Finding vegan alternatives to animal products can be difficult. Luckily, there are some ingredients that aren’t too difficult to make at home, like this yummy ricotta cheese from Chef Jana. You can use your favorite nut milk with just a few other ingredients to get a creamy, spreadable cheese to eat with bread or vegetables. Here’s how to make it.
Ingredients
- 1 liter of plant milk (for the richest cheese, use cashew milk)
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp acid of your choice (lemon juice, vinegar, or lime juice)
- 1 tbsp vegan butter (optional)
Instructions
- Start by bringing the milk to a low simmer in a medium saucepan and whisking in the salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and slowly add the acid, then mix gently to combine. Cover the pan and let sit for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare a cheese basket or strainer with a cheesecloth. There should be room in the bottom for water to drain so it doesn’t touch the cheese. Do this by either placing the strainer over a deep bowl or if you’re using a basket, placing it on an overturned cup to keep it elevated.
- Now, it’s time to strain your cheese through the cheesecloth. After doing this, empty the strained water from the bowl and place the strainer with the cloth and cheese back in as it was. Put it in the fridge to firm up for four to 24 hours. The longer it stays in the fridge, the firmer it will be.
- After taking it out of the fridge, transfer the ricotta from the cheesecloth into the strainer or basket itself, and place it back in the fridge for another hour to give it shape. Before putting it back in the fridge, you can whisk in some vegan butter if you wish to make it extra creamy. Enjoy!
