This Easy Vegan Tofu Ricotta can be made in minutes! This creamy non-dairy cheese alternative can be used in your favorite Italian pasta recipes, or spread on crackers for a tasty snack.
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Before I went vegan, cheese was one of my favorite foods. I put it on just about everything! Extra cheese on pizza, cheese on sandwiches and Mexican food, and one of my favorite simple meals was cheese, crackers, and fruit.
I absolutely love Italian food! And most of those favorite Italian meals are not possible without cheese. There are only so many meals of spaghetti marinara I can eat before I long for those cheese filled lasagnas, stuffed shells, ravioli, and more!
But who needs all that artery clogging cheese? No one!
Luckily, there are plenty of non dairy alternatives. And this delicious vegan tofu ricotta is one of them. I also have a delicious vegan mozzarella recipe that’s an amazing addition to Italian recipes!
It’s lower in fat than regular ricotta cheese, free of cholesterol, and is a good source of plant based protein, calcium, and iron.
You’ll love using this ricotta substitute in your recipes!
Ingredients
- Tofu – use a 14 or 16 ounce block of firm or extra firm tofu. Silken tofu will not work in this recipe
- Raw cashews – these add some creaminess to the cheese, but can be omitted if you are sensitive to nuts
- Non dairy milk – I used unsweetened soy milk, but any plain unsweetened non-dairy milk can be used
- Nutritional yeast – this adds a cheesy flavor to the ricotta
- Lemon juice – you can use fresh or bottled lemon juice
- Garlic
- Dried basil
- Salt
How to make vegan ricotta
Place the raw cashews, soy milk, lemon juice, and garlic in a blender, and blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Drain the tofu – there is no need to press it. Break it into chunks and add it to the bowl of a food processor. Add the contents of the blender, and the nutritional yeast, basil and salt.
Process the ingredients until it has the texture of ricotta cheese.
Variations
- Use fresh basil instead of dried basil for a nice summer flavor.
- Blend in some fresh steamed spinach before adding to lasagna or stuffed shells.
- Omit the cashews for a nut free cheese.
How to use vegan tofu ricotta
Use this cheese substitute anywhere you would use regular ricotta:
- Layer it in a lasagna
- Use as a filling for stuffed shells or cannelloni
- Spread on crackers or bread
- Use as a filling for ravioli or tortellini
- Spoon a couple dollops of it on your pasta
Storing
This cheese can be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 5 days. Consider making it a day ahead to save time on pasta making day.
Used in this recipe:
Looking for some delicious Italian recipes? See:
- Vegan Lasagna
- Oil Free Marinara
- Vegan Pesto
- Vegan Ravioli
- Tomato Bruschetta
- Vegan Stromboli
- Vegan Stuffed Shells
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Vegan Tofu Ricotta
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
Blender Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup nondairy milk
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
Food Processor Ingredients
- 14 ounces firm tofu drained
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the cashews, nondairy milk, lemon juice, and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Drain tofu, break it into chunks, and add it to the bowl of a food processor. Add the contents of the blender, the nutritional yeast, basil, and salt. Process the ingredients until it achieves the consistency of ricotta cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition calculations are approximate.
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