A four-ingredient vegan Parmesan Cheese that is dairy free but tastes amazingly authentic! You will want to sprinkle it over everything you eat, but pastas and salads are a great start. 🙂 A vegan, gluten-free and soy-free recipe.
Since I became a vegan eons ago, I have gotten used to eating pastas without the cheese, and I have no complaints. Most vegan pastas are so flavorful, filled with nuts, veggies, beans, and herbs, that they don't really need that cheese. But when I make some super-simple pastas, like Aglio e Olio, I love a dash of something salty and cheesy to top it with. And this gorgeous Vegan Cashew Parmesan fits that bill beautifully.
There are just four ingredients in this vegan parmesan, in addition to salt and pepper.
- Cashew nuts
- Nutritional yeast
- Garlic powder
- Oregano
Better still, it takes literally two minutes to zap it up in your food processor. And you can control the consistency. I like my cashew parm coarse with some texture, but if you like yours super-fine, blitz it all a little longer.
The cashew also adds some extra protein to the recipe, so what's not to love?
Recipes to make with vegan parmesan
Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews or cashew pieces
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon garlic powder (add less to begin with and add more if you like a greater kick to your parm)
- 1 teaspoon oregano (doesn't sound like it belongs in parm, I know, but it adds that extra something without screaming, I'm here!)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blitz until powdered. Check the texture every few seconds to ensure it is where you want it to be. I like my parm coarsely textured, but you can make this very powdery as well by blitzing longer.
Recipe notes
- Frugal tip: You can sub half the cashews with a couple of slices of day-old bread. Run through the food processor with the other ingredients and season as needed with salt and pepper.
Deb Z
What does 16 servings mean? tablespoons? That is not something I can understand. Please clarify. Thanks!
AngelaKin
"This Vegan Parmesan is just delicious! My entire family loves it . We just made your Vegan Pizza tonight and this was just perfect on it.
Sarah G
Best. Vegan. Parmesan. EVER!
I've bought some pre-made in the store, and it was okay, but this REALLY tastes perfect, and it's easy! I keep feeling guilty for eating so much of it, but I have to keep reminding myself that it's not really cheese and that it's okay.
veganfied
I'm still eating it with a spoon...not able to stop so I can make the marinara & lasagna, lol! Going to text recipe to my friend as soon as i finish the batch, yum!
veganfied
Best vegan parm ever! I tasted with no salt or pepper and the cashew taste was too prominent, but the oregano taste was perfect! I added about 15 grinds of fresh black pepper and 1/4 tsp super fine pink himalayan salt. Good, but total perfection came with another 1/4 tsp salt. I was literally eating it from the spoon!
Padmini
Hi
Is nutritional yeast the one we use while baking bread?
Vaishali
No, it's different. You can't eat the baking yeast by itself.
Anonymous
How do you store this?
Vaishali
Air tight jar in the refrigerator.
Daniele
Tried it today with pasta. The texture is really close from grated parmesan. And adding oregano is a brilliant idea that gives the italian touch missing in the other recipes I tried! Thank you again Vaishali.
JN
THANK YOU, for this brilliant, easy option. I just made it as I had all the ingredients and voila, it IS DELICIOUS!!!!! Ah, now I don't feel like I am missing anything when it comes to flavor!
Janet McLennon
Another great recipe Vaishali. You are a magician!
Julie
Sadly, I am unable to tolerate nutritional yeast 🙁 Would have loved to have been able to try this!
Vaishali
Hi Julie, you might try adding miso. I find that the salty umami flavor of miso works well as a sub for cheese. Miso powder might work better here because the paste would add a bit of moisture, which I wouldn't personally mind, but something to think about.
S
Try using a Non-Fortified Nutritional yeast - when I bought the regular synthetic vitamin sprayed typical NY It made me sick, then I found the non-fortified one on Amazon!!! Yes I can eat this one!!
Anonymous
Almost ... funny how I have forgotten what cheese tastes like so this is a good alternative for anyone looking for a cheese hit