Description
Homemade cashew-based Vegan Mozzarella blends creamy plant ingredients into a smooth Italian-style cheese alternative. Cheese enthusiasts will discover simple techniques for crafting delicious dairy-free mozzarella perfect for pizzas, salads, and sandwiches.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup (120 ml) raw cashews
- ½ cup (120 ml) silken tofu
- 4 tbsps (32 g) tapioca starch
- 1 ½ tbsps (7.5 g) kappa carrageenan
- 2 tbsps (16 g) nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ tsps (7.5 g) salt
- 4 tbsps (60 ml) refined coconut oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) boiling hot water
Instructions
- Hydration: Submerge cashews in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain completely. (Silken tofu users can bypass this step)
- Preparation: Select a clean 3-cup glass container for cheese molding and ensure blender is ready for intense processing.
- Blending Process: Combine cashews (or tofu) with tapioca starch, kappa carrageenan, nutritional yeast, salt, coconut oil, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar in a high-performance blender.
- Fusion: Pour boiling water into blender and process for 60 seconds until mixture transforms into a smooth, homogeneous liquid with a silky texture.
- Molding: Quickly transfer the molten cheese mixture into the prepared container, understanding that rapid solidification is imminent.
- Setting: Refrigerate uncovered for 1-2 hours, allowing the vegan mozzarella to firm up and develop its distinctive consistency.
- Transformation: Remove the solidified cheese from its container and prepare for culinary applications by slicing, shredding, or storing wrapped in paper towels within a sealed bag to enhance texture.
- Serving: Explore diverse serving options such as pizza toppings, sandwich layers, or salad crumbles to elevate plant-based dishes with creamy complexity.
Notes
- Quick Cashew Prep: Boil cashews for exactly 5 minutes to soften and activate ideal blending texture; silken tofu users can skip this step entirely.
- Blending Mastery: Use high-performance blender at maximum speed to ensure completely smooth, lump-free cheese mixture with 60-second intense blending.
- Timing is Critical: Work rapidly when transferring cheese mixture to container, as the liquid solidifies quickly and requires immediate molding for perfect consistency.
- Texture Transformation: Store cheese wrapped in paper towels to develop a more dehydrated, authentic mozzarella-like texture; experiment with slicing, shredding, or crumbling for diverse culinary applications.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 217
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 1,168 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg