How to make cashew cream and our best vegan cashew cream recipes
Cashew cream is a great vegan alternative to dairy creams. Learn how to make your own, then try one of our six vegan recipes that all use cashew cream - very berry cashew smoothie, minted strawberries with sweet cashew cream, roast broccoli with tahini and cashew dressing, a creamy vegan carbonara, and more...
Cashew Cream recipe
15 minutes + 2 hours soaking, EASY
This recipe will make more cashew cream than needed, but it can be stored in the fridge for a few days. Or alternatively, freeze it.
cashew nuts 200g
step 1
Put the cashew nuts in a bowl and cover with water. Cover with clingfilm and leave for 2 hours.
step 2
Strain the cashews through a sieve and tip into a liquidizer or blender. Add 200ml fresh water and blend until very smooth. Add more water a little at a time to get the consistency required. Add a pinch of salt (or honey for a sweet version) and blend again. Tip into a container and cover.
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Top cashew cream tip: If your blender isn’t powerful enough to make a smooth texture, you could always let down cashew nut butter with a little water to get a cream consistency.
Watercress soup with cashew cream
15 minutes, Serves 2, EASY, VEGETARIAN
spring onions 2, sliced
olive oil spray
garlic 1 clove, crushed
watercress 140g bag
rocket 100g bag
parsley ½ a bunch
vegetable stock 400ml, hot
lemon 1, zested and juiced
Fry the spring onions in a spray of olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and fry for another minute before tipping in most of the watercress, all the rocket and parsley. Stir though until wilted, then add the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer and season well. Blend until a stick blender until smooth. Add most of the lemon zest and season with a little lemon juice.
Divide between bowls, then add a tbsp of cashew cream to each bowl. Scatter with more lemon zest and watercress leaves to serve if you like.
Very berry cashew smoothie
15 minutes, Serves 1, EASY
Whisk 100ml cashew cream with enough water to get the consistency of double cream. Tip a handful of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries (or half a pack frozen mixed berries if not in season) into a blender with a handful ice cubes, the cashew cream, ½ banana and 1 tbsp maple syrup. Blend until smooth, adding another splash of water if too thick.
Minted strawberries with sweet cashew cream
20 minutes + 1 hour macerating, Serves 4, EASY
Remove the stalks and halve or quarter 400g strawberries. Tip 3 tbsp sugar into a small blender with a handful mint leaves. Whizz until you get a smooth green sugar. Toss with the strawberries and leave for 1 hour to macerate.
Make the cashew cream as above, but add 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup instead of salt. Add 150ml water and blend, you want a thicker cream than that used in the soup recipe. Adding 1 tbsp at a time after this, until you get the consistency of whipped cream. Pile the minty strawberries and the cashew cream in layers into tall glasses and finish off with a sprig of fresh mint.
Roast broccoli with tahini and cashew dressing
30 minutes, Serves 2, EASY
Toss 300g tenderstem broccoli with 1 tbsp oil, zest of ½ lemon and a pinch chilli flakes. Tip onto a baking tray and cook at 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 for 15-20 minutes until soft and starting to turn golden. Mix 1 tbsp tahini with juice ½ lemon, 4 tbsp cashew cream and dill chopped to make 1 tbsp. Season well. Drizzle over the dressing to serve.
Creamy vegan carbonara
20 minutes, Serves 2, EASY
Cook 200g linguine in boiling salted water until al dente. Fry 1 diced onion and a handful sliced mushrooms in 1 tbsp oil until soft. Tip in a handful of fresh peas, a pack of blanched baby asparagus and 50ml cashew cream until heated through. Season well. Tip in the cooked pasta with some of the pasta water and serve with vegan cheese or nutritional yeast sprinkled over.
Sriracha-cashew coleslaw
15 minutes, Serves 2 as a side, EASY
Mix 4 tbsp cashew cream with 1 tbsp sriracha and season. Toss shredded red cabbage, onion and grated carrot in a large bowl then mix well with the dressing. Mix in chopped coriander to serve. (You could also top with more roasted and chopped cashew nuts for an extra crunch if you like)
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