This nut-based parmesan cheese is made with ground cashews, almonds, pine nuts, garlic and onion powder as well as nutritional yeast. Add this delicious plant-based cheese to pasta, pizza, gratins, salads or even popcorn.
Steps
1
Blending the Ingredients
Ingredients
3/4 cup raw cashews, almonds and/or pine nuts*
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion granules*
1 tsp garlic granules*
1/2 tsp sea salt*
Cashews, almonds and/or pine nuts can be used to in this recipe, a mixture of all 3 nuts is also delicious.
In food processor, grind/pulse the nuts into a fine meal. Note: Do not over pulse the nuts, or they will become very greasy and turn into more of a nut butter.
Next, add the remaining ingredients and pulse once or twice to combine.
*Note: The amount of onion and garlic powder, as well as the amount of salt can be adjusted according to your tastes. This particular mix is quite heavy on all 3, but since only a small amount is typically used at any given time, we think it's a good mix.
This mixture will last for several weeks in the refrigerator.
The First 3 Are On Us
Help us grow by joining our list and unlock every recipe.
Hi Faith! I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying this course and learning with Rouxbe! Thank you for your comments regarding plant-based parmesan; a great non-dairy substitute which provides some healthy fats and a bit of protein. Enjoy with pasta, salads, soups and more! Thank you again Faith! Chef Kirk
Hi Alexia - great question. So in my experience, I've been able to add the plant-based parmesan at the exact time point in the recipe where I would normally add animal-based part. That said, the kids love having a bowl of the plant-based parm on the table so that they add or eat at their leisure! It's a family favorite for sure! Thanks for engaging with Rouxbe! Chef Kirk
I'm allergic to peanuts and tree nuts with the exception of Macadamia Nuts, Walnuts, and Pistachios. That we know of so far. Are any of these okay to substitute? It's very hard being plant-based in my food with my allergies.
Hi Mimi and thank you for your comment. I would always check with your physician before you take any risks with your allergies - I will say that I have made this recipe with macadamia nuts and quite liked it! If you believe that your allergies are not affected by macadamia nuts, I might recommend trying...I hope this helps. Thank you for learning with Rouxbe! Chef Kirk
Hi Mims and thanks for your question. So garlic granules and garlic powder can be used interchangeably in recipes. Garlic powder, in my opinion, is easier to find at the grocery. The difference between the two is primarily texture; garlic powder has a flour-like consistency and granulated garlic is coarser. I hope this helps and thanks for cooking with Rouxbe Mims! All the best, Chef Kirk
so I didn't pulse too much, but still it kind of turned into a bit of a nut butter texture... Wny did you think this happened chef? By the way, i used a high speed blender instead of a food processor. Does it make any difference?
Hi Mims - thanks for your question! I am so glad that your working on this recipe - you will love this vegan cheese for years to come! So I typically use a food processor to get the consistency you are looking for. Your instincts are spot-on Mims, pulsing is the way to go. However, I believe that a blender is too strong for this technique. I would suggest trying in a food processor and "pulsing" until you obtain the texture you are looking for. I hope this helps and thanks again for cooking with Rouxbe! Chef Kirk
It was really delicious though. But i will definitely let you know what happens when i use the food processor next. Thank you so much for your quick response :)
Wow this is really good. Should we soak the cashews in advance? I notice some of the other recipes call for that. If we soak first, do we just bake at low heat to dry them? Thanks!
Hi Sharon! Great question. You can soak the nuts in advance if you would like. Soaking releases enzyme inhibitors and makes nuts more digestible. In large quantities I always try to soak nuts for this reason. Because this is a condiment, it isn't necessary unless you notice digestion issues with raw nuts. if you do decide to soak, rinse them after you soak and use a dehydrator OR heat them at the lowest temp your oven goes until they are dry and crunchy. Sometimes this can take an hour or more. Thank you for your interest! Lauren
HI Dahlia, thanks for your question. The answer is yes. You will want to check if your roasted cashews are salted and if they are you won't need the added salt. I hope that you enjoy. Lauren
Hi Jennifer. Good question. I see we use both words in this recipe : ) Granules are more course in texture while powder is finer. They are pretty interchangeable in a recipe like this that has so much flexibility. Generally 1 tsp of powder is more potent than 1 tsp of granules. I personally prefer granules here. Lauren
Hi Luiia. Do you mean yeast? I am not sure I am understanding but here we use nutritional yeast. You can buy it in most natural food stores or online. Lauren
I made the kale/basil pesto and roasted cauliflower (with garlic/lemon vinaigrette), tossed them both with pasta and then topped with this plant-based parmesan. It was great! I actually really appreciated the texture this 'cheese' brought to the dish - having a nice crunch was perfect. I also think the seasoning was spot on. So excited to be finding more and more ways to incorporate dairy alternatives into my regular cooking!
Hi Hilda--isn't this a great recipe? I call it "ParmesaNO," and use it on everything! This will add an authentic flavor to pasta, pizza, and other dishes. The lemon zest sounds delicious. Thanks for writing to let us know how you enjoyed this recipe! Cheers, Char
Kirk B •Hi Faith! I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying this course and learning with Rouxbe! Thank you for your comments regarding plant-based parmesan; a great non-dairy substitute which provides some healthy fats and a bit of protein. Enjoy with pasta, salads, soups and more! Thank you again Faith! Chef Kirk
Melody M •I have also used sprouted watermelon seeds (Go Raw brand) with nutritional yeast and salt and it's very close to the real thing.
Mimi D •I'm allergic to peanuts and tree nuts with the exception of Macadamia Nuts, Walnuts, and Pistachios. That we know of so far. Are any of these okay to substitute? It's very hard being plant-based in my food with my allergies.
Cris T •I love this recipe. Our daughter is dairy free for health reasons but she was always a cheese lover! Perfect for our family pasta night.
Sharon K •Wow this is really good. Should we soak the cashews in advance? I notice some of the other recipes call for that. If we soak first, do we just bake at low heat to dry them? Thanks!
Lauren L •Hi Sharon! Great question. You can soak the nuts in advance if you would like. Soaking releases enzyme inhibitors and makes nuts more digestible. In large quantities I always try to soak nuts for this reason. Because this is a condiment, it isn't necessary unless you notice digestion issues with raw nuts. if you do decide to soak, rinse them after you soak and use a dehydrator OR heat them at the lowest temp your oven goes until they are dry and crunchy. Sometimes this can take an hour or more. Thank you for your interest! Lauren
Liubov U •Thank you, guys, for this nice substitution for milk Parmesan, i like it and the recipe is easy:))
Iuliia S •Please tell us in more detail what kind of tremor do you mean? Instant? Bakery? Or fresh?
Sunnie S •I made the kale/basil pesto and roasted cauliflower (with garlic/lemon vinaigrette), tossed them both with pasta and then topped with this plant-based parmesan. It was great! I actually really appreciated the texture this 'cheese' brought to the dish - having a nice crunch was perfect. I also think the seasoning was spot on. So excited to be finding more and more ways to incorporate dairy alternatives into my regular cooking!
Hilda P •Hi. I just made a batch of nut parm with Brazil nuts and cashews. I also added lemon zest and wow, what a delight!
Char N • Rouxbe Staff •Hi Hilda--isn't this a great recipe? I call it "ParmesaNO," and use it on everything! This will add an authentic flavor to pasta, pizza, and other dishes. The lemon zest sounds delicious. Thanks for writing to let us know how you enjoyed this recipe! Cheers, Char