I often hear clients say that giving up cheese is the hardest step towards living a dairy-free life. Creamy and savory, with a whopping dose of fat, cheese causes many people digestive problems. Along with constipation, gas, and diarrhea, dairy also delivers fat-soluble toxins, massive amounts of cholesterol and lactose. So many women have reported incredible benefits from avoiding dairy that I’m always on the search for new ways to include a cheesy substitute easily to the modern diet.
Try this simple, satisfying cashew cheese recipe and vive la difference!
1 cup cashews, soaked overnight and drained
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt (more or less to taste)
juice from 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
Put all in a food processor and pulse for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides down again and blend until smooth and creamy. **Tastes great with gluten free Mary’s Gone Crackers!
Sorry to be a dummy but I don’t understand this recipe. And I would love to try it. The instructions say to “soak the cashews overnight” – Soak in what? Water? Olive Oil? Please explain.
Thanks in advance.
Melissa Nunes
Alex, this sounds great! Should the cashews be raw?
Alexandra,
I love love love this recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
-Stephanie
Alex, this strikes me as the sort of thing that would go well with an onion & pepper jelly and crackers. The sort of thing I thought I had given up with a GF/DF vegetarian lifestyle. Our Christmas veggie fajitas with Rancho Gordo beans and cashew cream were out of this world, so I’m very excited to try a new cashew faux-dairy delight. Thank you, for this and for The Great American Detox Diet book that changed my life 3 years ago.
This sounds like a great recipe, I will have to try it! I have been vegetarian for 5 years, and I went vegan last month. I thought giving up cheese would be difficult, but so far I haven’t had any dairy cravings.
Mary’s Gone Crackers are amazing! caraway is my favorite!
~Melody
Alex–
This is a great recipe!! I’m eager to try it. Can you tell me, how long does it keep in the fridge? Thanks, hun!!
Yes, enough water to cover! Thanks for pointing that out!
Yes raw!
Best, AJ
Cashew cream and cheese is the ultimate dairy substitute! Who would have thought. Cashew’s are delicious already so I’m very excited to try this recipe as well as using cashew cream in “cream-based” recipes such as soups and sauces.
Fantastic Easy recipe the raw cashews will give you the best flavor.
Thanks Alex
This is a recipe I will try!
My guess is that if you like this recipe, you’ll also enjoy SUNNY SPREAD made from soaked sunflower seeds; even my teenage son liked it with veggies in a wrap. Here’s the link…
http://www.healthy-gourmet.org/recipesept09.html
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