Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Not just for vegans! This is a delicious alternative to parmesan for anyone particularly if dairy intolerant.

VEGAN PARMESAN CHEESE

Joanne Iceton

A dairy free alternative

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Ingredients

  

• 150 g cashew nuts
• 4 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp. garlic granules
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 - 1 tsp lemon juice optional

Instructions

 

• This needs the power of a food processor; I used a small attachment on my blender.
• Add the cashew nuts, yeast, garlic granules and salt to the processor. Blend until you get fine crumbs similar to dried parmesan.

  If you wish to have a ‘cheese’ that is not as dry, add the lemon juice a little at a time to get to the desired consistency that you prefer.
• Serve as you would parmesan over pasta, pizzas, potatoes, vegetables etc. It will not melt like standard cheese but act in a similar way to dried parmesan.

  Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Notes

I used cashew nuts as they have a smoother texture and less of an overpowering flavour. I have tried this with fresh garlic but this created a ‘cheese’ that was too moist and clumped together.
If you only have garlic salt rather than granules, omit the salt. You can also just omit the salt altogether. I have also tried this with onion granules which is just as delicious. We each have different palates so feel free to try different versions.
Nutritional yeast can be found in health food stores but I hit upon lucky and found this in one of the German bargain stores for a fraction of the price.

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Nutritional Benefits

Cashew nuts are high in monounsaturated oleic acid (fats) to protect the heart and circulatory system. Regularly eating nuts (unsalted) is linked with a considerably lower risk of dying from heart disease. They also contain magnesium for strong bones and heart health, zinc to boost the immune system and iron for healthy blood.

Nutritional yeast offers a cheesy nutty taste high in protein, fibre and many B vitamins which help the body extract energy from food, help to produce red blood cells and stabilise blood sugar levels. Most types are boosted with B12 which is usually found exclusively in animal products so making it ideal for vegetarians and vegans. A lack of this vitamin is associated with tiredness, fatigue and weakness. Nutritional yeast is actually a complete protein source containing nine amino acids which are needed by the body through diet to support every single aspect of cell growth, repair and helping to form antibodies.