Khatchapuri is a Georgian cheese bread – not unlike an American pizza or a Turkish pide – and it was my absolute favorite thing to eat during the year that I lived in Moscow. The key to a delicious khatchapuri is a good salty, pungent, tangy, creamy cheese. A bit of a problem for a vegan. When I was still eating the stuff, I’d use a combination of feta and cream cheese, both readily available items here in the States, while whatever cheese Georgians use for theirs is probably not.
I haven’t made khatchapuri since I went vegan well over a year ago, but VeganMoFo is demanding all the culinary shenanigans that I’ve got – so I decided to tackle one of my most-missed food items. I’ve seen recipes for khatchapuri that call for something called farmer cheese, which I guess has the requisite consistency and tart pungency. I considered making tofu feta, but the recipes I’ve seen call for a lot of olive oil and I’m just not going there. I went somewhere else completely. The resulting creamy, very salty (without salt), lemony cheez kinda blew off my socks. Tofu, once again, your versatility and chameleon-like abilities amaze me.
For my vegan khatchapuri, click here.
Oil-free Tofu Farmer Cheese
- Prep Time: 30
- Total Time: 40
Description
A quick and easy sandwich-filler, cracker-topper or use to fill my vegan khatchapuri bread – this flavorful farmer cheese is a yummy multi-tasker.
Ingredients
- 1 14-ounce block extra-firm tofu, pressed for ~30 minutes and drained
- 1/4 cup roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds (or raw cashew pieces*), soaked in water**, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I prefer almond)
- 1/4 cup mellow white miso paste
- 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1/2 tsp. dried onion flakes
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- juice of 1 lemon
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely minced
- ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut off one-third of the block of tofu and crumble into a blender. Add the sunflower seeds (or cashew pieces), non-dairy milk, miso paste, vinegar, soy sauce, onion flakes, garlic and lemon juice and process until very smooth.
- Crumble the remaining two-thirds of the tofu into a medium-sized bowl. Add the lemon zest, cilantro and black pepper. Stir in the tofu-miso mixture; taste and adjust seasonings. Pour/scrape into an air-tight container. Let tofu cheese sit for several hours in the refrigerator, or overnight. The cheese will firm up as it sets.
Notes
- *My original recipe called for cashews, but I rarely eat them now. Whichever you use, the result is tasty.
- **Sunflower seeds don’t require as long a soaking time. I soak them for about 30 minutes – the same amount of time needed for pressing the tofu. Cashews will need a couple of hours, especially if you will not be using a high-speed blender.
- This makes a super tasty pita filling – as is – no cooking/baking. Add fresh lettuce, Kalamata olives, roasted red pepper, etc.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 103
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 479
- Fat: 5
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 4
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 8
- Protein: 9
- Cholesterol: 0
This looks interesting actually, I often look at recipes like this and it’s all ingredients I wouldn’t usually cook with but I have or can easily get all of these ingredients! Yummy I’ll have to try it, especially because Im going vegan for a month in November! x
Oh, good for you!! Can’t wait to read how you do :-)!
I’m starting with just one month but I have a feeling it will carry on, or atleast I will become 90% vegan for longer and gradually cut things out. Reading blogs like yours has definitely inspired me because you’ve shown how simple it can be and how many amazing recipes there are to try! Going vegan can only make us more creative with our cooking 🙂
That is exactly right!! My cooking/baking has gotten so much more interesting since going vegan. It’s just a happy way to cook, in my opinion ;-). Best of luck!
I’ve never heard of khatchapuri. This looks amazing Annie, and of course I have everything on hand I need to make it. So excited we reached the limit (and beyond) for the potluck! SQUEEEEEEE!!!
We did it…phew! Now the fun begins ;-)!
Yay to all the participants, and this I’ve heard of a cashew farmer cheez. I worked in a health food store many moons ago and we sold a lot of milky creamy farmer cheez. Love the shape of these and diggin any cashew or tofu cheez.
Kinda obsessed w/ vegan cheezes at the moment – probably pretty obvious!
Oh it looks good!! When will you make a cook book with all your delicious recipes?
I just joined the potluck – last min 🙂 Looking forward to it – thank you for making it happen and for all the work you put in to it!!
I agree, Annie.. A cook book is needed! 😀 xx
Awww, shucks, ma’am!
I second…er, I mean, third…that motion for a cookbook! If you ever need help editing or with layout, I’d be glad to chip in on such a fun project. You could publish it as an e-book, so that everything from the food to the book would be homemade 😉
Thanks, Fran! Very generous of you. I will keep the idea and you in mind! I’ll need taste-testers, too, of course ;-)!
Mmmm….taste-testing by air-mail….
Got your info, Anne!! So glad you’ll be joining us! I know you will come up withs something fantastic!
I follow your blog because you’re adorable, you’re fun, you’re spunky, and you’re a culinary goddess!! Cheese is the only thing that I occasionally “miss” after going vegan. Not enough to ever look back, but I LOVE coming to your blog finding recipes like this!! Yay for vegan friendly cheese recipes.
🙂 Big, huge grin – thanks, girl.
You had me at Farmer Cheeze but I was excited to read about the VVP update too. I am SO glad to have gotten in on this before it closed!
Haha – next I’ll have to tackle cheez curds ;-)! Glad you will be at the Potluck, too!!
I’ve never heard of khatchapuri before, I’m so intrigued of what it tastes like. I guess there’s only one way to find out 😉 Congrats on reaching more than 100 entries for the potluck! You’re making waves Ann!
Thank you, Richgail! Your support of my blog over the last many months is greatly appreciated. See you at the Potluck!
This cheez is so cool, thanks for introducing us to it 😀
And I can’t cant can’t wait to see your vegan potluck!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I’m counting on you for the next on, CCU!
Wow, Annie – this looks heavenly.
And 🙁 I was too slow to get into the potluck in time.
But how awesome that you have so many bloggers lined up. You are a force to reckon with, my dear!
Much, much love to you xoxo
Dang, Nicole!! At least you’ll still be able to “visit” the Potluck and enjoy some very delicious and creative plant-based recipes!
I look forward to that! xx
Wow…that looks amazing. Amazing! I am gonna stop by the store tomorrow and get some tofu and make this ASAP!
Courtney
🙂 Hope you like it, Courtney!
Love.
Yummo… this sounds good. Before Vegan I was obsessed with any kind of super salty/tangy soft cheese (feta/goat etc) So I am sure this would be right up my alley. I am intrigued by playing around with vegan “cheese” I must say – just got to find some of that pesky stuff they call TIME 😉
This looks o so good!!
Thank you!
A new recipe for cheeze AND a new yeasted bready meal to try! Thank you for this wonderful recipe and for sharing this Russian treat with us all. I now have something to attempt for Sunday nights dinner and both of us can have it 🙂
Yeasty and bready – and cheezy! Life is good!
SOOOO good when you can find a cheezy yeasty treat that fills the gap that my soulfood Cheese once did. I love the look of this and I wonder if The Veg might be able to recreate the eggy bit?
I’ve never heard of this bread before, but I love that you veganized it! The farmer’s cheeze sounds really tasty, especially with the cilantro!
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I got a question . do i have to add lemon juice and zest ? Or does this really make the tofu taste like real farmers cheese 🙂 ? Please let me know !! So eager to make this !!!
Hi Julia, apologies for not responding sooner! Yes, you really do need the lemon juice – the zest is good, but you could probably skip that. The lemon gives the “cheese” its tang. If you don’t have/like lemon, you could try white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, but I haven’t tried it that way so can’t vouch for it.
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I’m allergic to almonds. Would any other dairy free milk work?
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