You only need a handful of common ingredients to make this delicious creamy homemade vegan ricotta cheese. Use this dairy-free recipe for both sweet and savory dishes, just like traditional ricotta!
Add the soaked and drained cashews, soy milk, vegan yogurt, and sea salt to a high-speed blender and blend for about a minute until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a large deep frying pan, wok, or deep saucepan and place on low-medium heat. Heat the mixture until it reaches 90°C (194°F), then cook it at that temperature for 1 minute, stirring frequently. This will take about 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat, and stir in the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for 20 minutes, as it curdles. (*see notes)
Place cheese mold on top of a colander over a large mixing bowl to catch the liquid. Use a small sieve to scoop the mixture from the saucepan into the cheese mold. Fill it up to the top, then carefully stir the cheese mixture in the mold to help release some liquid and make room for the remaining "curds". Fill the mold with the remaining cheese curds and place in the fridge for 8 hours (or overnight).After the cheese is chilled and strained, you'll be left with a mixture of water and light cream in the bowl. You can reserve this and use it for other recipes like smoothies, soups, and stir-fries.
To de-mold the cheese, grab the top with some kitchen roll or a clean kitchen towel and carefully turn the mold over onto a plate or into a storage container.
Storage: Place the ricotta in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
Soaked cashews: soak the cashews in water for 4 hours, rinse, and drain. You can also quick-soak your cashews by soaking them in boiling water for one hour
Reserve the leftover water and cream from step 7 to use in soups, pasta sauces, and stir-fries.
If for some reason your mixture has not curdled, bring it up to 90°C (194°F) again anD heat for a couple of minutes until it starts to separate, allow it to sit again for 20 minutes.