Vegan Cottage Cheese Recipe with Tofu

Vegan cottage cheese is silken tofu broken into curds and folded through a blended cashew dressing. The tofu does the texture, the cashews and almond milk do the creamy part, and nutritional yeast, lemon juice and a splash of apple cider vinegar bring the savoury tang. Once the cashews have soaked, it takes about ten minutes.

I had been after a decent vegan cottage cheese for the blog for ages, and I cannot take the credit for this one. I asked John to work one out, and he did.

Cottage cheese is one of the things people miss most when they stop eating dairy. This version covers the same ground: good on toast, good as a dip for veggie sticks, and good stirred through a salad where you want something creamy that is not a dressing.

MindShift Mentors · 7 nights free

It’s 9pm and you’re not even hungry

The kitchen light goes on anyway. Fifteen minutes of guided audio a night, aimed at the pattern rather than the willpower.

Try 7 nights freeThat’s me, most nights

Why is this vegan cottage cheese worth making?

It is quick. The only step that takes any real time is soaking the cashews, and there is a shortcut for that below.
It lands on the right texture, not too crumbly and not blended into a smooth paste. You get distinct curds sitting in a creamy dressing, which is exactly what cottage cheese is.

Basic vegan cottage cheese ingredients

Silken tofu. The soft, custard-like end of the tofu range, and what stands in for the curds. Use firm silken if you can get it, the kind in shelf-stable blocks rather than the very soft dessert style, because firm silken holds its shape when you break it up and the softest grades collapse into a purée.

Cashews. Soaked and blended, they give you the creamy liquid the curds sit in. Raw only, roasted ones take over the flavour.

Nutritional yeast. If you cook plant-based often you will already know nooch. It brings the cheesy, slightly nutty savouriness that this recipe leans on.

Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Dairy cottage cheese is tangy because it is cultured. Nothing is cultured here, so the acid has to come from somewhere. Lemon does the bright note, the vinegar the sour one underneath.

Almond milk. Unsweetened, always. Sweetened plant milk fights everything else in the bowl.

How do you get the right curd texture?

The texture is the whole point, and it comes down to keeping two things separate for as long as possible.

Break the tofu with a fork rather than a whisk or a blender, and stop while the pieces still look uneven. Pea-sized to fingernail-sized lumps are what you want. Blending the tofu, even briefly, turns the whole thing into a dip.

Blend the cashew mixture properly, though. Give it a couple of minutes and scrape down the sides, because any grit left in the cashews reads as sandy rather than creamy. If your blender is not powerful, push the mixture through a sieve before it meets the tofu.

Then fold, do not stir hard. Bring the dressing in with a spatula, turning it over the tofu until everything is coated. Thirty seconds is plenty, and every extra minute breaks down more curds.

If it comes out too loose, drain the tofu on paper towel for ten minutes next time, or drop the almond milk back to two tablespoons. Too dry, add almond milk a teaspoon at a time. Season at the end, once the two parts are together, because the tofu dilutes whatever you put in the blender.

Chef’s tips for vegan cottage cheese success

The easiest way to soak cashews is to pour hot water into a bowl, tip them in and leave them for about an hour. In a hurry, cover them with water in a saucepan, bring to the boil, then simmer covered for around 10 minutes. Rinse, drain and go.
Do not soak them for too long. The water turns cloudy and the nuts pick up an off smell and taste, and at that point they go in the bin. A few hours is fine, overnight at room temperature is pushing it.
Taste before serving. Nutritional yeast varies a lot between brands, so you may want more salt, more lemon, or both.

Ingredients

3 tbsp raw cashew nuts
10 oz. (about 280 g) silken tofu, firm silken if available
2 tbsp lemon juice
5 tbsp nutritional yeast
3 tbsp almond milk (unsweetened)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Submerge the cashews in hot water for 60 minutes.
Crumble the tofu with a fork in a medium bowl and keep aside.
Pulse the soaked cashews in a food processor with lemon juice, nutritional yeast, almond milk, and vinegar. Place the cashew mixture into a bowl with the silken tofu. Fold gently until just combined, then season with salt and pepper.
Serve with bread, veggies and crackers.

How do you serve vegan cottage cheese?

Spread on sourdough toast with cracked pepper and olive oil, spooned over sliced tomato with basil, folded through a grain salad, or as a dip with carrot, cucumber and celery sticks.

How long does it keep?

Four days in an airtight container in the fridge. It will weep a little as it sits, which is normal for anything tofu based. Pour off the liquid or stir it back in, whichever texture you are after, and give it a fresh grind of pepper before serving.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make it without cashews?

Yes. Blanched almonds work if you soak them longer and blend them well, and sunflower seeds are the cheapest nut-free option, though they taste earthier. For a fully nut-free version, blend a few extra tablespoons of silken tofu with the lemon, vinegar, nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt to make the dressing instead.

Can I use firm tofu instead of silken?

You can, and you get sharper, more defined curds. Firm tofu is drier, so add another tablespoon or two of almond milk. Press the block first, then crumble it, and expect a chewier result that holds up better in a salad.

Is it high in protein?

There is protein in it, mostly from the tofu with a little from the cashews. It is a reasonable contribution to a meal rather than a protein hit, and dairy cottage cheese is higher per spoonful. The nutritional yeast is there for flavour, not protein.

Can you freeze vegan cottage cheese?

Not without losing what makes it good. Silken tofu goes spongy and grainy after freezing and the dressing splits. With pre-soaked cashews a fresh batch takes ten minutes, so make it again rather than trying to salvage a frozen one.

Cottage Cheese Vegan
Dairy-Free Cottage Cheese
How to make Vegan Cottage Cheese
Plant based cottage cheese
Recipe for Vegan Cheese
Vegan Cottage Cheese
Vegan Cottage Cheese Ingredients
tofu cottage cheese