Cashew Chive Cream Cheese

Authentic dairy-free fermented cream cheese that tastes just like your old favourite. Warning, this stuff is addictive :-)

1 cup of organic unsalted raw cashew nuts

1 probiotic capsule (a good brand like Biokult)

Sea Salt

Lemon Juice

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes (ground)

1/4 tablespoon onion power

1 tablespoon chives (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon shallots (finely chopped or minced)

Soak 1 cup of cashews in filtered water for 2 hours
Drain and rinse the cashews
Add cashews to a high speed blender
Add the powder of 1 probiotic capsule and a dash of lemon juice and start blending
If necessary add a tiny amount (1 tablespoon) filtered water to make the nut mix more creamy
Add salt and pepper and keep blending till smooth
Keep stopping the blender to scrape down sides, and blend again until really smooth
Scrape out mixture and place into a glass or ceramic bowl
Cover bowl with cling film and pierce a few holes in it to let gases out (can also use a wet towel)
Leave to ferment for 12 hours in a warm dark place
After 12 hours check the smell, (it should smell a bit like yoghurt).
Now mix in the ground nutritional yeast flakes, onion powder, chives, parsley and shallots and any other ingredients of your choice, until you get the taste you like
Transfer mixture to a small ring mold or pot and keep in fridge
Keeps for about 2 weeks

A note about cheese texture and smell: This cheese resembles goats cheese in texture, soft, moist, almost crumbly.

Recipe source: Bruna Oliveira

Photo credit: The wonderful Faith Mason for Made in Hackney