1 cup of almonds, soaked for 2-3 hours, or boiled for 10-15 minutes, then strained

3 tbsp lemon juice (about 3/4 of a small-medium lemon) 

2 rounded tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1.5 tsp liquid smoke (I used a hickory flavor)

6 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup water 

2 tsp maple syrup (or more to taste)

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Serving ideas:

Spread this cheese over crackers and top with an olive tapenade or sun-dried tomato spread. 

1) After the almonds have cooled, blend all of the inougredients together, scraping down the sides of your blender as necessary, until the mixture becomes as smooth as possible.* Depending on the power of your blender, this process can take 10-15 minutes or more. 

2) Scrape out the mixture into a a container or bowl, and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours. 

3) Take out the mixture and shape it into a ball, oval, or whatever you like! This recipe is pretty soft so you may want to slightly wet your hands for this part.  

4) Wrap it up in saran wrap and place it back in the refrigerator to firm up for another 1-2 hours.

5) Serve and enjoy!

*I used almond that still had their skins, so the overall texture was smooth, but still pretty gritty. 

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Wine: Pairs nicely with a dry Cabernet Sauvignon  

Note: This cheese ball lasts for a one to two weeks or so, but you can expect it to be devoured quickly!