.
2 Comments
Submit a Comment
Sign up for a Freebie!
Join my mailing list and get a free guide to simple plant-based swaps
Delicious! I didn’t have any lemon essential oil so I used lemon zest instead. It was wonderful sprinkled over salads. I will be making this again!
So glad you liked it! I love it on salads too. Thanks for your comment xx