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Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
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Southern-Style Cheese Ball

By Chef Sara

This recipe is another example of how easy and delicious it is to veganize your favorite foods. In this classic appetizer, soaked cashews and coconut oil stand in for traditional cream cheese, and a mix of bold seasonings lend rich, familiar flavor. Serve with crackers and crisp vegetables for a surefire hit at your next get-together. Instead of one or two large balls, roll small, bite-sized balls in the chopped pecans and use a pretzel stick to serve for an easy and fun party appetizer.

Ingredients

 1 ½ cups raw unsalted cashews, soaked in water for several hours
 ¼ cup nutritional yeast
 1 tbsp mellow white miso
 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
 ¾ tsp salt
 ½ tsp garlic powder
 ½ tsp onion powder
 ½ tsp smoked paprika
 ¼ cup water
 ¼ cup refined coconut oil, melted
 ½ cup chopped pecans, for coating

Directions

1

Drain and rinse the cashews. Place the cashews, nutritional yeast, miso, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and water in the bowl of a food processor. Process on high speed for several minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until mostly smooth. With the machine running, stream in the melted coconut oil, and process again until very smooth and creamy. This may take a few minutes.

Use a spatula to scrape the mixture into a bowl, then cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours or longer, until firm enough to shape into a ball.

Place the chopped pecans on a plate. Scoop the cheese ball mixture out of its bowl, form into one large ball or several smaller ones, then roll in the chopped nuts. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Southern-Style Cheese Ball
IngredientsDirections

Southern-Style Cheese Ball

DifficultyEasy
YIELDS
Makes 4 (3 to 4-inch balls)

INGREDIENTS

 1 ½ cups raw unsalted cashews, soaked in water for several hours
 ¼ cup nutritional yeast
 1 tbsp mellow white miso
 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
 ¾ tsp salt
 ½ tsp garlic powder
 ½ tsp onion powder
 ½ tsp smoked paprika
 ¼ cup water
 ¼ cup refined coconut oil, melted
 ½ cup chopped pecans, for coating

DIRECTIONS

1

Drain and rinse the cashews. Place the cashews, nutritional yeast, miso, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and water in the bowl of a food processor. Process on high speed for several minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until mostly smooth. With the machine running, stream in the melted coconut oil, and process again until very smooth and creamy. This may take a few minutes.

Use a spatula to scrape the mixture into a bowl, then cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours or longer, until firm enough to shape into a ball.

Place the chopped pecans on a plate. Scoop the cheese ball mixture out of its bowl, form into one large ball or several smaller ones, then roll in the chopped nuts. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

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