Strawberry, Beet, and Rose Cashew Milk

Making your own plant-based milks is actually quiet simple. All you need is a blender, ideally a high-speed blender and your ingredients. For some nuts, you also need a nut milk bag to strain the milk and get a smoother consistency. Cashews are soft and after soaking, they pulverize completely in a high-speed blender that no straining is needed. 

Below is my basic cashew milk recipe or for an extra flavor and nutrient boost, try my strawberry, beet, rose milk version. This recipe was a big hit in a recent plant-based milk workshop I taught. 

Ingredients for Basic Recipe: 

• 1 cup cashews (soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight in fridge)
• 3 cups water (filtered for best flavor)
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for Strawberry, Beet, Rose Cashew Milk: 

• 2 cups of basic cashew milk
• 1 cup strawberries, raw or thawed, previously frozen
• 1/2 teaspoon beet powder
• 1/2 fl. oz of rose scented water

Instructions:

1. Drain and rinse soaked cashews and throw in blender along with water, salt, maple syrup, and vanilla. 
2. Blend everything on high speed for about 2 minutes or until smooth. 
3. No need to strain this milk but if you want to achieve an even smoother consistency, you can try to strain it through a nut milk bag. 
4. For strawberry, beet, rose flavored milk, take 2 cups of the basic cashew milk and add strawberries, beet powder, and rose water and blend until combined and smooth. 
5. Enjoy as is or over ice. Decorate with a mint sprig and/or coconut flakes. You can store this milk in the fridge for 2-3 days but make sure to shake it well before consumption as it will separate over time.