Vegan Ricotta (Naturally Cultured!)
This vegan ricotta has the typical light and fluffy texture with a subtle tanginess. It tastes just like the Italian classic, minus the dairy! Crumble into pasta, use in pizza, or as a filling for cannelloni or shells! Soy and coconut-free!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked overnight
- 3 cups water
- 2 tsp sweet white miso optional
- 1/4 and 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 capsules capsules acidophilus or 1/8 tsp mesophilic culture
- 2 tsp transglutaminase
Instructions
- Make the cashew milk. Drain the cashews and place them in a blender. Add the water, sweet white miso, and salt. Blend on high speed, occasionally scraping down the sides until you get a smooth texture.
- Add the culture. Add the mesophilic or acidophilus culture and blend for another 10 seconds. Next, dissolve the transglutaminase in 2 tablespoons of water. Add it to the blender and blend for another 10 seconds. The cashew milk is now ready for the next step!
- Curdle the milk. Pour the cashew milk into a large glass bowl and cover with plastic film. To activate the transglutaminase, you must keep the cashew milk at around 104°F (40°C) for 4 hours. To do that, you can use an Instant Pot, a yogurt maker, or an oven if it can go at that temperature.After 4 hours, remove the cashew milk bowl from the heat. It should no longer be liquid but a bit thicker.
- Culture. Next, let the cashew milk ferment at room temperature for another 6 hours or overnight.
- Drain the ricotta. Place a plastic or cookie grid on top of a baking sheet, large baking dish, or deep plate. There should be space between the grid and the bottom of the baking sheet to allow the whey to drain. Place two ricotta molds on top of the grid. Using a large spoon, scoop out the thickened cashew cream (leaving out the water sitting at the bottom) and transfer it to the ricotta baskets. Fill each basket to the top. Note: I used two 10oz (0,3 Kg) ricotta molds.
- Carefully transfer the baking sheet with the ricotta molds to the refrigerator and let it drain overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- The next day, your ricotta will have lost a lot of water. You can now carefully remove the ricottas from the molds and enjoy!
Notes
The recipe is slightly adapted from Anderson Santos' recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25 of a ricotta | Calories: 168 kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.8 g | Protein: 5.2 g | Fat: 12.4 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 58 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 0.5 g | Calcium: 14 mg | Iron: 3 mg