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Eat Well Sep. 18. 2013
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Classic Cashew Cheese

Sep. 18. 2013
Condiments
McKel Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN

McKel Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN

Founder of NS and Creator of The Method Membership

Classic Cashew Cheese is a recipe for a dairy-free alternative to cheese made with raw cashews and nutritional yeast for a tasty treat.

Cashew cheese is perfect for those of you wanting an alternative to dairy or for the adventurous foodies who want to give a new recipe a try. I promise this won’t disappoint — it’s full of flavor and not to mention nutrition from the main ingredients raw cashews and nutritional yeast.

What is Cashew Cheese?

Cashew cheese is a dairy-free and vegan alternative to cheese. It’s made by first soaking cashews in filtered water then blending the cashews to a spreadable consistency. Cashew cheese is very versatile and easy to adapt to different tastes with seasoning.

This recipe is not only vitamin- and mineral-rich compared to standard dairy, but it’s also much easier for many of us to digest, tastes great, and is versatile to use! There’s a key player in why this recipe is so delicious, and that’s nutritional yeast.

What is Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional yeast is an inactive form of yeast used as a food, it’s especially high in B vitamins and protein and also contains fiber, selenium, and potassium. Before entering the plant-based community, I never heard of nutritional yeast. Fast forward to the present moment and I adore nutritional yeast for boosting the nutrition content in simple foods and also for achieving a cheesy flavor sans dairy.

Nutritional yeast has been a pantry staple of mine for years. There’s hardly a day I go without using a bit of it! Because it contains B vitamins (which most brands fortify in foods), it’s a complete protein and has a cheesy flavor. It’s popular in plant-based lifestyles; but who says it stops with plant-based diets? Everyone can enjoy and incorporate nutritional yeast into their diet.

How to Use Classic Cashew Cheese 

  • Dollop: Scoop onto baked potatoes, on a salad, fresh pasta, scrambled eggs, etc.
  • Dip: Use as a dip for vegetables, fruits, gluten-free crackers, etc.
  • Dressing: 1 Tbs. classic cashew cheese + 2 Tbs. of apple cider vinegar =  creamy salad dressing
  • Sauce: 1/4 cup classic cashew cheese + 3 Tbs. dijon mustard + 1/2 cup of almond milk = creamy cheesy sauce
  • Spread: Smear onto sandwiches, cracker, wraps, gluten-free toast, etc.

What Is A Foundational Five Nourish Meal?

The Foundational Five Nourish Meal is any meal that contains all 5 elements within the Foundational Five, non-starchy carbohydrates, starchy carbohydrates, healthy fat, protein, and the Flavor Factor. By following this simple template it keeps food flexible, fun, and nourishing!

Any meal can be made into a Foundational Five Nourish Meal by just knowing the system I teach in our Method Membership and in my free guide about creating healthy eating habits with ease, that you can get right here!

Want more? Try these other recipes!

Foundational Five

Learn how you can nourish your body at each meal by creating a Foundational Five Nourish Meal. This is McKel’s simple framework she’s used with thousands of clients in her decade as a Dietitian and now you can use it too!

The Foundational Five supports you in nourishing your physical body so you can learn what to eat, which is the first step in mindful eating. The remainder is knowing how to eat and to experience your food positively.

Eating in this way supports your physical body on a cellular level ensuring you’re consuming the nutrients you need to have a sharp focus, calm digestion, lasting energy, sound sleep, and vibrant long-term health.

Here are the following Foundational Five Elements in this recipe:

1 • Non-starchy Carbohydrate

  • Add raw cucumbers, peppers or carrots for dipping

2 • Starchy Carbohydrate

  • Add whole wheat, whole grain, sprouted grain or gluten-free crackers

3 • Healthy Fat

  • Cashews

4 • Protein

  • Cashews
  • Nutritional yeast

5 • Flavor Factor

  • Nutritional yeast
  • Lemon juice
  • Garlic
  • White wine
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Written By: McKel Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN Founder of NS and Creator of The Method Membership
McKel Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN

As a Dietitian and leading voice in mindful eating, named "Top 20 Role Models" by Arianna Huffington — in McKel's work, she teaches how to reclaim the unique way you nourish yourself by designing a mindful eating practice with her Method to feel balanced, aligned, and at ease for life. As featured in Oprah.com, SELF, Women's Health, Real Simple, Today's Dietitian, Healthline, and more.

About Free Guide

Free Guide • Create Healthy Eating Habits

Creating healthy eating habits is one of the most important skills you can give yourself for your overall wellbeing — especially if you want to feel your best in your daily life.

But creating healthy eating habits that work for you 365 days a year can be challenging.

This guide will give you the steps and practices to make maintaining healthy eating habits in your daily life easier (and more enjoyable) — without needing to follow a diet or a plan or have any foods that are “off-limits.”

Get The Free Guide

The Recipe

Serves 12

Print

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews (soaked)

1/4 cup filtered water

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons white wine (wine you’d drink) or use 1 Tbs. raw apple cider vinegar

1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, adjust to taste

sea salt and pepper to taste

Also Using:

Nuts

Easy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta #recipe | Nutrition Stripped

Simple Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

Cracker Bites With Lemon Cashew Cheese Dip

Directions:

Step 1

Simply add all ingredients into your Vitamix or high-speed blender and blend until thick and creamy.

Step 2

It will be the consistency of thawed or stirred cream cheese.

Step 3

This will further harden after it’s been chilled.

Step 4

Store in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.

This recipe is so delicious you may find yourself wanting to consume the whole bowl… use moderation and portion control with this recipe because it is calorie dense from using cashews—but also nutrient dense! Simply use 1-2 Tbs. as a serving or work it into your daily calories, etc. I’m all for flexibility.

Let’s Chat!

Have you ever made cashew cheese before? What would you use this on? Share below, I like hearing what you have to say! Or share on social media with #nutritionstripped.

Tagged:
batch cooking dairy free family make ahead recipe

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