Ahhh cashew cream, the silky, smooth, raw, nut-based sauce adored by vegans and meat eaters are alike! Cashew cream has been a popular plant-based substitute for everything from nacho cheese-inspired sauces to dessert fillings for years. It has proven itself time and time again in the plant-based home kitchen as well as on big-name restaurants menus and it’s definitely a recipe you should master!
Let’s make some basic cashew cream will we?!
Imagine the dish as a starting point from which you can make it sweet or savory, with little effort. Mix with your favorite flavors, such as fresh herbs or roasted chiles. Mix it in with pasta and use it for a dip or spread it over into a sandwich. It’s all up to you!
Step 1 Collect the ingredients.
One of the great benefits of cashew milk is the fact that it does not require numerous ingredients for making it! The basic cashew cream requires four ingredients, which are probably standard items found in the kitchen of most households.
The primary element in cream of cashews are evidently the cashews, specifically , raw cashews. Roasted cashews simply will not work. It is essential that they are uncooked to absorb the water that they absorb and blend into an extremely smooth consistency.
Filtered water Since the cashews are absorbed of the water and ultimately end into the dish we serve I personally choose purified water. If you aren’t able to filter water, you could use the tap instead.
Juice of freshly squeezed citrus there is no canned citrus juice here Only freshly squeezed lemon juice is the best choice! The bright taste really does show when you taste it, that’s why you should get the real deal!
Salt || I’ve utilized sea salt and Himalayan salt in cashew cream variations throughout time and they’ve been all delicious. Your personal preference is the most important thing and you should keep in mind this recipe I require coarse kosher salt. Therefore, when you are using a smaller grain of salt than this you’ll have to alter the quantity a little according to your personal taste.
- Make the cashews in their raw state.
Making cashews into cashew cream is straightforward, however, you must create a plan prior to the time which includes the time to soak the cashews. Soaking cashews before using them for cooking and eating aids in the proper absorption of nutrients and also helps get rid of phytates or enzymes that block mineral and vitamin absorption. A long technical tale short…soaking your cashews does more than making mixing the nuts into a smooth sauce possible, but it’s healthy too!
Cold soak method Put the desired quantity of cashews that are raw in an enormous mixing bowl and cover it with water that has been filtered. Then soak for at least 4 hours, best to do it overnight on a covered counter or in the refrigerator. Then rinse and drain.
Quick soak method Put the desired quantity of cashews that are raw in a bowl, cover it with boiling water, and allow to soak at least 30 mins. Drain and wash thoroughly. Cashews so soaked do not contain the same nutritional benefits as cashews prepared using a cold soak technique.
In any way, the cashews in the same way, they’ll take up an immense quantity of liquid! Take a look at how big the cashew to the left in the picture above is compared to that on the left. It’s almost tripled in size! Now, you’re able to prepare cashew butter!
Step 3|| The blend.
After the cashews have been taken in the water, drain and wash them thoroughly before deciding whether you’ll blend using a powerful Best Blender for Cashew Cream such as that one I’m using here , or the food processor. Both can produce great results with a variety of texture and taste, so this is all about the personal preference.
If you’re looking for the most luxurious cashew cream, then a high-powered blender is the best way to go. I favor this method when making vegan cheesecakes or preparing to make cashew cream an alternative to sour-cream. A high-powered blender will typically blend cashews from start to finish in a single mixing session, without even scraping the sides.
Standard blender or food processor Food processors or standard blender can make an cashew-based cream with more the texture and grit and that’s fine! I love cashew creme such as this to serve with the tacos as well as nachos! It is important to note that you may need the option of stopping and scraping it down several times to make sure that everything is broken down and incorporated.
Put the cashews into your mixer or processor with the filtered water, lemon juice, salt and. Blend until you have an even, pourable sauce. Stop and scrape the sides as you need to.
