In this video, learn how to create rich, creamy goodness that satisfies the needs of particular diets with Chef John's Cultured Cashew Cream Cheese! This homemade delight is not only dairy-free but also incredibly flavorful and versatile. Learn the secrets behind crafting this plant-based masterpiece, perfect for spreading on bagels, crackers, or using in your favorite recipes. Elevate your culinary skills with this easy-to-follow tutorial, and savor the delectable taste of cultured cashew cream cheese that will leave you wanting more. It's time to reimagine dairy-free delights!
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00:00 Hello, this is Chef John from FoodWishes.com with cultured cashew cream cheese.
00:09 That's right, Chef John's making a vegan cheese spread.
00:13 I know, I can't believe it either.
00:15 I also can't believe how good this came out, since it was my first try at plant-based cheese.
00:20 And yes, as you can see, it passed the bagel test.
00:25 So with that, let's go ahead and get started by transferring some raw cashews into some
00:30 nice cold fresh water.
00:32 Since the first step to this process is soaking our nuts until they're nice and soft.
00:36 Right, they say the minimum is like four to six hours, but most people suggest soaking
00:41 them overnight.
00:42 And in the spirit of full disclosure, I actually went for 24 hours, at which point my cashews
00:47 look like this, and they were fully hydrated and beautifully plumped.
00:52 And once we have soaked those, we will drain those very well.
00:56 And then we'll transfer those into our blender.
00:58 And as I said, these need to be raw cashews, right?
01:01 Not toasted, not roasted, and certainly not salted.
01:05 And once those have been transferred in, we'll go ahead and add the rest of the ingredients,
01:09 starting with a touch of salt.
01:11 Okay, something pure, like kosher salt or sea salt.
01:15 And then I also tossed in a spoon of nutritional yeast, which is that stuff that hippies put
01:19 on their popcorn.
01:21 And while optional, that does help give this a cheesier flavor.
01:26 And then we'll also add a little bit of apple cider vinegar, followed by the last and most
01:30 important ingredient, besides the cashews.
01:34 And that would be some plain, probiotic, active culture yogurt.
01:39 And because I wanted to keep things vegan, I went with a cashew yogurt, but I don't see
01:43 why any active culture yogurt wouldn't work.
01:46 And then last but not least, we'll add a small splash of cold fresh water, just to help all
01:51 this blend up nice and smooth, which is the next step.
01:54 Oh, and I should mention, everything in this is easy to find at the store.
02:00 You might have to check in a few spots you've never looked before, but it's there.
02:05 And yes, it does help to have a really nice blender for this.
02:08 Although if you don't, it still will work, it just might not be quite as smooth.
02:12 And after blending that on high for a minute or two, and as I mentioned, getting this as
02:16 smooth as possible, we'll go ahead and transfer this into whatever kind of container we're
02:21 going to ferment this in.
02:22 And for me, the most logical choice would be glass.
02:27 Which reminds me, the legal department wants me to make sure you understand, everything
02:31 used in this recipe should be sterilized, with either hot water or a sanitizing solution.
02:37 So if you're not sure what that means, do a search.
02:39 And of course, we will also cover that in the written recipe.
02:43 But anyway, once that's been transferred in, and we've given it the old shake-a-shake-a
02:47 to settle everything down, we will cover that, and then simply let it ferment until it's
02:53 as tangy as we want.
02:55 Which I'm going to do wrapped in a few towels, on top of a heating pad set on low, which
03:00 kept things at about 90 degrees.
03:03 But if you don't have one, a lot of people just let it sit on the counter at room temp,
03:07 for like 24 to 48 hours.
03:09 And even though it's going to take longer, the same process will occur.
03:13 Alright, those microorganisms in the yogurt, and also by the way in the cider vinegar,
03:19 ferment the mixture, increasing the acidity.
03:22 Except here, instead of using cream from a cow, we're using cashew cream.
03:26 But the fermentation process is basically the same.
03:30 But anyway, I let mine sit overnight, and then part of the next morning, and I did check
03:34 it and stir it a few times.
03:37 And again, what we're checking for is the level of tanginess, and the intensity of that
03:41 fermented flavor.
03:43 Which right here, after a couple of tastes, I decided it was right where I wanted it.
03:48 Okay, we'll get into the flavor later, but it was definitely a little bit cheesy, and
03:53 significantly tangier than when we started.
03:56 But I thought it definitely needed some salt.
03:59 So I went ahead and added a couple nice big pinches, and stirred that in, and gave it
04:03 another taste.
04:05 And by the way, that's one of the challenges here.
04:07 It's hard to taste things at room temp, when you're going to serve them cold.
04:11 But despite that, I could tell it was a little bland, and the extra salt definitely helped.
04:16 And then I could have just chilled this and served it, but I decided to transfer it into
04:20 a smaller container, and then pop it in the fridge, so I could let it mature and age for
04:25 at least a day, since I hear that helps the flavors develop.
04:29 And also I was hoping the texture would get a little bit firmer.
04:32 So that's exactly what I did.
04:35 And yes, I used a container that has one of these locking lids, you know, in case anyone
04:40 breaks into my fridge.
04:42 But anyway, I popped that in the fridge, and then pulled it out 36 hours later, to give
04:46 it the official cracker taste test.
04:50 And while unfortunately the texture didn't get any firmer, I believe the flavor got even
04:54 better.
04:55 Although again, that could just be from eating it cold.
04:58 But anyway, it was wonderfully creamy, and very tasty.
05:02 Although to be honest, this did remind me more of creme fraiche than cream cheese, which
05:07 is definitely not a bad thing.
05:09 And even though I said it was optional, I think the nutritional yeast here is important.
05:13 Right, the reason people do put this on popcorn, is because it sort of kind of has a parmesan
05:18 like flavor.
05:19 So if you can find it, which you can, I highly recommend adding it.
05:23 Oh, and speaking of adding things, once we get to this point, we can add anything into
05:28 this we want.
05:29 Right, things like garlic, and herbs, and spices.
05:32 So please, customize as you see fit.
05:35 I mean you are after all the Negan, of making cheese like a vegan.
05:39 And pretty much anything we'd add to a regular fresh cheese, would work beautifully here.
05:44 But anyway, to summarize, I was very happy with the results, and it was great on crackers.
05:49 But I had to make sure it would work on a bagel.
05:52 Which I topped with some plant-based smoked salmon, that I made the day before.
05:56 Oh yeah, that's what vegans, and us vegan curious people call, thinly sliced carrots
06:01 that have been smoked and marinated.
06:03 And when you add that to the top of our cultured cashew cream cheese, along with all the traditional
06:08 garnishes, you are not eating something that tastes exactly like bagel with cream cheese
06:13 and lox.
06:15 But this is quite delicious in its own right.
06:17 And like I said, while not exactly the same, it will kind of scratch the same itch.
06:23 And again, you heard my disclaimer earlier, that this is the first time I've tried this.
06:28 And next time I might try a little bit less water, to maybe end up with a little firmer
06:31 texture.
06:33 But other than that, I was extremely happy with how this came out.
06:37 In fact, the next time I run into a vegan at a party, I'm going to tell them about this.
06:42 And if you're wondering, how will you know which people at the party are vegans?
06:46 Well that's easy, they will tell you.
06:49 It never doesn't come up in conversation.
06:52 But anyway, whether you're a vegan or not, I thought this was fun, interesting, and easy
06:56 to make.
06:57 And I really do hope you give this a try soon.
07:01 So please follow the links below for the ingredient amounts, a printable written recipe, and much
07:06 more info as usual.
07:07 And as always, enjoy!
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