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Vegan Spinach Ricotta

October 16, 2016 | 49 Comments

Jump to Recipe | Print Recipe

Vegan Spinach Ricotta | https://passtheplants.com

The day comes when you decide, for whatever reason, that cheese from animals is no longer a part of your life. And another day comes later when you realize that you want to make something that has ricotta in it, but ricotta comes from cows. Until today, my friends. Until this day. (I know this is not the first vegan ricotta recipe out there, I just like setting a dramatic scene right from the get-go).

My wonderful people, I present to you, Vegan Spinach Ricotta. Ok, ok, you got me, we’ve already encountered this recipeย before, inย Vegan Calzonesย and Protein-Packed Zucchini Roll-Ups. But recently I sharedย the Best Damn Vegan Lasagna, which features this dairy-free deliciousness, so I thought it deserved its very own post. Vegan Spinach Ricotta, you’ve arrived. Congratulations!

Reason #4512 why I shouldn’t write late at night. I end up addressing recipes in the first person.

Vegan Spinach Ricotta | https://passtheplants.com

Here’s what you’ll need to make Vegan Spinach Ricotta:

  • Raw cashews (I now buy them in a 5 pound bag because they are ubiquitous in my cooking. That’s a big word).
  • Extra-firm or firm tofu (it’s hidden, sneaky protein)
  • Light miso (helps add the cheesy flavor)
  • Nutritional yeast (again with the cheesy)
  • Fresh basil or Dorot frozen chopped basil cubes
  • Fresh garlic or Dorot frozen crushed garlic cubes
  • Salt (duh)

For the sake of convenience, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Dorot frozen basil and garlic. They also have ginger, parsley, cilantro, and chili, whichย haven’t found yet, but maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough. These little cuties are so handy to have in the freezer whenever the urge to make vegan spinach ricotta strikes (and it strikes a lot).

Vegan Spinach Ricotta | https://passtheplants.com

First, pulse the raw cashews, miso, garlic, salt, and nutritional yeast in a food processor or blender until the mixture looks very fine and crumbly. This is important because you can easily tell that the cashews are all finely ground. It’s no fun to have a surprise bite of a big piece of cashew in something that isn’t supposed to have big pieces of cashew in it.

Vegan Spinach Ricotta | https://passtheplants.comNext, add the spinach, basil, and tofu, and pulse until everything comes together, scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl once or twice if needed.

Vegan Spinach Ricotta | https://passtheplants.comTa-dah! It really is that easy. Besides calzones, roll-ups, and of course, lasagna, this stuff is FABULOUS stuffed into large pasta like cannelloni or shells, or thinned with a little water and tossed with pasta, or spread onto toasted baguette. You truly can’t go wrong. And, if for some reason you just can’t get on board the spinach train, leave it out and you’ve got….vegan ricotta. What, were you expecting something else?

Vegan Spinach Ricotta | https://passtheplants.com

It’s green. It’s good. It’s going to be in your belly. Well, it will be as soon as you make it. And when you do, tell me about it! No, seriously, I LOVE hearing about your culinary adventures. Hit me up on Instagram by tagging #passtheplants and @passtheplants, or leave a comment here. I get all giddy and excited, for reals.

And as for ย the Best Damn Vegan Lasagna – trust me when I tell you, it lives up to its name.

Vegan Spinach Ricotta

Beth Hornback
Vegan Spinach Ricotta is a savory, healthy substitute for traditional cow's milk ricotta. Vegans and omnivores alike love it!
4.77 from 34 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Total Time 5 mins
Course Vegan Cheese
Cuisine Italian
Servings 2 cups
Calories 196 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 12 ounce package firm or extra-firm tofu (drained (1 package is typically 10-12 oz. it's ok to use a little less or more))
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach (or 1 cup frozen spinach)
  • ยผ cup fresh basil leaves*
  • 2 cloves of garlic**
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon light miso (white (yellow, or chickpea))
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Instructions
 

  • In a food processor or blender, pulse cashews, garlic, miso, salt, and nutritional yeast until the mixture is fine and crumbly.
  • Add the tofu, spinach, and basil and pulse to throughly combine until the mixture is finely ground and no large pieces of tofu or spinach are detectable..
  • Use immediately or store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a week. It wonโ€™t last that long.

Video

Notes

* Or two cubes of Dorot frozen basil
** Or two cubes of Dorot frozen garlic
Tip: The spinach ricotta freezes well, so you might wish to double the recipe and stash the second half in the freezer for future lasagna, zucchini roll-ups, or calzones. If you do this, make the ricotta in two batches, otherwise it will be too much for the food processor to handle all at once.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 196kcalCarbohydrates: 15gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 198mgFiber: 6gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3700IUVitamin C: 91.6mg
Keyword dairy-free ricotta, vegan cheese, vegan ricotta cheese
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Home ยป Condiments & Dips ยป Vegan Spinach Ricotta

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Condiments & Dips, Sauce 30-minutes or less, dairy-free, freezer-friendly, gluten-free, meal prep, nut-free option, protein-packed, quick and easy, vegan cheese

About Beth

Beth is a food photographer and recipe developer based in the Pacific Northwest. She never tires of snuggling with her two beautiful kids and owes piles of chocolate chip cookies to her husband, aka the most wonderful person she knows. Keep in touch with Beth on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hannah Elizabeth says

    October 16, 2016 at 8:52 pm

    I’m eagerly waiting that vegan lasagna!! ? The ricotta was delicious as your recipes always are. โค๏ธ

    Reply
  2. Amanda Leigh says

    October 17, 2016 at 8:26 am

    You and your ricotta-ness are amazing!

    Reply
    • Beth says

      October 17, 2016 at 8:55 am

      YOU’RE amazing! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Shanna says

    December 2, 2016 at 2:27 pm

    5 stars
    I saw that you can use firm or extra firm tofu. Which do you prefer to use?

    Reply
    • Beth says

      December 5, 2016 at 12:25 pm

      Hi Shanna! I’m so sorry for the late reply, my computer was out of commission and I just got it back. I prefer firm, just because it is a bit softer but still holds up well. Either one do just fine though!

  4. Jodi says

    December 27, 2016 at 10:54 am

    Hi

    What are your thoughts on kale instead of spinach? I am allergic to spinach. ๐Ÿ™

    Reply
    • Beth says

      December 28, 2016 at 1:49 pm

      Hi Jodi! I think it would work out just fine. You could also sub swiss chard, if you aren’t allergic. Hope that helps! ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. ermina says

    January 29, 2017 at 2:29 am

    4 stars
    Hi, do you press & drain the tofu?

    Reply
    • Beth says

      January 29, 2017 at 11:12 am

      Hi! I do drain it, but I don’t press it. The moisture is needed for a good consistency. Occasionally if it seems dry I’ll add some of the water back, so you might want to reserve it if it seems dry to you, or you could just use regular water. ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Lisa T says

    February 9, 2017 at 6:38 am

    is it one one of tofu or one package?

    Reply
    • Kate says

      February 12, 2017 at 12:19 pm

      5 stars
      I’m wondering the same! It says 1 oz package, but the packages I buy are 14 oz, so how much do we actually need?

    • Beth says

      February 12, 2017 at 12:55 pm

      So sorry about this! I recently changed to a new way of displaying my recipes, and had a couple of things go wonky in the process. I updated the quantity to 1 12-14 oz. package. ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Kate says

      February 12, 2017 at 1:06 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect, that’s essentially what i ended up doing based on the pics but i wanted to be sure ๐Ÿ™‚ second time making this – it is AMAZING!

    • Beth says

      February 12, 2017 at 12:55 pm

      Hi! So sorry about this! I recently changed to a new way of displaying my recipes, and had a couple of things go wonky in the process. I updated the quantity to 1 12-14 oz. package. ?

  7. Meg says

    May 8, 2017 at 11:45 am

    5 stars
    Is there a good substitute for miso?

    Reply
  8. Nick says

    May 16, 2017 at 12:19 pm

    4 stars
    What’s the best substitute for cashews? I have a nut and peanut allergy… thanks

    Reply
    • Beth says

      June 15, 2017 at 2:42 pm

      Hi Nick! WHOA, so sorry I never responded to this question. I’ve had good results subbing pepitas (raw shelled pumpkin seeds), but you could also just increase the tofu with good results. ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Meg Torres says

      July 11, 2017 at 9:36 am

      5 stars
      I agree that this recipe is just as delicious with tofu instead of cashews! ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Ellen says

    May 28, 2017 at 6:33 pm

    5 stars
    Any tips for blending cashews? I have a vitamix but it overheats and everything gets stuck at the bottom.

    Reply
    • Beth says

      June 15, 2017 at 2:02 pm

      Hi Ellen! With the Vitamix, it really needs some extra liquid in the bottom to get things moving without sticking. I would suggest starting with the tofu and spinach first, and then adding the cashews, adding a bit of water if needed to keep the mixture loose. I hope that helps!

    • Christine Williams says

      February 22, 2020 at 12:26 pm

      5 stars
      Literally just made this and off the spoon is outstanding, can’t wait to put it in a cannelloni

  10. Susan says

    July 4, 2017 at 2:39 pm

    4 stars
    I tried a version of this tonight to do as a lasagna filling without the spinach or cashews. I used 6 cloves of garlic grabbed a big handful of basil leaves out of the garden and trimmed a sprig of rosemary (minus the stem) into the food processor with the tofu and salt – no miso and no yeast was used. I am a beginner with Vegan food – Day 6 of a 2 week trial run. I found it better than I expected – not ricotta but texture wise it added to the dish and was creamier than regular ricotta – likely in part due to the lack of nuts. But for a non-vegan trying out vegan food it wasn’t half bad.

    Reply
  11. MyLa Justice says

    July 8, 2017 at 2:13 pm

    Is there a subsitute for tofu that I could use?

    Reply
    • Beth says

      July 11, 2017 at 1:21 pm

      Hi MyLa! Yes, you can just double the cashews but keep everything else the same, adding 1/2 cup of water or so if the mixture seems too dry. Hope that helps! ๐Ÿ™‚

  12. Olga says

    November 9, 2017 at 11:54 am

    What does the “T” stands for? Tablespoon? Not completely sure. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Beth says

      November 9, 2017 at 1:06 pm

      Hi Olga! Itโ€™s tablespoon. Sorry for any confusion! ๐Ÿ™‚

  13. Olga says

    November 13, 2017 at 8:49 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks! No problem! I made it this weekend and it was amazing!! My family and friends loved it! The only thing I found is that I found the Japanese miso since I didn’t know where to find the one stated here and thought it was too strong, so I put half on the cashew cream only the second time I made it. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
  14. Daniel says

    November 26, 2017 at 9:53 am

    Can I substitute some of the cashews with almonds or pine nuts (or sunflower seeds)? I donโ€™t have enough cashews…

    Reply
    • Beth says

      November 26, 2017 at 10:53 am

      Hi Daniel! Yep, you can totally substitute. I’d go with the pine nuts, but any of those three should work out well.

    • Daniel says

      November 26, 2017 at 2:03 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks, it worked just fine. Next time Iโ€™m omitting the miso (which emphasized the tofu taste) and nutritional yeast. I think theyโ€™re unnecessary. It has almost become my favorite dairy substitute for lasagne..: thanks a lot!

  15. Gail says

    December 14, 2017 at 11:12 am

    Can this vegan lasagna be made in advance and frozen?

    Reply
  16. Dash Magnani says

    January 1, 2018 at 7:00 am

    Hi – I can’t wait to try making this! Is it possible to omit (or substitute) the nutritional yeast and miso?

    Reply
  17. Katy says

    February 14, 2018 at 7:24 pm

    4 stars
    Hey, love the recipe. It turned out brilliantly the first time i made it. But is there any way to dry it out a bit? i accidentally added medium tofu instead of firm and it’s wayyy off consistency. Any tips?…

    Reply
    • Beth says

      February 22, 2018 at 12:27 am

      Hi Katy! So sorry I’m late in responding to this. If this happens again, I’d add some more cashews to help dry it out. The variations of tofu can definitely have an impact, good to know that medium doesn’t work!

  18. Danny says

    May 30, 2018 at 9:56 am

    5 stars
    Made this to go with the vegan lasagna, so good!
    Thanks so much Beth for the recipe, but also the skilled photography really takes plant based food and makes it look just as good as it tastes. In a society where “plant based diet” causes people to cringe, a little elegant photography goes a long way in making people excited about eating healthy.

    Reply
  19. Reanna says

    July 23, 2018 at 5:54 pm

    5 stars
    I just made this, and it is divine! I have been a vegetarian for 12 years and have been wanting to become vegan. Beth, your recipes are just amazing and exactly what I need to go full vegan! Thank you so much for sharing these gems:)

    Reply
    • Beth says

      July 24, 2018 at 8:22 am

      Reanna, you absolutely made my day with this comment! It’s what keeps me doing this. Please feel to reach out anytime if you have any questions or recipe requests. <3

  20. Ads says

    January 2, 2019 at 2:12 am

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness this is absolutely delicious! Dangerously so in fact…there is a great chance that Iโ€™ll eat it all before I get around to making the calzones my husband requested for lunch!

    Reply
    • Beth says

      January 4, 2019 at 11:13 am

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Did it make it into the calzones? ๐Ÿ˜‰

    • Ads says

      March 26, 2019 at 10:58 pm

      I think I managed to save about 2/3 of it for the calzones…took a lot of willpower! โ˜บ๏ธ

  21. cassie says

    March 26, 2019 at 4:34 pm

    I have a quick question. Did you soak the cashews?

    Reply
    • Beth says

      March 26, 2019 at 5:16 pm

      Hi Cassie! For this recipe I donโ€™t soak the cashews. I find still process them very finely but I think the texture is more ricotta-like when I donโ€™t soak them. Hope that helps!

  22. Cathy New says

    May 8, 2020 at 6:50 am

    5 stars
    The absolute best lasagna!!!!

    Reply
  23. Den Brinson-Hill says

    October 2, 2020 at 7:30 am

    5 stars
    This is a wonderful recipe. I made a pastry covered roulade with the ricotta, filling it with sautรฉed onion and pepper. It was absolutely delicious. Thank you

    Reply
  24. Michelle Lynn DiGiovanni says

    December 14, 2021 at 7:10 am

    5 stars
    The best damn lasagna has become an absolute FAVORITE in our house!! All of our non-vegan friends LOVE it as well!! Thank you so very much for all of your recipes!! They are ALL FABULOUS!!!

    Reply
    • Beth says

      February 7, 2022 at 12:12 pm

      Michelle! Thank you so much for this comment! I’ve been playing comment catch up and didn’t realize I had so many I hadn’t followed up on! Sorry about that. <3 I’m posting a new recipe today for vegan stuffed shells using this ricotta! Stay tuned. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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