That Cheezy Feeling : Tofu Ricotta – An Asian Vegan’s Answer To Crumbly & Creamy Cheese

There’s an umami richness to cheese that is so incredibly crave-worthy. Just ask the French, they have over 1, 000 varieties. That being said,  many of us are living a dairy-free, plant-based existence, so we wanted to develop a delicious vegan alternative. What’s also great about this recipe is that it is nut-free! Most vegan cheeses use nuts as a base, which makes life difficult for those allergic to them. This is a pretty quick affair too- all in it’s about 15 minutes of actual work- definitely faster than making your own dairy cheese!

Makes about 2 cups.

Ingredients

• 390 grams/ 3 cups extra firm tofu, organic if possible
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
• ½ cup Thai basil leaves
• ½ cup coriander leaves
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• pinch of chilli flakes
• ½ freshly squeezed lime juice
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Give the tofu a rinse, then dry with kitchen paper. Put the tofu on a plate or board, place a heavy pot or a number of heavy books on top of it to squeeze out the liquids for 20 minutes- this is an important step if you want a crumbly feel to your ricotta.
2. Once drained, crumble the tofu in the food processor along with the basil and the coriander leaves- your goal is a crumbly texture. Stop before you get to a paste.
3. Heat a pan with the coconut oil and lightly fry the onions.
4. When the onions are translucent, add the tofu mixture and the remaining ingredients, cooking for another 5 – 10 minutes until all the liquids have evaporated. Et voila!