1 week Ago By Nicola Roy
When you're craving a savoury snack, there's not much that hits the spot quite like some herby cream cheese. It's especially delicious loaded onto a bagel or crackers, and once you start eating it, it's pretty hard to stop. However, you might be surprised to know that you can make a delicious protein-packed cream cheese without any cream or cheese at all.
I was initially sceptical when I came across this recipe on TikTok , but after whipping it up - and nearly eating all of it in one sitting - I can say it's definitely worth making. And the creaminess is down to one surprising ingredient - cashews. I was vegan for five years in my younger days, so I was already familiar with the concept of using cashews for creaminess.
If you soak them in boiling water before blending them up, it makes a delicious addition to pasta dishes, curries and other sauces. However, I'd never considered using it to make a spread for my bagels. That was until I spotted Anna Wilson's recipe on TikTok - she had just whipped up some homemade bagels and shared her cashew cream cheese method to go along with them.
I may not be vegan anymore but I do still love a plant-based recipe , so I was eager to try this out. And it tasted so delicious, creamy and flavourful, you'd never guess there was no dairy in it. Here's how you can make it.
Ingredients One cup of cashews One and a half cups of water One block of silken tofu One garlic clove Juice of half a lemon Tsp miso paste Tsp Dijon mustard Tsp garlic powder Half cup of nutritional yeast Glug of olive oil Pinch of turmeric Salt and pepper Chopped up chives Method The most important step comes first, so don't leave this out. Soak the cashews in boiling water and cover with a tea towel for at least 15 minutes, which will soften them up and allow them to blend beautifully into that creamy texture. Then, add them to a blender with the rest of the ingredients, except the chives - they'll be added in later.
Blend everything up until it's perfectly smooth. I had to do this in two batches since my trusty old Nutribullet is tiny, but soon I had a gorgeous velvety-looking concoction that, in all honesty, resembled ice cream. Then, stir in your chopped chives.
How many you use really just depends on how strong you want it to be, but I love a good chive, so I added plenty. The texture will look slightly iffy at this point, but don't let this put you off. Anna recommended leaving it to set in the fridge for an hour, but I made this pretty late so decided to leave it overnight.
That way, I could enjoy it with my breakfast - and what a lovely breakfast it was. The spread had set to a much more appealling texture, so I loaded it onto a toasted bagel, topped it with tomatoes, Maldon salt and black pepper, and tucked in. The flavour was immediately very impressive - hints of garlic, lemon and a nutty undertone from the nutritional yeast.
But the creamy texture was what really blew me away, and we have the nuts to thank for that. The silken tofu also adds a kick of protein, making this a very filling topping for your toast or dip for your veggies. Anna recommends keeping this in the fridge for around three to four days, but I doubt it'll last that long in my house.
If you're trying to cut down on ultra-processed food but still want something delicious for breakfast, then I highly recommend giving this a go..
