Sunflower Sun Wheel Cheese
with the rise in grocery prices - its time to start making plant-based cheese at home
I feel like maybe I could be doing something more in the vibe of Valentine's day but aside from red velvet and chocolate dipped strawberries - you know what else reminds me of Valentine's Day ? Fancy cheese and charcuterie - so basically girl dinner if you will or a very fancy lunchable.
If you have never made your own plant-based cheese before this one is quite easy to put together. It’s sharp, a bit tangy and has a mouth watering umami flavor and is surprisingly made from sunflower and pumpkin seeds with a bit of cashews for creaminess however if you want to make this completely nut free you can by simply omitting the cashews and adding more sunflower and pumpkin seeds. This cheese pairs perfectly with savory crackers and is so good with some fresh slices of sour green apples - seriously the perfect snack.
What is agar agar ?
Agar is a jelly-like substance derived from red algae. It is used to gel, thicken, and stabilize cosmetic formulations.
Being insoluble in cold water, Agar is able to absorb as much as twenty times its weight and dissolves readily in boiling water.
What you will need:
High Powered Blender
Rubber Spatula
Measuring Cups + Spoons
4” Ramekins
Sunflower Seed “Cheese”
yields 1 pound / prep 30 min chill time 6-8 hours
Ingredients
1 cup - soaked sunflower seeds
1/2 cup - soaked pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup - soaked cashews
1 cup - water
1/2 cup - nutritional yeast
1/4 cup - lemon juice
1/4 cup - champagne vinegar
1 tbsp - miso paste
2 tsp - salt
1 tsp - onion powder
1 tsp - garlic powder
1/2 tsp - dijon mustard
1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
Agar Jelly
1 cup - cold water
1 1/2 tbsp - agar powder
Instructions
Step 1 - Blender time
There is nothing worse than going to make something and realizing you don’t have the stuff ! Take this moment to gather everything.
In the blender add in everything, sunflower and pumpkin seeds as wells as the cashews that have all already been soaked. Add everything else to the blender except the agar gel.
For this first blend session I used my Nutribullet as this is the blender I use for blending seeds and nuts to make cheeses as its just the best blender I have for that. For the second blend session, I used my bigger Ninja blender to blend and pour in the agar gel. If you happen to have a strong blender like a Vitamix you can omit this two blender situation.
Once you have blended all the nuts, seeds and spices just let that hang for a quick second and pivot to making a quick agar jelly to help bind everything together.
Step 2 - Make the agar jelly
Mix 1 cup of cold water with 1 1/2 tbsp with agar powder and let that soak for 3-5 minutes. In a warm sauce pain pour the agar and water mixture in and let this reach a boil and then bring the heat down to a very low simmer. For this step you are going to want to keep an eye over it and keep whisking for a little over 5 minutes and watch this slowly thicken. Once the agar and water have come together to create a gel texture, pivot back over to the blender.
Step 3 - Blend again
Pour the agar jelly over everything and give it all another really good and through mix in the blender, scraping down the sides. Blend for a couple minutes until smooth before pouring into a glass food container, a cake pan or some ramekins. Once you have poured the cheese into the dish of your choosing, use a spoon to level it out and then pop the whole thing in the fridge for 6-8 hours or over night to firm and solidify.
After its been set you can keep it wrapped in waxed parchment paper or in a food safe, air tight glass container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Step 4 - Serving
When cold, this cheese can be cut into slices but if you would like to enjoy it more as a spread, simply leave it on the counter for maybe 30 minutes to soften to become spreadable on crackers. This is also really good served with savory and sweet crackers or crisps as well as fresh veggies like snap peas and carrot sticks.
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3