We really pulled out all the stops for this raw vegan take on a classic Italian appetizer, the caprese salad. You are going to be making some raw vegan cashew mozzarella! This isn’t something that you should eat all the time because eating cashew cheese too frequently can drastically increase your caloric intake. Treat yourself to this on the weekend when you have time to make it.
- Prep Time:15m
- Total Time:15m
- Serves: 4 servings
- Category: Full Body Cleanse Approved, Appetizers & Snacks, Salads & Dressings, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
For the Cashew Mozzarella
- 3 tbsp. ground psyllium husk
- 12 fl oz filtered water
- 1 c raw cashews (soaked in water overnight and then drained)
- 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- juice of 1 lemon
- pinch of sea salt
For the Pesto
- 1 1/4 c fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 ripe large avocado, peeled and pitted
- 1/4 c raw tahini
- 1/4 c filtered water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp. sea salt
- pinch of black pepper
For the Salad
- 1 tomato, sliced into rounds
- 10 basil leaves
Instructions
For the Cashew Mozzarella
- Add the psyllium husk powder to a bowl with 12 ounces of filtered water and whisk well. Let this sit for an hour or so until it has become gel-like.
- Add the psyllium gel, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, a pinch of sea salt to a food processor and pulse until you get a smooth paste.
- Pour the mixture into three small glass bowls, cover, and place in the fridge for one hour so it can firm up.
For the Pesto
- While the cashew cheese is firming up, add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the pesto into a glass jar, cover, and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
For the Salad
- To prepare the salad, remove the cashew cheese from the fridge and slice it into thin rounds.
- Arrange the cashew cheese slices, tomato slices, and basil leaves around the plate so that they are evenly layered.
- Remove the pesto from the fridge and spoon a little bit on each slice of cashew mozzarella. If you have olive oil in your kitchen, drizzle a small amount over the entire plate like the Italians do. Now dig in!
