This homemade vegan cottage cheese is quick and protein-rich

Make it or buy it? When it comes to food, the answer depends on so many variables, such as: How much time are you willing to spend? How much money? Will the homemade version be better than what you can buy? Or will you get enough satisfaction from the DIY process that none of the previous questions matter?

The answer for cottage cheese used to be an easy one, at least for me. There was little reason to make it at home when I could get such high-quality versions in stores at reasonable prices. I’m not the only one making the calculation: Even now that the world’s protein obsession has made cottage cheese wildly popular, you still don’t hear of many people heating up gallons of milk, stirring in vinegar and letting it curdle, rest and drain.

In my own attempts to increase my protein intake, cottage cheese has become a daily habit, particularly in that midafternoon window when I’m staving off hunger pangs. The rest of my diet is primarily plant-based, and cottage cheese has been one of my last dairy holdouts.

As I’ve looked in vain for nondairy cottage cheese in stores, I’ve started reconsidering that make-it-or-buy-it calculation. How hard and/or time-consuming and/or expensive would it be to create one that I love — and that meets my protein needs — in my own kitchen?

The answer to all of the above turned out to be: not very.

I knew I’d start with firm tofu, which I’d crumble into a curd-like texture. But where would the “cream” surrounding those curds come from? Coconut milk or cream? Not neutral enough in flavor. Soy milk? Too thin. I didn’t want to complicate things by cooking anything down over heat, so I decided to try silken tofu, blending it with miso, nutritional yeast and hemp seeds to get closer to the protein level of the dairy version.

The only trial and error turned out to be the proportions; using a 14-ounce package of silken tofu in combination with a pound of firm tofu resulted in something too loose. But when I switched to the smaller shelf-stable packages of silken tofu, everything clicked into place. The texture, especially once the mixture chilled for a bit, was spot-on, and I loved the flavor — not quite as clean of a slate as dairy cottage cheese, but delicious nonetheless. I spread it on toast and topped with blueberries and agave one day, and the next I went savory, drizzling a small bowlful with tahini and sprinkling with crushed red pepper flakes and za’atar. Both times it hit the spot and scratched an itch.

The best part of making it was the time, or lack of it — it took a mere 10 minutes. As to the nutrition: My version is lower in saturated fat, sodium and net carbs, and with a comparable amount (13 grams) of protein for ½ cup when compared to the whole-milk variety. What about the expense? That took me a little more to calculate and, to be honest, I was fully prepared to realize that I was spending considerably more to make my tofu cottage cheese than buying even the Good Culture brand I’ve grown accustomed to. But when I ran it through my spreadsheet, mine was actually a few cents less per serving — $1.72 vs. $1.75.

Given the fact that I can’t even buy a vegan cottage cheese (yet, anyway), I count all of this as a major win for one side of the equation. And now I can comfortably say it: Go ahead, make your own.

• Joe Yonan is the author of “Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking” (Ten Speed Press, 2024).

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Tofu Cottage Cheese

One (10.8-ounce) package shelf-stable silken tofu, such as Mori-Nu brand

¼ cup hulled hemp seeds

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

1 tablespoon shiro (white) miso

16 ounces firm tofu or extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled

¼ teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed

In a blender or food processor, combine the silken tofu, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and miso, and puree until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the crumbled firm tofu and salt, and stir until well combined. Taste, and season with more salt as needed.

Serve right away or, for a thicker result, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Servings: 6 (makes about 3½ cups)

Substitutions: For shelf-stable silken tofu, use refrigerated silken tofu. (You will need to weigh out 10.8 ounces from a larger amount.) For hemp seeds, use pumpkin seeds (pepitas).

Make ahead: The cottage cheese is fine when freshly made, but it gets even better — the flavors marry and the consistency thickens — after being refrigerated for at least 2 hours.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Nutritional information per serving (about ½ cup): 153 calories, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 6 g carbohydrates, 211 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 13 g protein, 2 g fiber, 1 g sugar.

— Joe Yonan