Putting a fresh twist on the classic with this Vegan Herbed Ricotta Grilled Cheese. Piled with creamy tofu ricotta, heirloom tomatoes and fresh herbs then pan fried in olive oil until golden brown and crispy. Indulgent and satisfying, yet secretly kind of healthy!

What You’ll Need to Make Herbed Ricotta Grilled Cheese

Extra Firm Tofu: Loaded with protein, tofu will blend up nice and creamy in the food processor. It also has a pretty mild taste, making it the perfect base to add all our cheesy flavors.

Olive oil: Since tofu itself does not contain that much fat, olive oil adds richness to the ricotta. You’ll also need a good amount for cooking the grilled cheese.

Nutritional yeast: For that savory cheesy flavor.

Miso: When paired with nutritional yeast, miso adds another element of umami plus a nice saltiness that’s reminiscent of cheese. I recommend using white, or shiro miso paste as it has a milder flavor.

Lemon Juice: For some tang and brightness.

Fresh Herbs: The key here is using fresh herbs, which have so much more flavor than dried. You can really use whatever you have on hand, but I recommend a blend of basil, oregano, parsley and mint.

Tomato: Good tomatoes go a long way. If they’re in season, go for the heirloom ones.

Sourdough Bread: Since that crispy crunchy bread may be one of the best parts of a grilled sandwich, make sure you choose a high quality loaf of sourdough. Preferably one you can cut yourself, for thick robust slices.

How to Make Vegan Ricotta

This is my go-to vegan ricotta recipe and its perfect for this ricotta grilled cheese. It’s so easy, no need to press the tofu or soak anything before hand. All you need is a food processor, a block of tofu and a few other pantry ingredients.

First, we want to squeeze out as much moisture from the tofu as possible so the ricotta doesn’t end up to thin. Wrap the tofu block in a clean kitchen towel and press it down on all sides. If the tofu crumbles that’s ok.

Add the tofu to the bowl of a food processor along with the other ingredients. Blend until very smooth. Depending on the power of your food processor this may take up to 3 minutes of continuous blending. Once creamy, fold in the herbs and it’s good to go!

This vegan ricotta can also be made in a high speed blender, it just takes a little longer. Make sure you scrape down the sides between every blend.

More Plantbased Recipes to Try

• Grilled vegetable sandwich with sunflower ricotta
• Spinach artichoke grilled cheese
• Toasted lemon pepper orzo with crispy chickpeas
• Black bean quesadillas

Made this recipe? Tag @wandering_chickpea on Instagram and follow along on Pinterest for more delicious recipes!