Vegan Baked Herbed Cashew Cheese

February 2024

December 2023

1 1/2 cups (225g) raw unsalted cashews, soaked overnight, DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP
2 1/2 tablespoons (37g) plain rice (not seasoned) vinegar, please do not sub with another vinegar! (SEE NOTES at the bottom)
1 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce, I use Annie's brand, it can be found at Sprouts or Whole Foods, etc.
2 tablespoons (30g) fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (30g) water
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (if you love garlic, choose big or choose small for a mild flavor)
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or herb/s of choice

You will need a day in advance to make this cheese, there is no way around this and rushing it will result in a gritty cheese. Trust me on this and do not skip soaking the cashews overnight. This makes the nuts very soft and is necessary since so little liquid is used and is needed to get a creamy consistency.
Add your cashews to a bowl and pour boiling water over them by at least an inch at the top. Cover and leave to sit overnight on your counter or 8 hours minimum. Drain them and rinse them well.
Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C). Line a 6 inch round cake pan with a large piece of parchment paper (see photo) and press it inside the pan and against the sides to make it flat as possible.
Add the soaked/drained cashews to a food processor. Add the rice vinegar (see notes below if doing a baked version for the vinegar amount), worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, water, garlic and salt. This will not work in a blender, I'm sorry, there is too little liquid and it will never get smooth enough because of the lack of space to go around. Process the mixture for around 30 seconds, scrape down the sides and then blend again for a solid 5 minutes or so until 100% silky smooth and creamy and NO bits of cashews remain. It should be dreamy smooth like the photos. Do not stop processing until it reaches this stage and scrapes the sides as needed.

Stir (do not blend) in the thyme leaves or herb/s of choice.
This cheese is delicious unbaked too and after chilling in the fridge, will resemble a cream cheese style consistency. So, you can always do that and not bake it as well if you like. The flavor is tangier raw, versus baked, but both ways are delicious!
Scrape all of that yummy cheese mixture into the pan, making sure to get it all out and spread out evenly to the sides and smooth the top.
Bake for 35 minutes for it to be firm and slice-able as pictured. I would advise not going any longer or it can get dry and crumbly. It should just be beginning to crack at the top and be firm.
OR, bake it for 25 minutes for a more soft-style spread for bread and crackers.

Cool 15 minutes and then slice and serve warm. Or, you can chill it in the fridge first. I found that I liked it both ways.
The end result is cheesy, super tangy, rich and a wonderful depth-of-flavor. I love to add slices the next day from the fridge, put on bread and then lightly toast it. SO GOOD. It would also be awesome topped onto hot soup at serving!

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