Description
This quick vegan almond ricotta cheese recipe has the perfect acidity and texture. With curds from raw almonds, cheezy nutritional yeast, and an herby kick from chives, it will become a staple in your kitchen!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (315g) slivered almonds, raw (See Note 1)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (See Note 2)
- 1 tsp table salt (See Note 3)
- 2/3 cup water + 6 tbsp to add gradually if needed
- Optional:
- 1 bunch of chives or other herbs, chopped OR
- 5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced OR
- 1 tbsp Aleppo pepper flakes
Instructions
- Place all ingredients (slivered almonds, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, and water) into a high-speed blender and blend for 30 seconds.Â
- Scrape down the sides and repeat the process a few more times until you get that grainy yet creamy consistency. If it’s too difficult to blend or is too thick for your liking, gradually add more water after each blend—1 tbsp at a time.
- Adjust acidity (more lemon juice) and salt levels to taste. If using any flavorings, mix them in at this stage with a fork (do not process them in a blender).
- Enjoy on toast, on Turkish pide, in pasta shells, cheesecakes, and more! You may keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days.
Notes
- Â Almonds: Raw, slivered almonds are perfect for recreating the fat-and-protein-rich cheese curds without becoming too soft. You don't even need to soak them! Whole almonds without their skin are fine too as long as you have a powerful blender like a Vitamix. Basically, we want raw almonds with no skin that can easily be blended without soaking.
-  Lemon Juice: We need to mimic the lactic acid found in regular ricotta to bring in that tartness. Lemons are great for the job! Their citric acid sharpens this almond cheese and you can adjust to your taste easily. Simply substitute with the powdered citric acid if necessary. 1 tablespoon of lemon juice roughly equals ¼ teaspoon of citric acid.
- Â Salt: Recipe written per table salt volume measurements, double if using kosher salt (same weight). You may skip the salt altogether for health reasons, of course. Additionally, if you'd like to use this ricotta in a dessert recipe, either omit the salt or use a quarter of what the recipe ingredient amounts say.
- Â Blender vs. Food Processor: While a food processor still works, I'd recommend sticking to a blender for this recipe. The narrow container and high-power blades help speed everything up and give you creamy ricotta.
- Â Freezing: Freezing isn't recommended as it will alter the texture for the worse upon thawing. I'd suggest making the dish that uses the ricotta and thawing that instead.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American