Recipes
Smoked Almond Cheddar
This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite new cookbooks, This Cheese is Nuts by Julie Piatt — this book is a fantastic resource for anyone trying to eat dairy-free.
This is a really simple recipe, but you do need to soak the almonds ahead of time. This helps develop the proper consistency for the cheese, as well as improve digestibility.
Equipment: you’ll need a food processor for this recipe.
Serves 6-8. Plenty for a potluck offering or dinner party appetizer.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw unsalted almonds, soaked in filtered water overnight
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup pimientos from a jar, plus 1/2 to 3/4c of the packing liquid
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (or Himalayan pink salt)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
- additional sea salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
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Step 1
Prep ahead: place the almonds in a bowl and soak in filtered water overnight. Cover and refrigerate.
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Step 2
Drain the almonds and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the pimientos, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and the liquid from the pimientos.
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Step 3
Pulse until the mixture is incorporated, and it starts to form a ball.
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Step 4
Taste and adjust for seasonings.
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Step 5
Scrape the mixture onto a cutting board and form into a ball with clean hands. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.
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Step 6
Serve with crackers and fresh fruit such as grapes or figs.