Plain Cashew Ricotta for Full GAPS

Plain cashew ricotta gives you a thick, creamy ingredient for a dairy-free casserole without adding a strong garlic or herb flavor. Soaked cashews, fresh water, apple cider vinegar and sea salt are all you need. Blend them into a soft paste that holds on a spoon, with a little of the fine texture you would expect from ricotta.

This version is meant to stay simple so you can season the finished dish around it. It contains cashews and is for Full GAPS once you have introduced and tolerate the ingredients. It is not a dairy introduction food or an Intro recipe.

Start with a two-hour cashew soak

Cashews have their own preparation rule on GAPS: soak them for 1–3 hours, with a maximum of 6 hours. For this recipe, use a two-hour soak. An overnight soak meant for another kind of nut is too long for cashews.

Measure the plain cashews before soaking. Put them in a roomy bowl and cover them with cool water by about 2–3 inches. They will take up some of that water as they soften. When the two hours are up, drain and rinse them. Use fresh water for blending.

The four ingredients

• Cashews: Use plain cashews sold as raw, without added oil, salt or flavor coatings. They form the body of the ricotta.
• Fresh water: Measure the blending water after draining the soak. Keeping those two waters separate makes the consistency easier to control.
• Apple cider vinegar: This supplies a little tang. Use plain apple cider vinegar, rather than a sweetened or flavored vinegar.
• Sea salt: Add it to taste after the mixture is blended so you can judge the finished flavor.

There is no nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder or pepper in this plain version. You can add the seasonings called for in the recipe you are making with it.

Blend to a soft, thick consistency

1. Soak, drain and rinse. Cover the measured cashews with cool water for two hours, then drain and rinse them well.
2. Add fresh blending water and vinegar. Put the drained cashews in a food processor with the measured fresh water and apple cider vinegar.
3. Process and scrape. Blend until the mixture becomes creamy, stopping the machine before scraping down the sides. Continue until there are no large cashew pieces. A fine, soft grain is appropriate for ricotta; it does not need to pour like milk.
4. Season and use. Taste and add sea salt. You can use the ricotta right away. For a firmer texture, cover and refrigerate it for 1–2 hours. Stir it before measuring into your next recipe.

If the mixture will not move around the blade

Stop the machine and scrape the mixture toward the blade before adding more water. If it still needs help, add fresh water a tablespoon at a time and process again. The extra water is a texture adjustment, so add only what your machine needs. Too much will turn a thick ricotta into a sauce.

For a doubled batch, work in batches if needed and stay below the processor’s maximum fill line. Increasing the ingredients does not mean extending the cashew soak.

Equipment and kitchen notes

A food processor or a suitable high-speed blender can make this. My Ninja BN801 has a processor bowl and chopping blade for thick mixtures. Stop the blade completely before opening the lid, and remove the chopping blade carefully before emptying the bowl. Another suitable machine is fine; the useful check is the texture of the ricotta.

Have a bowl for soaking, a strainer, measuring cups and spoons, a spatula and a covered storage container ready. This is a blended cashew preparation, so you do not need a yogurt maker or a fermentation starter.

Yield, timing and storage

The recipe makes approximately 2 cups, or eight ¼-cup portions. Allow about 10 minutes for draining, blending and seasoning, in addition to the two-hour soak. The optional 1–2 hours of chilling is extra. The final volume can vary a little with blending and any added water.

Keep it covered in the refrigerator and use within 5 days. For longer storage, freeze it in portions for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and stir well. It may be softer after thawing, which is useful to know before adding it to a dish that needs a thick filling.

Questions before you blend

Is this the same as cashew yogurt?

No. This ricotta is soaked and blended without a culture or fermentation step. Cashew yogurt is a separate cultured preparation with its own ingredients and method. Use the one named in your recipe.

Can I leave out the vinegar?

The vinegar is part of this measured version and gives it its tang. Keep it in when you want to follow this recipe. If you are still introducing vinegar or cashews, wait until you tolerate them rather than using this dish to introduce several new ingredients at once.

Do I strain the finished ricotta?

No. Drain the soaking water, then blend the cashews with fresh measured water. The cashews stay in the finished ricotta. You are making a thick paste rather than separating nut milk from its pulp.

Does it melt like cheddar?

It supplies creaminess rather than a stretchy cheese topping. In a casserole, stir it through where the recipe calls for it instead of expecting it to melt into a sheet of cheese.

More simple cooking ingredients

The GAPS food list can help you check the other ingredients in your meal. The planned Sauces, Dressings & Condiments Cookbook will bring more preparations like this together; check the WFLI shop for current releases.