Briefly marinating tomatoes is a great way to bring out their delicious flavour!
One of our favourite ways to enjoy them is on toast with super creamy homemade cashew soft cheese.
This simple recipe is great for brunch, a light lunch or a cheeky snack.
Enjoy.
Notes:
- We suggest using a high-speed blender, which will make the cashew cheese super smooth, however a food processor will also do.
- Add a splash of extra milk if the cashew soft cheese is not blending smoothly.
- We use ‘beef’ tomatoes but you can use any type of tomato, just be sure they are lovely and ripe.
- We use unsweetened soya milk, but any unsweetened plant-based milk will do. Sweetened plant-based milk will give the cashew soft cheese an overly-sweet flavour.
- Use gluten-free bread to make this recipe gluten-free.
Things to know:
- You might be thinking, ‘but why marinate tomatoes?’. Marinating the tomatoes in an acidic dressing, like ours, draws out all of the sweet and complex flavours in the tomatoes. The result is a perfectly balanced tomato topping for your toast!
- You can also make the soft cheese using almonds, but the texture won’t be as smooth as this cashew version.
- If you like, you can make the cashew soft cheese ahead of time. Just be sure to store it in an air-tight container and it will be good in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also marinate the tomatoes in the fridge overnight.
Marinated Tomatoes + Cashew Cream Cheese On Toast
Ingredients
- 120 g cashews
- 1 large tomato, (see notes)
- 1 garlic clove, peeled + finely chopped
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/8 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 small handful of fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, juice only
- olive oil
- salt + pepper
- 100 ml unsweetened plant-based milk, we use soy
- 2 slices of bread, we use sourdough
Method
- Transfer the cashews to a small bowl and cover them with hot water straight from a kettle. Leave to soak while you carry out the next steps.
- Slice the tomato in ½ cm (⅓”) slices and add them to a large shallow bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the garlic with the balsamic vinegar, red onion, basil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and generous pinches of salt and pepper. This is your marinade.
- Pour the marinade over the tomatoes, gently turning them until fully coated in. Leave the tomatoes to sit while you prepare the cashew cheese.
- Drain the cashews and rinse them under cold water, then add them to a high speed blender or food processor along with the plant-based milk, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and pinches of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as you go. Add a splash of extra milk if necessary.
- Heat a little oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Once hot, toast the bread for a few minutes on each side until golden and charred.
- To serve, place the slices of toasted bread on serving plates, then spread the cashew cheese all over. Next, add a few slices of the marinated tomatoes to each toast and drizzle the oily marinade all over the top.