Vegan Cheese Ball

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while now. During the holiday season we made some yummy treats at our house, and one of my favorite was the vegan cheese ball. My mom, who is not veggie, loved it!




I mean look at that, who wouldn't love it! It was really good with the organic rice crackers, and apples.



I wish I could say that I came up with this recipe, but I did not. I found the recipe over on VedgeOut. I am pasting the ingredients below with a few of my notes and then the instructions that I followed. Full credit on the recipe goes to VedgeOut.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in purified water for 4-6 hours. --> You can also soak it overnight, but don't soak too long. Also, if you soak it overnight keep it in your fridge. I did not use purified water. I just soaked it in filtered water and it tasted great to me. 

• 2 packed tablespoons dry pack sun dried tomatoes, snipped into small pieces with kitchen scissors then soaked in the purified water with the cashews --> The snipping is important. It helps it soak up more of the water. 

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast -->... I added a little extra :)

• 1 tablespoon dry sherry (optional) --> I left this out

• 1 heaped tablespoon mellow white miso (use chickpea miso if you are sensitive to soy) --> Use white or yellow but don't buy the brown miso. 

• 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar --> If it is not raw, that is ok unless you are following a raw vegan diet. 

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard powder

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

• dash cayenne

• 1/2 cup organic unrefined coconut oil --> We used refined coconut oil as that is what we had on hand. It was the Trader Joe's brand. 

Method: 

First we soaked the cashews with the sun-dried tomatoes overnight in the fridge. Next morning drain the water, rinse, and drain well. 

Next I placed the cashews with sun-dried tomatoes in the high powered blender and let it rip. Once it is kind of like a past consistency (I should have taken pictures here, sorry!), then start mixing in all of the seasonings, and last add the coconut oil. Blend until it is a smooth consistency. 

Roll the paste into a ball, put in a container, and put in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Don't taste the cheese ball yet! You will be tempted to try some of the cheese ball, but just wait it will be worth it. Until the flavors have had a chance to blend/mix together it won't taste as good. So be patient. The longer you let it stay in the fridge, the more chance the flavors have to mix. Overnight is best. 

When you are ready take it out, then roll it in ground pecans (or bread crumbs, or another topping). Plate and enjoy!

I will definitely make this recipe again. It was a big hit with many people in my family. It just takes a little bit of time and prep work, but it is worth it. Patience is a virtue, name that movie! :) 

Posted by: Alisha