Introduction: Embark on a culinary adventure with our Real Vegan Mozzarella Cheese, a masterpiece that blends simplicity with sophistication. Elevate your plant-based cooking repertoire with this delightful cheese, crafted from raw cashews, refined coconut oil, and a blend of carefully selected ingredients. Whether you’re a seasoned vegan or just beginning your plant-based journey, this recipe promises a quick and rewarding foray into the world of dairy-free cheese-making. Delight in the creamy texture, savory flavors, and versatility of this artisanal creation.
Ingredients: Gather the following premium ingredients to embark on your journey of vegan cheese mastery:
- 1/2 cup raw cashew pieces, rinsed under hot water for several minutes
- 1/4 cup refined coconut oil
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kappa carrageenan
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
Special Equipment: Prepare your kitchen with a blender, ensuring a smooth blending process for the creation of your vegan mozzarella masterpiece.
Instructions:
- Choosing the Perfect Mold: Begin your cheese-making adventure by selecting a heat-safe, preferably glass dish that can hold approximately 3 cups. This vessel will serve as your cheese mold, shaping the final product.
- Cashew Revitalization: To kickstart the process, rinse the raw cashew pieces under hot water for several minutes. This step ensures the cashews are fresh and ready to contribute to the creamy texture of your vegan mozzarella.
- Boiling Prelude: Place water in a small pot on the stove and bring it to a boil, setting the stage for the culinary symphony about to unfold.
- Blending Elegance: In your blender, carefully layer the rinsed cashews followed by all other ingredients, except the boiling water. The order is crucial for achieving a seamless blending process.
- Hot Water Ballet: With caution to avoid burns, carefully pour the boiling hot water into the blender, ensuring it envelops the ingredients. Immediately blend the concoction until it reaches a silky smooth consistency.
- Swift Transfer: Without delay, transfer the blended cheese mixture to your chosen dish or mold. The rapid transfer is essential as the cheese begins to solidify quickly, capturing the optimal texture.
- Refrigeration Sonata: Place the dish in the refrigerator to allow the cheese to chill. No need to cover it initially, as this phase is crucial for the setting process.
- Final Touch: After 2-3 hours or once fully chilled, gracefully remove the cheese block from the mold. Wrap it first in paper towels and then tightly in plastic wrap. This step enhances the flavor, with the option to remove any excess moisture for a slightly drier cheese or retain a softer texture for Mozzarella Balls.
Useful Information: Flavor Maturation: While the vegan mozzarella is delightful as soon as it hardens, allowing it to rest wrapped in paper towels and plastic wrap for a day or two enhances its flavor profile. The extra time contributes to the development of nuanced taste notes.
Substitution Caution: To maintain the optimal blending process and cheese-setting properties, it is not recommended to replace lemon juice with lactic acid. This substitution may affect the setting of the cheese.
Texture Adjustments: For those seeking a slightly drier cheese, wrapping the hardened block in a dry paper towel before plastic wrap removal helps remove excess moisture. Conversely, those inclined toward a softer cheese can decrease the kappa carrageenan amount to 1 tablespoon, ideal for crafting Mozzarella Balls.
Shelf Life and Freezing: This vegan mozzarella will maintain its freshness in the refrigerator for approximately 4-5 days. If you find yourself with surplus goodness, freezing is an option, though the texture may become slightly softer after thawing. Many find it challenging to resist finishing it within a few days, as attested by the enthusiastic comments below.
Nutritional Harmony: Indulge in a guilt-free experience with each serving of this Real Vegan Mozzarella Cheese. A snapshot of the nutritional content per serving reveals:
- Calories: 83kcal
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Protein: 1g
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Sodium: 349mg
- Potassium: 57mg
- Vitamin C: 0.6mg
- Calcium: 2mg
- Iron: 0.5mg
Conclusion: In conclusion, our Real Vegan Mozzarella Cheese is more than a recipe; it’s an exploration of flavors, textures, and the artistry of plant-based culinary creation. Thank you for choosing this recipe and indulging in the joy of making your own vegan cheese. As you savor the richness and versatility of this dairy-free delight, we invite you to explore further culinary inspirations that redefine the boundaries of vegan gastronomy. Happy cheese-making!
Real Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
Prep Time: 5minutes minutes
Refrigerator Time: 4hours hours
Total Time: 5minutes minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 83kcal
Ingredients
- ▢½ cup Raw cashew pieces, Rinsed under hot water for several minutes
- ▢¼ cup Refined coconut oil
- ▢¼ cup Tapioca flour
- ▢1 tablespoon Nutritional yeast flakes
- ▢1 ½ tablespoon Kappa carrageenan
- ▢1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- ▢1 ¼-½ teaspoon Salt
- ▢1 ½ cup Boiling water
Special equipment
- Blender
Instructions
- Select a heat-safe preferably glass dish that can hold approx 3C and set aside. (This is your cheese mold.)
- Rinse cashews under HOT water for several minutes.
- Put your water in a small pot on the stove to boil.
- Add all ingredients (except the water!) to the blender. Add the cashews first and then everything else on top of the cashews.
- Carefully add (so you don’t burn yourself!!!) the boiling hot water into your blender. Put the blender lid on! And blend immediately until completely smooth.
- Stop blending once if need be to quickly scrape sides of blender and resume blending right after.
- Immediately transfer your cheese to your chosen dish/mold as it will start to solidify quickly as it cools.
- Place in refrigerator to chill. No need to cover yet.
- After 2-3 hours or when fully chilled, remove cheese block from dish/mold and wrap in paper towels and then tightly plastic wrap. The flavor gets better over a day or two but it’s great as soon as it’s hardened, too. Yeay! You are officially a cheese-maker!
What I would NOT recommend substituting:
Don’t replace the lemon juice with Lactic Acid. For some reason, the quick blending process used here does not work well with this substitution and your cheese may not set properly.
For a slightly drier cheese:
After your cheese block has hardened, you can wrap first in a dry paper towel, and then tightly in plastic wrap. This will remove any excess moisture.
For a softer cheese:
Decrease Kappa Carrageenan amount to 1 tbsp. This texture is ideal for making Mozzarella Balls.
How long does vegan mozzarella keep in the fridge?
This cheese will last about 4-5 days in the fridge.
Can you freeze this cheese?
Sure! It does get a little softer in texture after thawing, but if you think you can’t eat it all, by all means freeze it! (Most people have trouble making it last that long though! Check out the comments below! )
Nutrition:
Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 349mg | Potassium: 57mg | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.5mg