Citric Acid Free Vegan Parmesan
Salty, savory, and surprisingly convincing, this plant-based topping delivers everything you want from a finishing cheese without a single drop of dairy. Raw cashews blitz down into a fine, crumbly texture that genuinely mimics the look and feel of finely grated Parmesan — it's one of those kitchen tricks that feels almost too easy. Nutritional yeast brings that deep, umami-forward flavor, while garlic powder and sea salt round everything out into something that tastes like it belongs on pasta, roasted vegetables, or a big bowl of soup. For anyone navigating citric acid sensitivities, store-bought vegan cheese alternatives can be a minefield, since citric acid is a common preservative and flavor enhancer in those products. This one keeps things clean with just four whole-food ingredients, so you know exactly what you're sprinkling on your plate. A food processor and a few short pulses are all it takes, and the result stores beautifully in a jar in the fridge for whenever you need it.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt in a food processor.
- 2
Pulse 10–15 times in short bursts until the mixture resembles coarse, dry crumbs — about the texture of finely grated Parmesan. Stop before the mixture turns into a paste.
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