Vegan Spinach Cheese Melts
User Reviews
5
Vegan Spinach Cheese Melts
Description
This recipe begins by cooking spinach with garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt in vegan butter until wilted and any excess moisture evaporates, concentrating the flavors. Separately, raw cashews soaked briefly blend with water, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, miso paste, flour, and seasonings to form a smooth vegan mozzarella cream. This mixture is heated and thickened on the stove to achieve a creamy consistency.
Sliced mushrooms are sautéed in vegan butter with salt and pepper until golden, adding an earthy flavor component. The recipe suggests layering these prepared components with tomato slices and bread for a sandwich melt or arranging them as a quesadilla or pizza depending on preference.
The blend of creamy, tangy cashew cheese, tender spinach, and flavorful mushrooms gives a satisfying texture and taste while maintaining vegan standards. Several variations include gluten-free flour substitutes and alternative serving styles.
The recipe also encourages preparing a quick tomato relish for added flavor or transforming the ingredients into a vegan pizza by baking the layers until golden.
Ingredients
For the spinach:
- 1 Tbsp vegan butter
- 4 to 6 oz spinach frozen or chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅛ to ¼ tsp salt
For the mozzarella cream:
- ½ cup cashew nuts soaked in hot water for at least 15 minutes, raw
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic or use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, small clove
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice fresh
- 1 pinch onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon miso paste
- 2 teaspoons flour I use all-purpose, see notes for Glutenfree
For the mushrooms:
- 1 Tbsp vegan butter
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- ⅛ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the rest of the ingredients.
- bread sliced; as needed
- tomato sliced
Instructions
- Cook your spinach by adding vegan butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to turn golden on some of the edges. Add in the spinach, pepper flakes, and salt, and cook until the spinach has wilted. If using frozen spinach then cook until the water is evaporated.
To make the Mozzarella Cream:
- Drain the Cashews, then add to a blender, add water and the rest of the ingredients and blend until it's smooth. You can blend for a minute then let it sit for a few minutes and then blend again for a minute.
- Add the blended mixture to a skillet over medium heat, cook, stirring occasionally to thicken for six to seven minutes until it's thickened evenly. Let it cool for a few minutes before adding it to the sandwich to serve.
To make the mushrooms:
- Add vegan butter or oil to a skillet over medium heat, add sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are golden around the edges, or cook until your preferred state of the mushrooms.
Assemble:
- Toast your bread slices in a toaster or on a skillet then assemble with some tomato slices, then top the slices with the cooked mushrooms, then add a good helping of the mozzarella cream and top it with the spinach. Too with another toasted bread and serve
- Store the spinach and mozzarella separately refrigerated for upto 3 days. Reheat on a skillet and use . Or assembleSandwich and bake for 10 minutes to reheat entirely
Notes
- To make the cheese melt gluten-free, replace all-purpose flour with rice flour and cornstarch or potato starch, and use gluten-free bread or tortilla wraps.
- For a nut-free alternative, try cauliflower or pumpkin seed-based sauces instead of cashew cream.
- The recipe can be adapted into quesadillas by layering ingredients and grilling lightly.
- You can also turn it into a vegan pizza by spreading the cheese cream, vegetables, and spinach on crust and baking until edges brown.
- Preparing a quick tomato relish with fresh tomatoes, spinach, basil, salt, and balsamic vinegar adds brightness if desired.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 176 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 176kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 10g | 3% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Sodium | 687mg | 29% |
| Potassium | 465mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 2964IU | 59% |
| Vitamin C | 10mg | 11% |
| Calcium | 44mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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