You asked and I delivered. I recently posted a reader question on my Facebook page "What recipe/product/dish do you wish was vegan?" There were all sorts of requests, some of the requests I had already posted on the blog, some recipes are waiting for you in my cookbook (can't wait!), but there were some that I didn't have an answer for...yet. The dish that had the most votes was for vegan cottage cheese. Who knew!?
I had a Google around, and you guys were totally right. I didn't find any store-bought brands. There were a couple of recipes, but they either used too weird of ingredients, or seemed too complicated for such a simple food. So, I rolled up my sleeves... well I didn't, I was wearing a tank top... but I got to work either way and taste tested my way to my new Quick & Easy Vegan Cottage Cheese. Boom!
Pret-tay cool right? And it's totally healthy too!
So what is this madness made out of? Our fine friend tofu! I used a silken tofu for the liquid-y part, which I blended and seasoned just so. (I think I've gotten pretty good at recreating dairy flavours if I do say so myself). Then I crumbled in firm tofu for the texture. My parents happened to be stopping by, so I was able to get them to taste test it for me, and they agreed, it is pretty dang close to traditional cottage cheese. Woot woot!
Did anyone else ever used to eat cottage cheese out of a cantaloupe, or was that just a me thing?
So here you go my friends, vegan cottage cheese. I'm always eager to make vegan cooking your favourite thing, so if you have any more recipe requests, drop them in the comments below.
To make Quick & Easy Vegan Cottage Cheese: Add the silken tofu to a blender along with the spices and mix until everything is completely smooth.
Now, this saucy part is slightly more on the creamy-yellow side of the white scale due to the nutritional yeast, but that hardly seems like a big deal to me when the flavour friends are are all there. It does whiten up when the firm tofu is added, but still isn't bright white. Just a heads up.
Now take the firm tofu and crumble it into the silken tofu mixture.
Stir to combine. See, I told you that was a quick & easy vegan cottage cheese recipe!
Enjoy as is or it should work almost anywhere you would use traditional cottage cheese.
(click stars to vote)
Quick and Easy Vegan Cottage Cheese
Servings: servings (recipe makes about 2 cups of cottage cheese)
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Ingredients
- 1 300g block soft or silken tofu (about 1 ⅓ cups), drained
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ of a 420g block firm tofu (210g or about 1 ½ cups), crumbled
Instructions
- Add the soft or silken tofu to a blender along with the nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and salt. Mix until everything is completely smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
- Pour the soft tofu mixture into a medium bowl. Crumble the firm tofu into the silken tofu mixture. Mix to combine.
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Nutrition
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
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Linda says
I made this and it is definitely disgusting.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Linda, I'm so sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy the recipe. Did you happen to make any changes or substitutions? I ask because this recipe has received a 4.95 rating from over 200 reviewers, so it’s been a favorite for many. I'd love to help troubleshoot!
Margie Bekoff says
I've missed cottage cheese a lot since adopting a vegan diet. This recipe is awesome. Not only does it serve well for eating it cold with fruit, but it melts beautifully and we use it on pizza and in casseroles in place of cheese. Some of the dishes we thought were history have returned to our vegan diet!! Thank you!!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing your review!
Sandy says
Any luck finding a non soy cottage cheese?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Sandy, you could try my cashew ricotta recipe which has a similar taste. Enjoy!
Kathie says
This sounds wonderful (and easy!) How well does it melt? I grew up (and still eat-) cooked noodles with sautéd onions and cottage cheese- all warmed up! So delicious, though very odd sounding! (Usually left out onions when making it for kids!) Thank you!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Kathie! The cottage cheese doesn't melt (as the chunks of tofu won't melt) but it still will taste delicious! If you are looking for a melty vegan cheese I recommend my mozzarella sauce. Enjoy!
Mary Popp says
I was wondering about draining /squeezing out the moisture from the tofu. My understanding is that you always have to do this to tofu, but no mention of it in recipe.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Mary! I always specify when pressing tofu is necessary in my recipes. Tofu doesn’t always need to be pressed or squeezed; this step is mainly to remove excess moisture, which helps marinades absorb better. In this recipe the soft or silken tofu is blended into a creamy texture, so there’s no need to press it. The firm tofu is crumbled and added just for texture, so there is no need to press it either. I hope that clarifies things!
Scarlett says
I was so happy to find this! Thank you for creating this recipe!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
You're most welcome! So happy you enjoy it!!
Jade says
I made this using vegan Babybel original cheese snacks crumbled up for the curds instead of tofu, because I don’t like tofu. It’s good!!!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Great idea, thanks for sharing!
Jocelyne says
I tried this for the first time. I liked the soft part before adding the firm tofu. Wondering what I could add to that to make it taste a bit like mayonnaise. I added the firm tofu and what pleased with the look and the taste of it but I like raw tofu anyway. I added some thyme from my garden with my salad. Thank you for the recipe. I found it because I was looking for using my silk tofu for a special recipe but didn't remember which one.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it Jocelyne 🙂
Nancy Stein says
I love cottage cheese and this recipe is so good. I like to top it two ways. One topping is cherry tomatoes, green onions and another topping with pineapple.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Love those ideas!
Cansie Lurie says
this was perfect in my dairy free lasagna! thank you
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Fantastic, we're so happy to hear it!
Toni says
Doesn't taste like cottage cheese but makes for a delicious spread. Leave out the firm tofu and add 1/4 teaspoon of garlic and onion powder. I put it on toast with a sliced tomato, black pepper, and balsamic glaze. Would also taste great for burgers, wraps, or any Mayo replacement.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Thanks for sharing!
Tassja says
Hi, just wondering why you add the nutritional yeast? I'm not vegan or vegetarian but I do modify favourite recipes of old to make them healthier. I make a vegetable packed lasagne with cottage cheese & milk instead of bechamel. The sweet potato layers make it quite creamy so I don't miss out on the texture of bechamel. Do you think I'd still need the nutritional yeast if I substituted dairy cottage cheese for your tofu version? Thank you.
TD says
I’ve always read that tofu needs to be cooked. Is it safe to eat this without the tofu being cooked?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Tofu actually isn't ever considered raw as it is already a cooked food! Yes, it's safe to eat right out of the package.
Eileen Van Tassel says
While this does not taste exactly like dairy cottage cheese on it's own, eaten with soups or stews or with other things, it is remarkable! I will be trying it on an old favorite, Cottage Cheese Loaf. I think it will work wonderfully. I did add about 1/2 tsp of lactic acid to the recipe, as I like my cottage cheese a little more tangy. Thank you Sam, I appreciate your recipes and have purchased your cookbook.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
Laura says
Hey Sam, my mum had cottage cheese in her muskmelon all the time. We’re from southwestern Ontario, maybe a regional thing?
I’ll have to get some soft tofu today, hope my stick blender will do the job…
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yes, that's definitely a popular way to eat it!
Eileen VanTassel says
I have to add a note to this- I use two fullpacagesof tofu,and double the seasonings- it then makes2 pounds of delicious cottage cheese. And we use it all! I know it adds a little more flavoring than the original recipe, but I like a little more tang. This is a genius recipe- thank you so much Sam- looking forward to yu new book arriving soon
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Thanks for sharing your tips!
Lesley Hartwell says
Would love to know how this worked in the cottage cheese loaf, that’s a favourite of ours as well
Eileen VanTassel says
Hi Lesley, I have not yet tried it, but will try to do it tomorrow or Monday and let you know.
Eileen says
It worked great!, we will be having more of these in the near future!
Tashsme says
I'm wondering if you ever had a chance to try the cottage cheese loaf? That was a favorite of ours and I would love to make it again. Thanks!
Eileen says
Hi Tashsme,
yes and it worked great, used flax eggs too. I ended up using a little more liquid as it seemed dry, and it was about perfect.
Ashley G says
Pretty good on its own and excited to try in a recipe!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Thanks for sharing!
Jordan says
How long will this last in the fridge?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
It should store well for 3-5 days.
Izabela says
Is it ok to freeze it???
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Other readers have frozen it with success, but it may change the texture slightly.
Collette says
The one thing I have missed since going vegan is large curd or dry curd cottage cheese. (hard to find these days). But not anymore! I missed it on crackers, on peaches and pineapple, and especially in retro lime Jello salad! (Do you have a recipe for that)?
This recipe is the best I have ever had! I love it!! ...waaay better than the mushy, slimy dairy cottage cheese. I made one small change. I used Super firm tofu that comes vacuum packed... (only because it was the only tofu I had on hand). Because it is so firm, I drop it on a small food processor (in chunks) and pulse it until it forms large curds. I like it a hundred times better than the dairy version!
Thank you Sam!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
That sounds great, so we're so glad you enjoyed it! No retro lime jello salad recipe at this point. 🙂
M says
While this recipe has a similar consistency to cottage cheese, it does not really taste anything like it. It’s a good recipe if you eat cottage cheese with other things but not if you like snacking on it alone. No matter how much nutritional yeast I add or however many ways I adjust the portions I can’t really help but just taste flavored tofu.
deb says
I'm used to making cottage cheese with vegan yogurt and when I first made this recipe my thought was "there is not enough nutritional yeast in the world..." but I added a little more of everything and after 48 hours in the fridge it's not half bad.
AM says
I’d love to know how you make it with vegan yogurt so I have two methods of making it
Jaden Kohen says
Your recipe doesn't specify how well to drain the tofu, if at all.
Can you please clarify?
Angela says
I was wondering the same thing.
With the silken tofu, does the liquid in the container go in the blender too?
Or should it be thoroughly drained?
Thanks
Sam Turnbull says
You can drain it, although in my experience there is usually very little water to drain anyways. Hope that helps!
Jan McIntyre says
Would this work in a vegetable lasagna recipe? I prefer cottage cheese to ricotta. Thanks
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, but it will not melt. Hope that helps!