Vegan Tofu Ricotta

By Deryn Macey

4.80 from 5 votes

on Nov 15, 2020, Updated Aug 28, 2024

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This easy vegan tofu ricotta is a versatile staple for adding flavour and protein to your favourite plant-based meals. You’ll need just 6 ingredients and a few minutes to make it.

Small dish of herb ricotta topped with a piece of fresh basil.

Table of Contents

About the Recipe

This recipe is quick and easy to make and offers a delicious alternative to ricotta cheese that’s vegan and high in protein.

Tofu ricotta is versatile and perfect for adding a creamy touch to pastas, soups and more!

You can use it for lasagna or a filling for shells, in this Vegan Baked Ziti, added to Tofu Scramble or a Vegan Chickpea Omelette, spread on sandwiches and in wraps, with your favourite pasta like this Creamy Spinach and Tomato Pasta or Vegan One Pot Pasta, with soups like this Vegan Minestrone Soup or Vegan Lasagna Soup, or as a dip for veggies, cracker and pita.

Ingredient Notes

Various ingredients for making tofu ricotta in small dishes, labelled with text overlay.
  • Tofu: Firm or extra-firm both work.
  • Nutritional Yeast: Gives it a “cheesy” flavour.
  • Basil: Optional, omit for plain tofu ricotta or substituted with other fresh herbs such as dill or chives.

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

Step by Step Instructions

Before You Start: Consider pressing the tofu before us. While this isn’t totally necessary, if your tofu has an excess amount of water in it, pressing it will result in a better, more flavourful final result. Learn how to press tofu here.

Step 1. Add all of the ingredients, except for the basil, to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. If you’re not adding herbs, that’s it!

Creamy ricotta in a blender.

Step 2. If using, add the basil or other fresh herb of choice and pulse a few times to combine. Enjoy!

Small dish of herb ricotta topped with a piece of fresh basil.

    Recipes to Use With

    Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to comment section below to leave your star rating and review.

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    Small dish of herb ricotta topped with a piece of fresh basil.
    4.80 from 5 votes

    Herb Vegan Tofu Ricotta

    By: Deryn Macey
    This simple vegan tofu ricotta takes just minutes to make and you only need some basic, everyday ingredients. Leave it plain or add fresh basil to make herbed ricotta. Serve over pasta, as a dip or spread or use in your favourite lasagna recipe.
    Prep: 5 minutes
    Total: 5 minutes
    Servings: 6
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    Ingredients 

    • 350 g package extra-firm tofu
    • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 25 g
    • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • 4 cloves garlic
    • 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil, optional (30 g, sub dill, chives or other fresh herb of choice)

    Instructions 

    • Before you start, consider pressing the tofu for 20-30 minutes to remove excess water. While this isn’t totally necessary to the success of the recipe, pressing it will help with a more flavourful final result. See notes on how to press tofu.
    • Blend all of the ingredients except for the basil until smooth, then add the basil and pulse a few times to combine.

    Notes

    How to Press Tofu: Either use a tofu press or wrap the block of tofu in a dish towel, place on a plate and set a heavy object on top of it. This could be a heavy pan, a few cookbooks or a book with some canned goods placed on top. Let sit for 20-30 minutes then proceed with the recipe.
    Herbs: Omit the basil for plain ricotta. 
    Usage: Anywhere you’d use traditional ricotta. Excellent served over a hot bowl of pasta or zucchini noodles, in lasagna or pasta shells, as a dip or spread for sandwiches, on salads and more.
    Store in a sealed container the fridge up to one week.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/4 cup, Calories: 78kcal, Carbohydrates: 3.2g, Protein: 8.1g, Fat: 3.4g, Sodium: 390mg, Fiber: 1.4g, Sugar: 0.3g
    Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

    Originally pubslihed on July 30, 2018.

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    13 Comments

    1. 5 stars
      So delicious! I served it with homemade fig jam. The sweet and salty, smooth and crunchy were a perfect contrast. Thanks for the recipe. It’s a keeper!

      Reply

    3. 5 stars
      I made this to scoop on top of my lentil bolognese and it pairs so well with it! Super fresh tasting! Like a garden in my mouth haha

      Reply

    4. 5 stars
      This was so delicious! I only made a half batch for a smaller vegan lasagne. I think I ate 1/3 of it before I ever got to making the dish. So flavorful. I added a tsp of Italian seasoning along with the fresh basil. Yum. Yum. Yum!

      Reply

    5. Made the vegan tofu ricotta to add to my lasagna. It turned out great. It’s nice to add protein to another wise carb dish. Thank you Deryn

      Reply

    6. 5 stars
      This is phenomenal!! Thank you!! Another way to add the garlic & basil is to add a big dollop of prepared pesto, delicious! 🙂

      Reply

      1. Hmm, I haven’t tried it but as long as its firm or extra firm it should be ok. I can’t guarantee though as I don’t have much experience with silken tofu. Let me know if you try it.

        Reply

    8. 4 stars
      This recipe worked great in my lasagna since I don’t eat dairy! I thought the basil worked wonders and definitely wouldn’t leave it behind. Thanks for sharing! I make a lot of vegan cheeses from scratch so I’m used to cashew cheeses but it is good to try new things! I think this would definitely pair well with crackers and bagels as well. It was the perfect consistency for lasagna, just had to add a splash of coconut milk because my tofu was so dense!

      Reply