Vegan Parmesan Cheese Made with Walnuts or Almonds

Deliciously simple dairy free nut cheese tastes like the non-vegan original

Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe: From The Cheesy Vegan by John Schlimm, Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. ©2013.

Before I went vegan I loved parmesan cheese. This vegan version fills the culinary gap in a satisfyingly real way. It's wonderful sprinkled on pasta dishes, pizza or steamed veggies.

I combined the walnut parm with vegan bread crumbs and a little oil to make a tasty crumb topping for Baked Tofu Vegetable Casserole.

Total prep & cook time: 10 min

1 1/4 cups cheese - 8 servings

Nutrition Data, Almond Parmesan, Per Serving, 23 g: 119 calories, 78 calories from fat, 5g carbs, 9g fat, 7mg sodium, 1g sugars, 3g fiber, 9g protein, low Cholesterol, good source Folate, Magnesium, Copper, Manganese, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vit. B6, Vit. B12, Vit. E. Estimated glycemic load 0

Nutrition Data, Walnut Parmesan, Per Serving, 17 g: 101 calories, 80 calories from fat, 10g fat, 3g carbs, 146mg sodium, 1g sugars, 1g fiber, 3g protein, low Cholesterol, good source Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Copper, Manganese, Vit. B6, Vit. B12. Estimated glycemic load: 0

Almond Parmesan Ingredients:

• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 5 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Walnut Parmesan Ingredients:

• 1 cup coarsely chopped raw walnuts
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Almond Parmesan Directions:

1. In a blender or mini processor, combine all the ingredients
2. Pulse until the ingredients form crumbs the size of a half grain of rice or baby peas.
3. Grind for 8 - 10 seconds per batch - don't overgrind the mixture (it should be crumbly, not pasty)
4. Transfer the mixture to a tightly covered container and refrigerate
5. The cheese will keep in a tightly covered container, refrigerated for 3 - 4 days

Walnut Parmesan Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix the walnuts, nutrition yeast and salt
2. In batches, if necessary, grin the mixture in a coffee grinder dedicated to non-coffee foods
3. Grind for 8 - 10 seconds per batch - don't overgrind the mixture (it should be crumbly, not pasty)
4. Transfer the mixture to a tightly covered container and refrigerate
5. The cheese will keep in a tightly covered container, refrigerated, for about 1 week, assuming that the walnuts are fairly fresh

Recipe Tips:

Start with just a little salt, and add more to taste as needed.

According to author John Schlimm in The Cheesy Vegan, the walnut parmesan is supposed to approximate the taste of Parmigiano Reggiano, and the almond parm replaces Parmesan cheese proper.

Walnuts with their high fatty acid content go rancid easily, so store them in the fridge. For better odds that your walnuts are fresh when you get them home, buy them in bulk from a store with a high turnover in bulk stock.

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