Walnut Vegan Cheese

Walnut Vegan Cheese:

Ingredients

1. 1 cup walnuts

2. 2 T no salt/no sugar-added tomato paste

3. 1 T miso paste or tahini or avocado oil

4. 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

5. 1/2 t paprika

6. juice of one lemon (about 2-3 T)

7. 1 T apple cider vinegar

8. 1/2 tsp. black pepper

9. 1/4-1/2 cup water

10. salt, to taste (optional)

Directions

Place the walnuts in a food processor and pulse several times to chop them, then process until they are finely ground. Add the remaining ingredients except for the water and salt and pulse several times to combine. Stop as needed to scrape down the sides of the food processor. Add the water two tablespoons at a time until the mixture reaches the desired consistency.

Serve immediately or refrigerate to allow it to thicken.

Tips

If you prefer a saucier texture, add more water; if you want the texture of a traditional cheeseball, use less water. Thinned-out, this sauce is excellent on top of tacos, burritos, and nachos. For a party: Form the cheese into a ball and roll in crushed walnuts. For smoked Cheddar, use smoked paprika; feel free to add some chili powder to spice it up, too!

Makes 10 servings; 1 serving= 2 tbsp. (1 fat)