Plant-Based Parmesan

Recipe by The Minimalist Baker

The very last animal product I took out of my daily diet was dairy. I was almost entirely plant-based for several years, before I was ready to say goodbye to daily cheese. Giving it up was hard. I’m not gonna lie. It’s one of the things I miss most. I never crave meat, but a good chunk of brie, that I do miss. I don’t miss it as much as I like being symptom-free, but it does still call to me at times. I also miss parmesan. There is something so delightful about the salty, briny, cheesy addition of parmesan on the top of pasta, pizza, and soups.

I have been looking for a plant-based substitute, and I came across this nifty plant-based parmesan by the Minimalist Baker.

www.minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-vegan-parmesan-cheese/

While it is decidedly not parmesan, this little topping is pretty darn good. It is cheesy and salty, and it adds a ton of added flavor to pasta dishes. My resident taste tester, the omnivore hub, deemed it to be “tasty” and happily sprinkled it all over his pasta.

It is made by whizzing just four ingredients in the food processor - raw cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt.

In addition to being a great flavor booster, this parm-like topping has some excellent nutritional benefits:

Cashews are a good source of protein, contain vitamins B and C, folate, copper, magnesium, iron, potassium, and zinc. They are known to help reduce cholesterol, and when consumed regularly, they reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease.

Nutritional yeast is also a good source of vitamins, calcium, and protein. It is frequently fortified with vitamin B12, which is an essential vitamin for all of us. As B12 isn’t naturally found in plant foods, if you are totally plant-based, I encourage you to have your levels checked and to ask your doctor about supplementing with B12 for brain health. Nutritional yeast is also good for immune system function, it can help to reduce systemic inflammation, and it is beneficial for our hair and nails.

Given this, you can feel good about sprinkling this cheesy flavor booster on your pasta. While it’s not parmesan, it is tasty. Give it a try and see what you think.

Thank you for another great recipe, Minimalist Baker!

Happy Eating!
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