A quick vegan parmesan made from cashews and nutritional yeast, ground to a fine texture that can be sprinkled over salads, popcorn and savory dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry cashews
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast. If unavailable, use 1 tsp organic vegetable-broth seasoning or simply omit it; the flavor will be milder but still good
- 3/4 tsp sea salt. If using salty vegetable-broth seasoning, omit the salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Method
- Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
- Pulse briefly, then stop and check the texture.
- You want a texture similar to fine salt so it can be sprinkled easily.
- Stop once you reach that texture so the cashews do not turn into a paste.
Your vegan parmesan is ready. Sprinkle it on salads such as Caesar salad, popcorn and savory dishes. Store it in the refrigerator or freezer; the original recipe notes that it stays loose rather than freezing solid, and the flavor melds over time. Enjoy 🙂
Why cashew parmesan is more than a dairy substitute
Cashews bring unsaturated fats, plant protein, magnesium, copper and zinc, while nutritional yeast adds savory flavor without dairy.
One important correction: nutritional yeast only provides reliable vitamin B12 when it is fortified with B12. Check the label rather than assuming every nutritional-yeast product contains it. That makes fortified nutritional yeast useful, but it should still be treated as a labeled source rather than a magical property of yeast itself.
And the comparison matters: you get the salty, nutty topping and useful nutrients without dairy milk or dietary cholesterol. The cashews are doing the richness; no cow is required.
Try cashew mozzarella, oat cheese, or vegan cheddar.
