Vegan Ricotta
A tofu and nut-based vegan ricotta that shines in lasagna, stuffed shells and more. It's high in protein, with a perfectly convincing texture.
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Servings: 10 servings
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched slivered almonds or raw cashews soaked 4+ hours or overnight
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plain plant milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 7 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu about 1/2 block, thoroughly pressed
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Add-Ins (optional but recommended)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil or 1/2 tsp dry Italian seasoning
Instructions
Ahead of time
- Soak nuts: Make sure your blanched almonds or raw cashews have been thoroughly soaked or your ricotta will be gritty. Soak them at room temperature for at least 4 hours — overnight is even better. If you forget, boil them for about 10 minutes and then turn off the heat and let them soak in the hot water for about 1 hour.
- Press the tofu: It's also recommended to press your tofu ahead of time. You can use a tofu press, or wrap the block in a lint-free kitchen towel and gently weigh it down with a cutting board or heavy plate. Let it press for about 15 minutes.
Make the Vegan Ricotta
- Combine nuts and wet ingredients: Drain the almonds/cashews and add them to a food processor along with 1/4 cup unsweetened plain plant milk, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil.
- Blend until smooth: Process till the mixture is as smooth as possible, scraping down the sides to ensure everything is evenly blended. It can take several minutes to get it smooth enough. Almonds will take a bit longer than cashews and will retain a little more grittiness.
- Blend in the tofu: Add in the tofu and salt and process until smooth and fluffy. Again, scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed to make sure everything is incorporated.
- Season to taste: Taste and adjust to preference. Add more salt or lemon juice if you like.
- Stir in add-ins: Once you're happy with the base flavor of the ricotta, you can add in garlic powder, fresh chopped basil, or Italian seasoning. I always recommend this if you're planning to use this vegan ricotta in lasagna or stuffed shells!
Notes
- Almonds: I recommend blanched, slivered almonds because the skins have already been removed. If you can only find whole raw almonds, you can soak them first and then peel off the skins individually. Alternatively, you can leave the skins on, but they will give the ricotta a slightly more gritty texture.
- Nut-free: I always recommend raw sunflower seeds as a nut-free alternative for vegan cheeses and cream sauces. They require less soaking — only about 30 minutes. They will have a less neutral flavor than almonds or cashews but will still blend nicely.
- Tofu: Firm/extra-firm tofu usually comes in 14 or 16 ounce blocks. Half of either sized block will work in this recipe — it is very forgiving.
- Nutritional yeast: Many recipes for vegan ricotta call for nutritional yeast. I typically don't add it because real dairy ricotta has more of a neutral flavor. If you'd like to add a more "cheesy" flavor to your dish, it's a great addition! Start with 1-2 tablespoons and add more to your preference.
- Oil: If you are planning to use the ricotta for a sweet dish (e.g. stuffed French toast), you can swap out the olive oil for a neutral oil such as sunflower oil, or even softened vegan butter.
- Blender: If you don't own a food processor, you may be able to use a high speed blender with a tamper attachment. Because the recipe is thick and not a large volume, it can be hard to get the ingredients moving in a blender without a tamper (or without scraping down the sides of the blender very frequently).
Did you make this recipe?We’d love for you to leave a review on the website! You can also share a photo on IG and tag @sarahsvegankitchen_ or #sarahsvegankitchen.