I shared a photo of this recipe months ago and promised I’d post the full version here — a little late, but here it is. This vegan Caprese panini has become one of my favourite lunches. You don’t need a sandwich press or grill to make it; a dry frying pan and a spatula work perfectly.
I used to crave Café Nero’s tomato, basil and mozzarella paninis, so I made my own vegan take and I’m happy to report it’s just as satisfying. The creamy, stretchy “mozzarella” is made from cashews. If you’re new to vegan cooking or avoiding dairy, this cashew-based cheese is a revelation.
This recipe uses a basic cashew cheese sauce with the addition of tapioca starch (or arrowroot powder), which gives the cheese a gooey, stretchy texture. It’s ideal for toasted sandwiches and great on pizza or stirred through pasta.
The cashew mozzarella is the star. Its flavour is remarkably close to dairy cheese, and when you cook the blended cashew mix with tapioca it bubbles and becomes stretchy — exactly what you want for a toasted sandwich.
There are many ways to vary this panini. Try adding dairy-free pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, or other favourite fillings for extra flavour.
Below you’ll find the recipe and instructions. The cashew mozzarella takes a few minutes to prepare and then transforms on the hob into a stretchy, melty topping perfect for paninis.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Caprese Panini
2
15 minutes
10 minutes
25 minutes
This vegan panini with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and a melty cashew mozzarella makes an easy, satisfying lunch — no sandwich press required.
Ingredients
- 2 panini or ciabatta rolls
- 2 large tomatoes
- 2 handfuls of fresh basil
For the mozzarella
- 75 g (½ cup) cashews, soaked for a few hours or overnight
- 2 cups water
- 3 heaped tablespoons arrowroot powder or tapioca starch
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- (Optional but recommended) 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- (Optional) 1 tbsp miso paste
Instructions
To make the cashew mozzarella
- Add the soaked cashews to a blender with the water, arrowroot (or tapioca), garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, and any optional ingredients. Blend until completely smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes, until it bubbles and becomes thick and stretchy.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
To assemble and cook the paninis
- Slice the panini or ciabatta rolls lengthwise. Spread the warm cashew mozzarella on both sides of each roll.
- Thinly slice the tomatoes and layer them on one half of each roll. Add a few fresh basil leaves.
- Close the sandwiches and cook in a panini press or place them on a dry frying pan over medium heat. Press down with a spatula and cook about 2 minutes per side, until the bread is golden and the cheese is melty.
- Slice in half and serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
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