These crave-worthy vegan caprese sandwiches are stuffed with (easy to make!) homemade cashew mozzarella, fresh basil, and juicy summer tomatoes, all drizzled in a zippy balsamic reduction.
Guys, I'm feeling pretty cheesy lately. Not my usual rewriting 80's tunes so they're all about my recipes cheesy (well, I mean, always that, but also), I've been having some fun making vegan cheese. Last week I made some feta out of tofu. This week, it's cashew mozzarella. Oh, and there's more to come!
Vegan Caprese sandwiches (and pizzas and salads) have long been a favorite of mine, but in the past I've stuck with spreadable cheese or ricotta, because those types of vegan cheese easy and pretty darn tasty. But I started experimenting with cashew mozzarella last year (some results here and here), and you know what? It's easy and tasty too!
Cashew mozzarella starts out like lots of other cashew-based cheeses — blend up your cashews with some non-dairy milk and seasonings. But you've got to include the secret ingredient to giving it that squishy fresh mozzarella texture: tapioca starch. Once everything is blended, add some coconut oil. This helps the cheese to firm up in the fridge and gives it a little bit of meltiness.
Next, transfer everything to a saucepan and heat it up for a few minutes. Whisk it the whole time and watch it slowly change texture. It'll start to get thick and clumpy. Once it starts pulling away from the sides of the pan, it's ready. Transfer it to a mold to chill until it sets.
While the mozzarella sets, make your balsamic reduction. Just add a bit of brown sugar to some balsamic vinegar and simmer for a few minutes until it's thick and syrupy. This will add a bit of sweetness and some zip to the sandwiches.
After a couple of hours the mozzarella should be set. Slice it up.
Stuff it into a baguette with some fresh basil, and tomato slices, then drizzle everything with your balsamic reduction.
Tips for Making Perfect Vegan Caprese Sandwiches
- If you're short on time, you can set the cheese quicker by popping it in the freezer. Just keep a close eye on it so it doesn't freeze solid — it'll be tough to thaw it evenly in a hurry!
- Use refined coconut oil if you don't want any coconut flavor in your cheese. I used unrefined because I actually like that little bit of coconutty taste.
- If you eat oil free or are just looking to reduce the fat and/or calories, you can skip/reduce the amount of coconut oil. The cheese just won't quite firm up as much or have the same cheesy mouthfeel.
- Prefer a warm sandwich? Try layering the fillings for this in some sturdy sliced bread and grilling it up like a grilled cheese!
Vegan Caprese Sandwiches
These crave-worthy vegan caprese sandwiches are stuffed with (easy to make!) homemade cashew mozzarella, fresh basil, and juicy summer tomatoes, all drizzled in a zippy balsamic reduction.
Ingredients
For the Cashew Mozzarella
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours and drained
- ½ cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
For the Balsamic Reduction
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar or coconut sugar
For the Sandwiches
- 1 baguette, cut into 4 sections, or 4 long sandwich rolls, sliced open
- 1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To Make the Cashew Mozzarella
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Place the cashews, milk, tapioca starch, lemon juice, garlic and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Blend until smooth.
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Add the coconut oil and blend until fully incorporated.
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Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and place over medium heat.
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Slowly heat the mixture, whisking constantly. It should begin to thicken up. Remove from heat once the mixture becomes very clumpy and pulls away from the sides of the pot, after about 5 minutes of cook time.
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Let the pot sit for a few minutes until the mixture is cool enough to handle.
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Transfer the cashew mixture to a sheet of parchment paper and roll it into 6 to 8 inch long a log shape. Place it on a plate and transfer it to the fridge to chill for about 2 hours, until set.
To Make the Balsamic Reduction
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Place the balsamic vinegar and sugar into a small saucepan and place it over medium heat.
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Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.
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Remove the pot from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. It will continue to thicken up as it does.
To Assemble the Sandwiches
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Remove the mozzarella from the fridge and cut it into ¼ to ½ inch thick slices.
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Stuff the baguette sections or sandwich rolls with cashew mozzarella, fresh basil and tomato slices. Drizzle with the balsamic reduction and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve.
what kind of mold do you use for the cheeze?
No mold needed! :) I just shaped it by hand and then used a sheet of parchment paper to roll it into a log. Then you can set it on a plate and let it chill.
As an alternative to the balsamic vinegar, try drizzling the tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkling them with garlic powder, oregano, and sea salt!
That sounds delicious!
Hi Alissa, I've made this a few times now, and it's amazing for one and all, no matter if they're vegan or not (of course it matters, but can't fix everything... 😄). Love your recipes! Tamar
I'm so glad you liked it and are enjoying the recipes! Thanks so much Tamar!
Hi Alissa,
I made this the other day as a caprese salad (mozz, balsamic, romaine, no bread) and it was SO good. I'm still in the early stages of making vegan cheese and this was a really good recipe. Think I cooked it a little too long, as the coconut oil started to separate out. Rolled up in parchment in the fridge it was a little slippery, so I transferred it to some cheesecloth and let it sit overnight in the fridge. Next day, yum! Ominvore hubby said if he didn't know any better, he'd think it was "real" cheese. Win! :)
Your vegan saag paneer is fabulous as well, fyi!
Yay!! I haven't done this one as a salad yet, but I've been meaning to. I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Thanks Karen!
This is SO GOOD. My cheese did come out a little oily, but the flavor and texture is fantastic!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
This looks delish, but too many carbs for me, I am diabetic and only allowed 35 tops carbs per meal.
You could try serving it as a Caprese salad without the bread - that will cut back quite a bit on the carbs. :)