Cashew Cream: A Vegan’s best friend

Post by Olivia Martino, Registered Dietitian and Co-Owner,  Nourish Northwest

 

Before we started teaching Vegan Cooking Classes, I knew I had a good handle on how to make a delicious veggie-centric meal while avoiding all animal products. But I wanted to become an expert on making these dishes really stand out, be satiating and balanced.  I wanted to master some of the “tricks” to make vegan meals something that anyone could find delicious, even meat eaters.  The key was replicating some of the flavors and properties of animal foods.  Paula wrote an important piece about this last week, discuss how to create that savory, umami flavor in veggies.  This week I am discussing how to replicate the creaminess that dairy typically provides.

The answer is simple and unsuspecting.  The cashew.

Cashews are a sweet, soft nut high in protein, iron, magnesium, zinc and healthy fat.  When blended together with water they make a beautiful cream, lending itself to many uses.  Playing with the amount of water and time blending, can alter the consistency of the cream.  If you want a really thick cream to add some body to a soup, you will add very little water.  Or if you want to make a “cheese” out of the cashews, you would add even less.  If you are looking for a runnier texture to use as a garnish or dressing, add a good amount of water.  For best results, soak the cashews overnight or at least a few hours before blending.

 

The cashew cream is a blank slate.  You can add whatever herbs and seasonings you like to give it some flavor.  Here are some of our favorite uses:

Cashew Cream as a garnish to soup

 

CASHEW CREAM

(Adapted from The Cancer-Fighting Cookbook by Rebecca Katz)

 

INGREDIENTS

2 cup raw cashews

2 cup water

2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice or orange juice

1⁄2 tsp sea salt

1⁄8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

 

PROCEDURE

1. Grind the cashews in a processor for a couple pulses to give them a head start
2. Add the water, lemon juice, salt, nutmeg and blend until creamy smooth. This takes several minutes for the mixture to resemble heavy cream.

Cashew cream to thicken soup

CASHEW CREAM THICKENER

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cashews

water

PROCEDURE

Cover cashews in water and soak overnight.  Drain and place in food processor.  Blend with a couple of tablespoons of water, adding more if cream is too thick to move.

 

Cashew Based Salad Dressing

CASHEW RANCH DRESSING

 

Sweet Cashew Cream

We love to make a fruit dip by blending cashews, a small amount of water, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon… it’s so amazing, it’s hard not to eat it by the spoonful.  If you want to take it to the next level, try this delicious cheesecake recipe.

 

CHEESECAKE FILLING