3-Step Sage & Cashew Cream Cheese Spread
3-Step Sage & Cashew Cream Cheese Spread is one of the quickest, easiest to make, vegan, oil-free cheese spreads we’ve had the pleasure of sharing! While the ease described may seem a bit too good to be true, this is genuinely an easy-peasy cheesy recipe! This no-cook spread is as simple to make as it sounds. The fresh sage and tahini provide an earthy depth of flavor. Even better still is that this cheesy recipe is as wholesome and delicious as it gets!
As you have likely noticed, cashews pop up often in plant-based recipes. So here are a few lovely little facts you might like to know behind the yummy taste of cashews! And it’s important to note that the benefits of eating raw cashews go well beyond the three we discuss here.
Three MAJOR Health BENEFITS of Raw Cashews:
Cashews Fight Heart Disease! A 2017 article in the journal called, Nutrients, states, “Although nuts are high-calorie foods, several studies have reported beneficial effects after nut consumption, due to fatty acid profiles, vegetable proteins, fibers, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and phytosterols with potential antioxidant action.”
Nut, seed, and legume consumption can help lower your risk for risks associated with heart disease. Risks including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity can each be addressed by eating cashews. Additionally, cashews may also improve oxidative stress levels, inflammation, and vascular/arterial activity which also promote a healthy heart.
Cashews may also help lower your LDL cholesterol (known as the “dangerous” kind) while improving HDL cholesterol (the “good” kind). Cashews contain unique phytosterol compounds, which play a valued structural role in the membrane of cells. They serve to stabilize cells and interfere with cholesterol absorption, which explains their potentially cholesterol-lowering abilities. And it explains why cashews may be able to help prevent the formation of plaque within artery walls. Cashews are also known to lower triglyceride levels and reduced inflammation. All of these functions may help protect you from heart disease, heart attacks or stroke.
Cashews May Help Prevent Gallstones! It’s thought that eating cashews, and other nuts and seeds can help lower the risk for gallstones. Gallstones are caused by hardened cholesterol. Hardened cholesterol is what happens when too much cholesterol is present in the bile. That over cholesterol loaded bile is what circulates through the digestive tract. Yuck, yuck, and more yuck, right?
A healthy liver doesn’t secrete a high enough amount of cholesterol to harden and form stones. But when the liver is in poor health, the cholesterol acts as a glue. That glue action binds with things like calcium inside the gallbladder. All of this activity, in essence, leads us right back to the cholesterol benefits described above.
Cashews May Help With Weight Loss & Healthy-Weight Maintenance! If you’re like us, you may have guessed that nuts and seeds may cause a person to gain weight. So, does that mean that cashews might make you gain weight? Well, studies suggest that cashews and other nuts do not cause weight gain. On the contrary, eating cashews may promote weight loss and help with overall weight management.
Yes, nuts do have a high total fat content. Cashews consist of approximately 46 percent fat. But along with that fat, they’re impressively nutrient-dense. Cashews provide many of the essential minerals and fatty acids that support weight loss! Additionally, cashews may help you feel full which is beneficial for curbing food cravings, overeating, and unhealthy snacking habits. Plant-based fats, in general, tend to make food more satisfying. Additionally, nutrient absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A and D increases.
Cashews are also a valuable source of plant-based protein and protein is satisfying. Cashews are made up of about 25 percent amino acids, partially in the form of beneficial amino acid L-arginine. L-arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide known to help improve vascular reactivity and circulation. The unique combo of fat and protein in cashews nutrition make cashews a filling food that can help control cravings.
We found much of this info about the nutritional side of cashews from an article shared here. There are more valuable benefits surely worth mentioning, but we’d like to get back to our awesomely nutritious and delicious recipe for 3-Step Sage & Cashew Cream Cheese Spread.
The “Art” of Soaking Cashews
When time is not of concern, you can opt to soak cashews overnight, no problem! Cover the cashews in plenty of room temp water and refrigerate. You may soak and soften for up to 24 hours. But if you need to hurry things along and get to the cheese eating part sooner, no worries. Here’s a quick and easy method for (pardon the expression) soaking your nuts. (By the way, technically, cashews are seeds rather than nuts.)
How to FAST SOAK Cashews:
- Heat about 2 cups of water to boil.
- Choose a glass dish with enough room to hold the cashews and 2 cups of water.
- Cover the cashews with the hot water and soak for about 15 to 30 minutes, rinse and drain.
So, How Does 3-Minute Sage & Cashew Cream Cheese Taste?
We sincerely enjoyed the entire process of creating and eating this recipe for 3-Step Sage & Cashew Cream Cheese Spread. And just like the other creamy cheese we’ve shared on VEEG, we seriously considered naming it something like “dream” cheese. This dairy-free spread is savory, earthy, cheesy and deep. We know you’re going to love this recipe as soon as you give it that delicious first try!
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Happy eating!
3-Step Sage & Cashew Cream Cheese Spread
- 15Prep:
- 0Cook Time:
- Yield: 8 Servings
We cannot begin to describe how delightful this creamy cheese tastes when smeared on a piece of buckwheat toast or another favorite bread! It’s as simple to make as counting to three! And you most certainly do not have to be whole food plant-based vegan to enjoy our deliciously savory, oil-free, no-cook, 3-Step Sage & Cashew Cream Cheese Spread! (In our humble opinion and we’re sure you’ll agree, cashew cheese is raising the bar for all cheese, dairy cheese included!) And since this cheese is gluten-free and vegan, it’s a cheese you’ll easily share with ALL of your friends and family! In our photos, we share this cheese spread topped with optional roasted tomatoes and walnuts, though you can eat it on the end of a pretzel if you like. It’s also terrific when nestled inside a chickpea omelet. However you end up enjoying this tasty cheese, you’ll want to have plenty! Make two batches and share one with a friend who needs to know they’re worthy of fabulous dairy-free cheese! Each batch takes only minutes to make and provides about eight servings of two very generous tablespoons each.
Ingredients
1 cup of raw cashews, soaked, rinsed and drained - We often purchase this brand in bulk.
1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar - We use this brand of ACV in our recipes.
1/4 cup of veggie broth or filtered water
1 tsp of Bragg liquid aminos, coconut aminos, or tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup of nutritional yeast flakes
2 tbsp of tahini, or more or less to taste - We tend to be a tad generous with the tahini in our cheese dishes and used nearly two tablespoons in the recipe... it's delicious!
1 to 2 cloves of garlic - You may opt to sub with garlic powder, but fresh garlic is the first choice.
three or more fresh sage leaves or about 1 tsp of dried sage - Fresh herbs provide the best flavor though dried can work.
one generous tbsp of fresh parsley leaves or 1 tsp of dried parsley
1/4 tsp of pink Himalayan sea salt or another salt, to taste
an optional dash of freshly ground black pepper, to taste
optional roasted tomatoes, garlic, walnuts, and fresh parsley for topping
Instructions
Provided that you've soaked the cashews for about 15 to 30 minutes or longer, place all of the ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until thick and creamy. Everything should unite within a minute or two of blending. A well-blended mixture will have the consistency of a creamy, somewhat runny, frosting, but don't worry; your homemade 3-Step Sage & Cashew Cream Cheese Spread will firm up to a spreadable consistency once it chills.
Pour or scrape the blended mixture into the container of choice and chill until it reaches the consistency of spreadable cheese. And if you're in a hurry no worries. It usually takes about 30 minutes or less to thicken into a creamy, delightfully spreadable consistency. Chilling for a more extended period is perfectly fine, too - even as long as overnight or days ahead! That make-ahead option is terrific when entertaining!
Serve with fresh veggies, crackers, bagels, and wedges of your favorite bread. Slather it on morning toast or smear it on your favorite wrap to add a delicious cheesiness to your next creation! Or if you like, slow roast some tomatoes and toast some walnuts and top it off as we did - it's irresistible! To slow roast tomatoes, pop them in the oven and bake at 350º for about 45 minutes. Adding optional garlic and favorite fresh herbs at about 30 minutes in creates an excellent level of flavor, too. You may store your oil-free, 3-Step Sage & Cashew Cream Cheese in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. But don't be too surprised if it magically disappears after just a day or two.
Notes
As noted in the list of ingredients, you may always opt to sub with dried herbs and garlic powder, but fresh is the first choice and will provide the flavor we're describing.
When it comes to putting "the creamy" into a cashew cream cheese spread, the longer you soak your cashews, the creamier your cheese will be!
We use Braggs Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar in most of our recipes. Braggs ACV adds a pop of tangy flavor and also has nutritive benefits with enzymes that may help with digestion, pH balance, and inflammation. Braggs makes theirs with non-GMO, USDA certified organic apples and keeps it raw and unfiltered with the “mother” intact. You can purchase Braggs at most grocery stores or order it on Amazon through this orange highlighted phrase or by clicking the orange word listed in the ingredients.
Nutrition
% DV
- Total Fat 9.4 g 14 %
- Saturated Fat 1.6 g 8 %
- Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
- Sodium 62.3 mg 3 %
- Carbohydrates 11.4 g 4 %
- Fiber 2.7 g 11 %
- Sugar 1 g ---
- Protein 7.1 g 14 %
- Vitamin A 1 %
- Vitamin C 3 %
- Iron 9 %
- Calcium 1 %
3-Step Sage & Cashew Cream Cheese Spread
BY VEEG.CO
Ingredients
1 cup of raw cashews, soaked, rinsed and drained - We often purchase this brand in bulk.
1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar - We use this brand of ACV in our recipes.
1/4 cup of veggie broth or filtered water
1 tsp of Bragg liquid aminos, coconut aminos, or tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup of nutritional yeast flakes
2 tbsp of tahini, or more or less to taste - We tend to be a tad generous with the tahini in our cheese dishes and used nearly two tablespoons in the recipe... it's delicious!
1 to 2 cloves of garlic - You may opt to sub with garlic powder, but fresh garlic is the first choice.
three or more fresh sage leaves or about 1 tsp of dried sage - Fresh herbs provide the best flavor though dried can work.
one generous tbsp of fresh parsley leaves or 1 tsp of dried parsley
1/4 tsp of pink Himalayan sea salt or another salt, to taste
an optional dash of freshly ground black pepper, to taste
optional roasted tomatoes, garlic, walnuts, and fresh parsley for topping
Instructions
Provided that you've soaked the cashews for about 15 to 30 minutes or longer, place all of the ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until thick and creamy. Everything should unite within a minute or two of blending. A well-blended mixture will have the consistency of a creamy, somewhat runny, frosting, but don't worry; your homemade 3-Step Sage & Cashew Cream Cheese Spread will firm up to a spreadable consistency once it chills.
Pour or scrape the blended mixture into the container of choice and chill until it reaches the consistency of spreadable cheese. And if you're in a hurry no worries. It usually takes about 30 minutes or less to thicken into a creamy, delightfully spreadable consistency. Chilling for a more extended period is perfectly fine, too - even as long as overnight or days ahead! That make-ahead option is terrific when entertaining!
Serve with fresh veggies, crackers, bagels, and wedges of your favorite bread. Slather it on morning toast or smear it on your favorite wrap to add a delicious cheesiness to your next creation! Or if you like, slow roast some tomatoes and toast some walnuts and top it off as we did - it's irresistible! To slow roast tomatoes, pop them in the oven and bake at 350º for about 45 minutes. Adding optional garlic and favorite fresh herbs at about 30 minutes in creates an excellent level of flavor, too. You may store your oil-free, 3-Step Sage & Cashew Cream Cheese in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. But don't be too surprised if it magically disappears after just a day or two.
Notes
As noted in the list of ingredients, you may always opt to sub with dried herbs and garlic powder, but fresh is the first choice and will provide the flavor we're describing.
When it comes to putting "the creamy" into a cashew cream cheese spread, the longer you soak your cashews, the creamier your cheese will be!
We use Braggs Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar in most of our recipes. Braggs ACV adds a pop of tangy flavor and also has nutritive benefits with enzymes that may help with digestion, pH balance, and inflammation. Braggs makes theirs with non-GMO, USDA certified organic apples and keeps it raw and unfiltered with the “mother” intact. You can purchase Braggs at most grocery stores or order it on Amazon through this orange highlighted phrase or by clicking the orange word listed in the ingredients.
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Csn you send me this in an email
Rachele, have you signed up for our weekly newsletter yet? That’s a terrific way to keep up with our recipes through email. But I am happy to email this recipe to you – just want to be sure you know all of the options available and are able to get to what you need, most efficiently, in the future. Thank you so much for reading our recipes. It will be great to hear from you about how this one goes after you’ve tried it!