Cashews are one of the hardest working ingredients in a plant-based kitchen. Read on to learn about their versatility and check out over a dozen of my favorite vegan recipes with cashews below.
Ever since I removed dairy from my ingredient arsenal over a decade ago, raw unsalted cashews have become a staple of my pantry. They are one of the most magical and versatile ingredients I can think of – an uncanny stand-in for dairy in so many luscious vegan recipes.
Seriously, if cooking with cashews is new to you, prepare to have your mind blown!
Cashews are irreplaceable in a dairy-free kitchen because they have a rich mouthfeel, creamy texture, and neutral taste, and thus can be used for both sweet and savory applications. After being soaked in water (to soften them), cashews can be turned into creamy substitutes for whole milk, heavy cream, ricotta, béchamel sauce, sour cream, and yogurt.
Which Cashews to Buy for Cooking
When buying cashews to be used in a vegan recipe, look for raw unsalted cashews. The nuts should not be roasted or have any oil added to them.
Nuts can be a little expensive. For the best price, look for cashews at Trader Joe’s, at supermarkets with bulk bins (like Whole Foods or a local co-op), or at an online retailer like Nuts.com.
How to Soak Cashews Before Blending
A lot of recipes will tell you to soak cashews for 8 hours or overnight. This is a long time and requires planning ahead – i.e. not ideal. My go-to way of softening nuts is covering them with boiling water and letting them soak at room temperature. This way, they only need 30 minutes.
Blender vs. Food Processor
To turn cashews in a vegan dairy substitute, you’ll need to blend or purée them after soaking. Pay attention to which a appliance is called for in the recipe as conventional blenders and food processors are typically not interchangeable.
- Blender: Ideal for thin/liquid textures where you need the nuts to be completely pulverized, such as cashew cream or milk.
- Food Processor: Best for thick, spreadable textures, such as cashew ricotta.
15 Vegan Recipes with Cashews
Vegan Creamy Tomato Pasta
Cashew cream replaces heavy cream in this blush sauce.
White Spinach Mushroom Lasagna
With layers of rich cashew béchamel.
Vegan Nacho Cheese
This “queso” is made with sweet potatoes, cashews, and miso.
Caramelized Onion Galette
With a layer of cashew ricotta.
Dried Porcini Mushroom Pasta
A rich and earthy dairy-free pasta.
Cashew Kale Caesar
Cashews replace the eggs and oil found in traditional caesar dressing.
Dairy-Free Potato Gratin
Vegan scalloped potatoes with cashew béchamel.
Easy All-Purpose Cilantro Sauce
This neon-green cashew cream is perfect for grain bowls and roasted veg, and as a dipping sauce.
Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding
Healthy homemade cashew milk makes the richest chia pudding!
Vegetable Lasagna with Cashew Ricotta
Perfect for guests!
Dairy-Free Pesto
Cashews and miso make the best vegan pesto.
Creamy Mushroom Tartine
A plant-based take on French croque monsieur.
Vegan Eggplant Lasagna Stacks
An eggplant parm and noodle-less lasagna hybrid.
Balsamic Caramelized Onion Crostini
The perfect party appetizer.
Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi
Restaurant-fancy gnocchi in a dairy-free cream sauce.
Leave a Comment