Don’t get me wrong, I love regular ricotta. But I also really love this cashew alternative. While I don’t identify with a particular diet, I do strive to have a plant-based approach to food. And while sometimes that might mean that the alternative to animal-based products isn’t that great and not really worth it, like in my opinion, soy meat otherwise known as “meat analogs”, let me tell you, this seed ricotta truly is fantastic. And I say seed because cashews aren’t nuts, they’re actually a seed posing as a nut; more about that here.

I like slathering generous dollops of this ricotta on toasted sourdough slices and topping everything with slow roasted cherry tomatoes. I usually make a batch of these cherry tomatoes at the beginning of the week by roasting them in a little olive oil and a little salt at 150C/300F for 45 minutes; then, I store them in the fridge and add them in salads or alongside omelettes throughout the week. This ricotta also works well topped with charred zucchini and pine nuts or sun-dried tomatoes, if you have those on hand. It can basically be used in any recipe calling for the regular kind, so feel free to experiment with it. Check out the recipe below and I do hope you decide to give it a try.

Cashew Ricotta

225g/1¹⁄₂ cup raw cashews

125ml/¹⁄₂ cup still or filtered water

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

¹⁄₂ tsp fine Himalayan or sea salt

One garlic clove

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place cashews in a medium bowl or tall jar and cover with about 7cm/¹⁄₂ in. water for 2-3 hours. Strain cashews and place along with all remaining ingredients into a food processor or blender (a handheld blender also works). Process ingredients until a creamy consistency is obtained. You might need to stop the machine from time to time to scrape down the sides with a spatula. Once done, taste for salt, then transfer to a container with an airtight lid if not using right away. Cashew ricotta can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 5-7 days.