Looking for the perfect all-around flavorful spread or vegan cheese to make and use throughout the week? This 10-minute, 5-ingredient, protein-packed, quick and easy Garlic Basil Vegan Tofu Ricotta is your answer! Enjoy it with some toast or crackers, spread it on a sandwich, make a variety of different Italian dishes, or dip your favorite veggies into it!
Think Rich and Creamy…
Full of fresh Herbs…
and Garlic…
Spreadable on anything and everything…
like a Ricotta cheese, but VEGAN…
AND It’s Delicious, Easy to make, and Healthy.
It’s my 5-Ingredient Garlic Basil Vegan Tofu Ricotta ‘”cheese” spread! And it’s here to stay… literally… I have so many recipes that use this awesome spread!
This recipe was inspired by a family friend, who went out of her way to make a quick vegan version of a feta-cheese spread at a baby shower I attended. Not only am I a sucker for toasted french bread and anything spreadable that goes with it, but the ingredients were simple and healthy.
The base of this spreadable vegan cheese is tofu. I added in some fresh herbs and spices. I also wanted to perfect the texture so that it felt like more of a spreadable tofu ricotta “cheese” rather than a crumbly seasoned tofu. After a few trials, I came to this PERFECT blend of 5 main ingredients.
- Tofu
- Garlic
- Basil
- Olive Oil
- Lemon Juice
…add in some salt and freshly ground black pepper and THAT’S IT!
This is my very first attempt at developing a vegan cheese spread at home, so I was pretty excited with the end result. It’s also nut-free (for those of you with nut allergies). Don’t get me wrong…I love using nuts to make cheese sauces and as a creamy substitute, but coming up with something other than nuts as the base was a nice change.
How To Use This Garlic-Basil Vegan Tofu Ricotta?
Now that you have this quick and easy 5-ingredient vegan ricotta cheese on hand, what can you use it for? I’ve made several batches of this vegan ricotta cheese spread already. It’s great to keep in the fridge to use throughout the week!
- Spread it on toasted french bread as a quick appetizer or snack
- Use it in a sandwich
- Add a few dollops of it to your favorite pasta dish
- Use it as a dip with your favorite veggies
- Devour it with a spoon or cracker
The options are endless. If you need a few more recipe ideas on how to use this vegan tofu ricotta, check out these favorite vegan & gluten-free recipes:
Crispy Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches
Mushroom Crostini w/Garlic Basil Vegan Ricotta Cheese Spread
Vegan Lasagna Recipe w/Roasted Veggies
Eggplant Parmesan Stacks
Spinach Pesto Lasagna w/Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Zucchini & Corn Stuffed Lasagna Rolls
This recipe is also very kid-friendly and a great way to introduce tofu to their diet. My kids love it, and it makes for the perfect spread on sandwiches for school lunch. So grab some sprouted tofu and try this recipe out. I’d love to hear what you think and how you use it. I guarantee you’ll fall in love with it.
If you like this recipe or post, be sure to leave a comment and use the rating field! You can also tag me on Instagram with any re-makes, @vegetariangastronomy #vegetariangastronomy so I don’t miss it, as I love sharing them on Re-Make Fridays! Or you can help me spread the word about my recipes on Pinterest and Facebook! Thank you!
This 10-minute vegan cheese is perfect for sandwiches, Italian dishes, and to enjoy with crackers! It requires no cooking, is protein-packed, and really easy to make!
- 15.5 oz. Sprouted Tofu , or standard extra firm tofu
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves , packed
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 teasp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp water more or less depending on consistency
- 1 teasp salt
- freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Cut the sprouted tofu in half. Soak as much water out from each sprouted tofu half as possible. I use paper towels to squeeze out the water, especially since you don't need to worry about keeping the tofu in tact. Depending on how much water remains in the tofu after squeezing it out, you may or may not need to add additional water into the mix while blending.
- Add the tofu, along with all the other ingredients, except for the additional water, into a food processor.
Pulse a few times until you come to a thick, yet somewhat smooth consistency. The basil leaves should not be completely blended in and the tofu should not become a puree (in other words, the final mixture should still be white in color from the tofu with the basil very finely chopped and mixed in).
Feel free to add 1-2 tbsp water if needed for consistency or to aid with the blending process. The final consistency should be a very thick, spreadable mixture and NOT pour-able (if it is, then your mixture contains too much water and/or you blended for too long).
- Season with additional salt/fresh lemon juice if needed, and add freshly ground black pepper if you prefer.
Store in an air-tight container in the fridge and enjoy! Spread it on toasted french bread or crackers, dip your favorite veggies into it, use it in your favorite pasta or lasagna dish, or use it as a sandwich spread!
Tofu - use either extra firm sprouted tofu or extra firm regular tofu. The sprouted tofu is slightly different in texture than regular extra-firm tofu, but either will work great.
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