I have been working as a Registered Dietitian for 8 years now, the majority of which has been spent working as a clinical inpatient RD in a hospital. I specialize primarily in critical care and stroke nutrition. In 2020 I opened my virtual private practice, Gut Healthy Dietitian, where I specialize primarily in gut and digestive-health related diseases and conditions. I have an Honours Bachelor of Science in Nutrition as well as a Graduate Diploma of Integrated Dietetic Internship.

Savoury Almond Feta Spread

Name: Savoury Almond Feta Spread
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: Raw Almonds; Lemon Juice; Extra-Virgin Olive Oil; Water; Garlic Cloves; Sea Salt

Recipe by Kelsey Russell-Murray

Ingredients

Time

Vegan cheeses are often highly processed and lacking quality ingredients. However, vegan nut ‘cheeses’ contain both yummy and good-for-you ingredients. This savoury almond feta spread is a perfect plant-based alternative to a traditional soft, spreadable cheese such as cream cheese, ricotta, or goat’s cheese. This savoury almond feta spread comes together by blending almonds, lemon juice, antioxidant-rich garlic and heart healthy olive oil. My favourite ways to eat this almond spread are as a cream cheese substitute on toast with berries, on salads (a substitute for goat or feta cheese) or to add a nice creamy texture to pasta sauces. It is delicious, quick and easy to make, and can be used in a variety of different ways!

Appetizer

Snack

Ingredients

1 cup

Raw Almonds

1/4 cup

Lemon Juice

1/4 cup

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 cup

Water

Garlic Cloves

1 tsp

Sea Salt

Instructions

Soak the almonds in water for 12-24 hours prior to preparing this recipe. You can soak the almonds in boiling water for 15-minutes if you forget to do this step ahead of time, but for this recipe the longer you soak the almonds the creamier the cheese!

Drain the almonds and add to a high-speed blender. Add all additional ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. Start the blender on low speed and gradually increase the speed, scraping the sides down as you go. You may need to add in additional ‘splashes’ of water to get the mixture blending. Note: this spread will firm up in the fridge so don’t worry if it seems a bit loose.

Serve on crackers, toast, pasta, salads, and pizza!

Substitutions/Omissions: Use raw cashews instead of almonds. Substitute avocado oil for olive oil.