Try this Vegan Cheese Ball recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 88.6865083332345 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 93.0658533322771 g
- Fiber 12.8769999419308 g
- Protein 33.3222566648877 g
- Saturated Fat 36.3956446664737 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (259g)
- Sodium 967.445165961608 mg
- Sugar 75.8095083913037 g
- Trans Fat 4.99808666661542 g
- Calories 1237 calories
Step-by-step
- You can either boil or soak the cashews. To boil the cashews: add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. To soak the cashews: add the cashews to a bowl, and cover with water. Let soak for 4 hours or longer until tender.
- Drain the cashews and add to a food processor along with the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, coconut oil, white miso paste, garlic, and salt. Blend until very smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Remove the thyme leaves from the stems, add them to the food processor and blend to combine.
- Line a small bowl with plastic wrap, and scoop the cheese mixture into the bowl. Gather up the sides of the plastic wrap and twist to form a ball. Let the cheese ball firm up in the freezer for about an hour, or for a couple of hours in the fridge.
- Remove the now firm cheese ball from the plastic wrap, and press the cranberries onto the outside of the ball. You can also lightly press the ball to get a rounder shape if desired. You can serve it right away, or keep the cheese ball covered in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve with crackers.
Can raw nuts truly mimic the dense, sliceable structure of a traditional dairy sphere when processed with the right combination of fats and acids? Achieving a convincing texture relies entirely on breaking down the cellular walls of the cashews through either a vigorous ten-minute boil or a four-hour cold soak until they yield completely to pressure between your fingers. Without this crucial softening stage, the blades of the food processor will leave behind microscopic grit rather than the silky emulsion required for a proper spread. Coconut oil acts as the primary structural agent here, remaining liquid at warm room temperatures but solidifying firmly once chilled to hold the spherical form intact. Nutritional yeast and white miso paste supply the necessary umami backbone, replacing the complex fermentation notes found in aged dairy cheeses.
- Process the cashew base until completely smooth before folding in the fresh thyme, stopping the motor every thirty seconds to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Wrap the blended mixture tightly in plastic wrap and chill it in the freezer for precisely sixty minutes to achieve the ideal firmness for coating.
- Press dried cranberries firmly into the chilled surface so they adhere properly without slipping off during service.
Pair this savory centerpiece with sturdy, neutral-flavored crackers or toasted baguette slices that will not shatter under the density of the cashew spread. Leftovers keep safely wrapped in the refrigerator for up to five days, though the vibrant green thyme may darken slightly over time.
