Guilt-free vegan goat cheese recipe using simple and clean ingredients. It's creamy, tangy and best of all it's dairy-free and gluten-free. Crumble it in your salad, spread it on your toast, or serve it with some crackers and fruits.
Submerge cashews in a bowl with boiling water and soak them for 25 minutes. Drain out the water before making the cheese mixture.Or soak raw cashews for 6-8 hours in room temperature water (overnight).
Place the following in either a food processor of blender: soaked cashews, tofu, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, miso paste, and salt. Blend till smooth. Taste make sure you do not have small chunks of cashews in it. Note: You can also blend the contents of a probiotic capsule to add probiotics.
Add agar agar and room temperature water into a small sauce pan. Then bring it to a boil over medium heat while constantly whisking. Boil for 3-5 minutes till the agar agar dissolves and it forms into a gelatin consistency.
Add the dissolved agar agar into the food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend again until smooth and creamy.
Transfer the cheese mixture into a container or pour the mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll the plastic wrap around the cheese to make a log. Note: The cheese shapes into whatever you place it in.
Refrigerate the cheese overnight for best results.
Once the cheese has set, remove from the container or plastic wrap and serve as you desire. Note: I've spread Everything But Bagel seasoning over a flat surface and then coated the cheese log with the seasoning by gently rolling it out of the plastic wrap on to the seasoning.
NOTES
Crumble with a fork: Since it’s quite sticky, it’s easiest to crumble vegan goat cheese with a fork rather than your hands.
Activate the agar: Don’t rush the agar mixture! It needs to start thickening before you add it to the blender.
Soak the cashews: For an extra creamy consistency, remember to soak the cashews until they are soft (they should easily split apart).
Use a high-speed blender: For the best results, use a high-speed food processor or blender like Blendtec or Vitamix.
Let it set: Give your cheese time to set in the fridge. It should chill for at least an hour or two before serving.