Newly obsessed with this fabulous herbed sunflower spread. It is deliciously creamy, slightly sweet, and plant-based powered. I call it my savory vegan dream cream. I use it as you will for cream cheese but here it is the seed supreme with all its benefits. Made with sunflower seeds (main ingredient), cashew nuts, some vegetal cream (or milk), nutritional yeast, mustard, a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt and pepper as desired, it has optimal health benefits. And to make it more interesting, I have mixed it with some spring onion tops. Because it adds a fabulous distinct onion taste and a subtle garlicky note.
This easy herbed sunflower spread recipe will awaken your taste buds and the creaminess with some texture is just awesome.
Say cheese with me, but make it vegan! This recipe is a cream cheese alternative that is so easy to make at home in a powerful blender (or at least a nutribullet blender).
How easy is this recipe ?
First step is to boil the seeds and nuts for 15 minutes only. Then I add them in my blender along with nutritional yeast, mustard, spices and some plant-based alternative to cream from Alpro (soya) (but feel free to use any other vegetal cream you love or replace it by some vegetal milk). I pulse and scrap the sides only once. And pulse again. The consistency is very thick and creamy with maybe some pieces left. For me this texture is just perfect. You could pulse and blend the mixture until you reach the consistency you love.
Using a fork and a big bowl, I mix this vegan spread with some chopped spring onion tops. This herbed sunflower spread will keep in the fridge up to 5 days.
Why soaking the seeds and nuts ?
First of all, you can soak cashews and sunflower seeds in two separate bowls overnight. But you can skip this part and easily boil them for 15 minutes right before blending the ingredients. This process will help for a smoother and creamier texture and it is a time saver.
Nuts and seeds are soaked for digestible reasons too, but it seems that cashews don’t have enzymes that interfere with digestion. For sunflower seeds, some of us could have difficulty digesting them so the soaking (overnight or by boiling) will reduce their phytic acid. And it will improve the texture of the spread once blended.
Why do I add spring onion tops in this recipe?
Cream cheese used to be mixed with spring onion tops for a delightful combination of flavors. I wanted to reproduce the same here for my sunflower spread. It brings a freshness boost and a fabulous aroma to the spread.
Finally, it is also a nutrient addition by bringing vitamins A and C to this delicious recipe.
Spring onions, scallions or chives, what is the difference?
Spring (or green) onions and scallions are pretty much the same. They are immature onions that are interchangeable in recipes. Their flavor is a light onion taste (but stronger than chives where it is more subtle).
Chives on the other side are related to garlic and leeks and they have no bulbous base. It is light in taste, but with a grassy and garlicky touch.
You can use whatever you prefer in this dreamy sunflower spread recipe.
More vegan spreads or cream cheese alternatives that are a dream ?
Get ready to do a happy dance in your kitchen, because I have already a bunch of delicious plant-based spreads available on my website. For all of them, the taste is beyond expectation.
Here is a symphony of flavors you need to try and that are “melt-in-your-mouth” alternatives for cheese:
Healthy red sunflower seeds spread.
Healthy herbed sunflower spread and…
Creamy but lightly crunchy, sweet and savory, rich-texture!
If you make it
If you make my herbed sunflower spread, tag me on Instagram as @live.and.taste and use #liveandtaste hashtag.
Feel free to ask me any question or leave me a comment (reply) below the recipe, I will be thrilled to reply to you.
Healthy greetings from Laetitia
HERBED SUNFLOWER SPREAD
INGREDIENTS
- 1 ½ cups sunflower seeds - soaked overnight or boiled
- 1 cup cashew nuts - soaked overnight or boiled
- ½ cup ALPRO soya cooking cream (plant-based alternative for cream) - or any other vegetal cream or milk
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- Himalayan salt and fresh ground pepper as desired
- 5 spring onion tops (only the green) chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- In 2 separate bowls, soak the sunflower seeds and cashew nuts overnight. Or SKIP and add the seeds and nuts together to a pan filled with water and boil them for 15 minutes.
- Wash and chop the tops of the spring onions and add them to a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Rinse the seeds and nuts and add them to the blender. Add soya cooking cream, mustard, nutritional yeast flakes, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.
- Pulse in your blender for 30 to 45 seconds. Stop once, scrap the sides, and pulse again until you reach a thick creamy texture (some pieces might be left. And this is perfect).
- Add the sunflower spread to the bowl and using a fork mix it with the onion tops until well combined. Serve immediately for appetizers or as a spread for lunch. Keep in the fridge in a covered glass container for up to 5 days.
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