07 March, 2012

Raw vegan Parmesan

Giving up cheese is one of the hardest part for me, when eating vegan.  Several years ago while looking for vegan cheese recipes I came across an easy and rather healthy way of replacing Parmesan sprinkled over pasta dishes and salads.  This vegan Parmesan is salty, flavourful and tangy; and it is great in raw dishes.



I do not have exact proportions for this recipe - I usually go by feel and taste. Vegan Parmesan will last almost indefinite in the fridge.  I like to make a fairly large batch and store it in an airtight container for a month or so.


What you need:
(All amounts are approximate.  Feel free to adjust according to your taste)

2 tbsp light miso
2 tsp nutritional yeast
4 tbsp flax seeds or a mix of flax and sesame seeds
1/4 tsp garlic powder - optional
1/2 tsp onion powder - optional
1/2 tsp spices (basil and oregano work great in this recipe) - optional

What to do:
  • In a medium bowl mix thoroughly miso and seeds.
  • Add nutritional yeast and stir well.  You should have a crumbly mix, resembling grated Parmesan.  If the mix is very sticky add more seeds - 1/2 tsp at a time.
  • At this point your basic vegan raw Parmesan is ready.  You can use it as is or give it a little bit more flavour by adding garlic and onion powders and/or dried herbs.
  • I recommend you try cheese after adding each ingredient.  You might find my proportions too generous or you might go for a more herby flavour.


Sprinke over your favorite dish and enjoy!

6 comments:

  1. Because I have somany intolerances, I'm going to give this a try. Question, can I use flax meal instead of flax seed? Think it might be easier to use that way. Your input would be much appreciated.

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    Replies
    1. Hello!
      I would suggest using a mix of sesame seeds or ground sunflower seeds and flax meal to keep the texture. Otherwise I am afraid that flax meal will absorb moisture from miso and turn the whole thing into paste.
      Let me know how it turnse out!

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  2. I also really enjoy adding ground raw pumpkin seeds to a mix like this, haven't tried the miso addition yet!

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  3. I followed these suggested amounts and it turned into a paste. :( Is the miso necessary?

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    Replies
    1. I am not sure how your mix turned into a paste. Did you use a blender?
      All you need to do is mix (with a spoon, or a fork, or a spatula) the ingredients and if the mix is too pasty - adding more sesame seeds should do the trick.

      As for miso, it gives the salty-umami taste. I've never tried making this without miso so I can't really tell you how it will turn out.

      Let me know if it works for you next time around!

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