1/2 cup - raw cashews- OR 1/2 cup silken tofu
4 tbsp - tapioca starch- (also called tapioca flour)
1 1/2 tbsp - kappa carrageenan*
2 tbsp - nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp - salt
4 tbsp - refined coconut oil - (make sure it's refined for no coconut flavor!)
1 tbsp - lemon juice
1 tbsp - apple cider vinegar- or more lemon juice
1 1/2 cups - boiling hot water
- Soak the cashews in hot water for at least 5 minutes. I usually heat water in my tea kettle, then pour over the cashews once boiling. Drain and set aside.
- Get out a clean container that can hold about 3 cups. I prefer glass, but plastic will work. Have it ready before you start because you will need to move quickly once the cheese is blended.
- Heat up the 1 1/2 cups of water. It will need to be boiling when you add it to the blender. Again, I heat up water in my tea kettle, then measure 1 1/2 cups when I'm ready. You can also simply get it boiling in a small pan on the stovetop.
- To a high powered blender (if you use tofu instead you can use a regular blender), add the soaked and drained cashews, tapioca starch, kappa carrageenan, nutritional yeast, salt, coconut oil, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar.
- CAREFULLY pour in the boiling hot water, and immediately put the lid on and blend. Use a towel for extra protection so the hot water does not burn you! Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down once if needed. It will only take a minute or so, and the mixture will start to harden fast so you need to work quickly.
- Immediately pour the cheese into your prepared container. It will start to harden super fast, so do not wait.
- Move the container to the refrigerator, uncovered and let chill for 1-2 hours, until solid throughout and cooled.
- After a few hours, pop it out of the container, and either slice/shred right away or wrap in paper towels, then place in a large ziplock bag or container. This will help it be drier, which I think makes it better.
- Use anywhere you would real mozzarella, such as on pizza, grilled cheese, cold sandwiches, pasta dishes, Mexican dishes, on top of soups or just for snacking.
- I have tested this with both cashews and tofu and I can hardly tell the difference! If you have a nut allergy, or you don't have a high powered blender, use the tofu. I still prefer the cashews for a slightly richer cheese, but the tofu version is really good too.
- Kappa Carrageenan is a natural substance from red seaweed that helps thicken/gels. I feel completely safe using it, but if you have concerns you can use agar agar instead or simply stick to my Easy Stretchy Mozzarella.
- To use agar agar instead: Place all the ingredients except for the agar agar and water to the blender and set aside. In a small pot, stir together 3 tablespoons (instead of 1 1/2) agar agar and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until it firms up and gels. Add this to the blender, blend, then transfer to the container and refrigerate.
- If you don't like nutritional yeast, you can leave it out or sub a mellow white miso paste instead.
- Oil Free: You can leave out the coconut oil if needed. It won't be quite as melty or rich but it does work quite well.
- Storing: The cheese will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 1 week. If you can't eat it all in that time, you can freeze it.