Vegan Cashew Crema

Jul 13

Tangy, delicious, and full of probiotics, this is far and away the best sour cream substitute I’ve ever had—and I’ve tried them all!

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: Making the Vegan Sour Cream Substitute of my Dreams

Yields: 2 Cups

Active Time: 15m

Total Time: 1h - 3 Days

INGREDIENTS:

RECIPE:

Soak cashews in very hot water for one hour to soften.
Drain cashews and add to a high-speed blender with 1 cup of fresh water until creamy and smooth. If not fermenting, add remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and enjoy!
If making the pro-edition, scrape mixture into a mixing bowl and add the contents of the probiotic capsules. Stir with a wooden or plastic spoon (not metal! It can react with the probiotics and kill them!).
Cover with a thin towel and secure with a rubber band. Let rest at room temperature for 24-72 hours. I find 48hrs is the perfect texture and tanginess.
Uncover and add remaining ingredients, combining and taste testing as you go. Add more lemon juice for acidity, salt for saltiness, or apple cider vinegar for tanginess.
Will keep in the fridge for at least a week, and longer in the freezer if you want to make large batches. Enjoy.

HELPFUL NOTES

The key to the perfect tang is some lacto-fermentation, and probiotic capsules are the best way to achieve that. They can be a bit pricey though, so feel free to skip them for a batch and see what you think. It will not last as long in the fridge, but the vinegar should get you halfway there with the tang, which is plenty for most applications where the sour cream isn’t the star of the show.
If you do decide to go full fermentation, my favorite brand for this is Renew Life 30/50 Billion which you can find at GNC, Whole Foods, or online. They can be a little pricey but are great for your gut and super useful for fermentation recipes like this, and the pills keep in the fridge for two years.

Tanner Agle

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