How to Make a Vegan Cheese Board

1. Select a serving board

A wooden board or ceramic plate is always a good choice, whether they are rectangular, circular, or oval. If you don’t have a large board, then get creative! Use a salver or tray, a piece of wood, a baking tray, or simply a nice piece of parchment paper on your table.

2. Choose your vegan cheeses

For a good cheese board choose at least three different types of vegan cheeses. It’s good to mix textures and flavors. Choose something smooth like vegan feta, a soft homemade nut cheese, or cashew mozzarella.

Then choose something harder such as a vegan parmesan, a vegan cheddar, or sliced vegan cheese. And then something with lots of flavor and aroma like vegan camembert, aged cashew cheese, or cultured macadamia cheese.

3. Add fruit and vegetables

Go for the classics like grapes, figs, apples, pears, olives, artichokes, pickles, cherry tomatoes, or bell pepper. Or, try something more unusual like carrot sticks, fresh berries, cucumber slices, radishes, mandarine, pomegranate, or snow peas.

4. Pick something crunchy

Crackers, toasted nuts and seeds, and toasted bread or baguette slices are a must for a good cheeseboard. Play around with different sizes and shapes for a really cool finish.

5. Add something for dipping

Fruit preserves, jams, and spreads go amazing with vegan cheeses. For a surprising but very delicious spread try grainy mustard, hummus, or maple syrup as well.

6. Don’t forget about the finishing touches

Freshly ground black pepper, fresh herbs, or a sprinkle of toasted seeds will take your board to the next level. To give your board a ‘holiday touch’ add some cranberries, fresh rosemary, or even edible gold leaves.

Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients all you do is arrange them on your serving board. Keep your cheeses whole, or half, quarter, slice, dice or crumble them.
Depending on what fruits and vegetables you chose, you can also cut them into different shapes or keep them whole. Place everything next to each other, or place some of the ingredients into small bowls or jars. Serve your sauces in small dishes as well.

Then grab a fork, a cheese knife, or a food pick, and enjoy your beautiful and delicious vegan cheeseboard.

2 Vegan Cheese Board Ideas

Vegan Cheese Board Idea #1

• Vegan Camembert
• Pumpernickel chips
• Pistachio
• Vegan cheddar
• Cranberries
• Grapes
• Aged vegan cheese
• Apple slices
• Blanched almonds
• Chili – apricot preserve
• Grainy mustard
• Rainbow carrots
• Marinated green olives

Vegan Cheese Board Idea #2

• Mini bell peppers
• Smoked vegan cheese
• Grapes
• Blanched almonds
• Cucumber
• Pumpkin seed crackers
• Carrot sticks
• Apple slices
• Aged vegan cheese
• Cherry tomatoes
• Kalamata olives
• Beet hummus
• Vegan feta
• Snow peas

How to Make Nut Cheese

Making nut-based vegan cheese at home might sound intimidating at first, but it’s actually an easy and really fun process. Though it takes some time until your cheese will reach the desired taste and consistency, you don’t have a lot of active work with it.

The base of our vegan aged cheese is cashew, which gives the creamiest, smoothest finish. You can also experiment with other nuts or seeds if you are looking for a different flavor. Macadamia, walnuts, (blanched) almonds or sunflower seeds are all great options.

How to Make Vegan Cheese That Tastes Like Real Dairy

To flavor the cheese we use vinegar (or lemon juice), nutritional yeast, miso, and some salt. And then what gives the cheese its tang and aged taste is rejuvelac and probiotics.
Rejuvelac is a fermented drink made out of sprouted wheat. It’s an extremely nutritious beverage, that also helps to ferment our cheese. You can buy rejuvelac in some health stores, or you can make your own at home.

Besides, rejuvelac probiotics will also help you to age your cheese, and to get that awesome tanginess and sharpness we love in cheeses. Plus they are great for improving gut health.
Depending on how long your fermenting time is, your cheese can taste differently. Go for a short fermenting time for a mild version, or a longer one for a very sharp cheese.

Once you’ve reached the desired fermentation level, you can eat the cheese directly, as a softer almost goat cheese-like. This version is especially delicious with fresh or dried herbs and lots of garlic.

If you are looking for a harder, sliceable cheese, you can dehydrate or bake your fermented mix. At this point, you can also mix in extras like chili, garlic, herbs, turmeric, black pepper, chopped dry fruits, or whatever else you like. After dehydrating you can enjoy your cheese immediately, or age it for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Prep time/active work: 20 minutes

Fermentation time: 12-96 hours

Dehydrating: 3-8 hours

Vegan Aged Cashew Cheese

Makes 2 cheese rounds. Aging: up to 3 weeks

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cashews, soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup of rejuvelac
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
• 2 capsules probiotics
• 1 tbsp white miso paste
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• salt

Instructions

1. Add drained cashews, rejuvelac, vinegar, probiotics, miso, nutritional yeast, and a large pinch of salt into a high-speed blender, and blend until completely creamy and smooth.
2. This might take a couple of minutes, depending on how powerful your blender is. Stop to scrape down sides occasionally, if needed.
3. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Lay down two layers of cheesecloth on top. Transfer the vegan cheese mixture over the cloth, then gather corners to wrap it in a tight bundle. Tie with a string or twine.
4. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and let the cheese ferment at room temperature for 12-96 hours, depending on how sharp you like it. Go for 12-24 hours of fermenting time for a mild version, or 72-96 hours for a very sharp cheese.
5. After fermentation time place the vegan cheese in the fridge for 1-2 hours, so it’s easier to handle.
6. Shape the cheese into a round using a mold or just your hands. At this point, you can also mix in extras like chili, garlic, herbs, turmeric, black pepper, chopped dry fruits, or whatever else you like.
   You can eat the cheese like this directly as a softer, spreadable cheese.
7. If you want a harder cheese, place your cheese in the dehydrator (or in the oven on the lowest heat – 50°C/120℉), and dehydrate for 3-8 hours. This should give you a nice outer rind.
8. Serve the vegan aged cheese now immediately, or age it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Simply place your cheese on a plate and cover it with a bowl, so it has some air around it. Check on your cheese every day and turn it upside down to make sure it doesn’t get any mold.
9. Before serving your vegan aged cheeses you can roll them into fresh or dried herbs, chili powder, smoked paprika, cracked pink or black peppercorns, chopped pistachio, or dried cranberries.

Vegan Aged Cheese Nutrition Facts

Servings 4

Calories 469 | Total Fat 33.4g | Saturated Fat 6.4g | Cholesterol 4mg | Sodium 761mg | Total Carbohydrate 33.7g | Dietary Fiber 6.4g | Total Sugars 3.7g | Protein 17.9g | Calcium 47mg | Iron 7mg | Potassium 742mg |

Vegan Cheese Recipes You Might Like:

• Spinach Grilled Cheese With Homemade Vegan Cashew Cheese
• Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese

The post How to Make an Epic Vegan Cheese Board Plus an Aged Vegan Cheese Recipe appeared first on The Beet.

Lentils make the perfect plant-based protein source to use in this recipe, pairing well with vegetables like carrots, celery, mushrooms, and tomatoes. You’ll already be thinking about seconds after your first bite!

If you need to feed a large crowd, look no further! This budget-friendly dish is ideal for all dietary preferences since it’s dairy-free and can easily be made gluten-free.
Try incorporating more plants this holiday season to start reaping health benefits like disease prevention and memory protection. So, what do you say?

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Total time: 75 minutes

Cost: $6.30 recipe | $0.78 serving

Vegan Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Serves 8 

Ingredients

Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

• 2 ½ pounds (~3 large) sweet potatoes ($3.08)
• ¾ cup plant milk ($0.33)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder ($0.04)
• Salt & pepper to taste ($0.02)
• ¼ cup tasteless coconut oil or vegan butter (optional)

For the Filling:

• 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil ($0.17)
• 1 medium white onion, diced ($0.24)
• 6 cremini mushrooms, diced ($0.17)
• 3 small stalks celery, diced ($0.15)
• 2 large carrots, diced ($0.28)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced ($0.12)
• 3 tablespoons tamari ($0.54)
• 2 ½ tablespoons tomato paste ($0.20)
• 1 400-gram can diced tomatoes ($0.37)
• 1 ½ cups dry green or brown lentils, soaked overnight ($0.30)
• 3 cups vegetable broth, divided ($0.14)
• 1 bay leaf ($0.01)
• 1 tablespoon corn starch ($0.02)
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced ($0.05)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced ($0.05)
• Salt & pepper to taste ($0.02)

Instructions

Mashed sweet potatoes

1. Bring a large stockpot of salted water to boil. In the meantime, peel your sweet potatoes and roughly chop them into 2 or 3-inch chunks. Once the water is boiling, add the potatoes in and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until very tender when pierced with a knife.
2. Drain the potatoes and transfer them back into the pot. Add plant milk, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and vegan butter or tasteless coconut oil (optional for a richer texture).
3. Mash until smooth, adding more plant milk as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

For the filling

1. Heat olive oil in a very large skillet over medium. Add in diced onions, mushrooms, celery, and carrots, sautéing for 6-7 minutes to soften.
2. Next, add garlic, tamari, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, soaked lentils, 2 ¾ cups vegetable broth, and bay leaf. Stir to combine, then cover and lower the heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
3. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with the other ¼ cup vegetable broth. Finely mince the fresh thyme and rosemary.
4. When the lentils are tender, add in the cornstarch mixture, the fresh herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another couple of minutes, then transfer to a large casserole dish. A 9×13 is ideal, or you can divide the mixture between a few smaller oven-safe dishes.
5. Dollop the mashed sweet potatoes over the top, then spread out evenly. Use a fork to make divots and peaks in the potatoes for extra crispiness.
6. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is browned to your liking. To add even more crispy textures, turn your oven to broil for the last few minutes of baking.
7. Enjoy!

Notes
For an oil-free version, simply water-fry the vegetables and omit the vegan butter or coconut oil (you may have to add more plant milk to the potatoes).
If you forget to soak the lentils overnight, try par-cooking them before adding to the rest of the mixture. This recipe is meant to be made with green or brown lentils. If you only have red, the liquid ratios will need to be adjusted.
To make this recipe completely gluten-free, replace the tamari with a gluten-free brand or use liquid amino.

Nutrition: 1 of 8 servings
Calories 321| Total Fat 9.5 g | Saturated Fat 2.0 g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 821 mg | Total Carbohydrates 49.1 g | Dietary Fiber 10.7 g | Total Sugars 10.6 g | Protein 12.3 g | Calcium 104.7 mg | Iron 3.8 mg | Potassium 760.3 mg |

The post Vegan Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie for Under $1 a Serving appeared first on The Beet.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Note: To make your own hazelnut butter: roll 1 ½ cups hazelnuts on a clean kitchen towel to remove the skins. Preheat the oven to 375F and line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the hazelnuts onto the baking sheet and into the oven to bake for 5-7 minutes, or until aromatic. Once removed from the oven, allow the hazelnuts to cool for 5 minutes, then place them into a food processor. Process the hazelnuts for 2-3 minutes, allowing them to go from chopped nuts to a smooth and creamy butter.

Nutritionals

Calories 671 | Total Fat 45.5g | Saturated Fat 23g | Sodium 215mg | Total Carbohydrates 62.1g | Dietary Fiber 9.8g | Total Sugars 35.2g | Protein 8.1g | Calcium 52mg | Iron 2mg | Potassium 308mg |

The post Vegan and Gluten-Free Chocolate Hazelnut Tart appeared first on The Beet.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Vegan Mashed Potatoes

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs russet potatoes
• 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup creamy dairy free milk, unsweetened*
• 1/2 cup vegan sour cream*
• 3 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• Sea salt + pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prep: Fill a large pot with water and set it aside. Measure out all ingredients.
2. Peel & dice the potatoes: Rinse the potatoes, and peel off all of the potato skins. We need the skins off to ensure the mashed potatoes are super creamy. You can save the potato peels for another recipe, like roasted potato peels (just use vegan butter ? )! Quarter then dice the potatoes and set them aside.
3. Boil the potatoes: Place the potatoes into the water, and add in the garlic and salt as well. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, cook the potatoes until they’re fork-tender and easy to pierce about 15-20 minutes.
4. Strain the potatoes: Make sure that you reserve 1/2 cup of the water used to boil the potatoes. This will help the potatoes become super creamy.
5. “Mash” the potatoes: We’re actually using a hand mixer rather than a potato masher to create these mashed potatoes! I find it’s much easier and more efficient at creating consistently creamy mashed potatoes. Place the potatoes into a large bowl and begin to cream the potatoes. Once they’re a bit more broken up, you can stop the hand mixer, and add in the remaining ingredients (dairy free milk, sour cream, potato water, rosemary, and sea salt). Begin mixing again on medium speed until creamy, about 5 minutes.
6. Serve and enjoy! Add your favorite vegan gravy on top or serve with melted vegan butter. Enjoy!

Notes

Using both russet potatoes & Yukon gold potatoes: It’s crucial that we use both here, as a combination of waxy and creamy potatoes will yield the best texture!

Dairy free milk: I recommend a super creamy dairy free milk, such as Forager Project soymilk or oat milk. You can use light coconut milk as well (in the can), but I would recommend not using full fat coconut milk, as it will taste too much like coconut. Additionally, using unsweetened almond milk will not be creamy enough.

Vegan Sour Cream: The vegan sour cream I use is Forager Project, and my entire family just loves it (not everyone in my family is vegan). I would definitely recommend this one, but if you can’t find it in your stores, you can also use a dairy free unsweetened plain yogurt.

The post Make These Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes For Your Holiday Side Dish appeared first on The Beet.

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These vegan scalloped potatoes are as delicious as they are beautiful, and easy to make (woohoo!) All you need is twenty minutes to prep the dish which requires slicing potatoes thin and mixing the cheese-flavored sauce.

This cheerful holiday side compliments all your main entreés whether that’s a nut loaf or Shepherd’s pie. Bring joy to the feast with the beautiful presentation of layered sliced potatoes, and the delicious taste of festive flavors with rosemary, sage, and thyme.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes

Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 cups soy milk or creamy unsweetened dairy-free milk
• 2 tsp arrowroot starch
• 1/4 cup chopped rosemary
• 1/4 cup chopped thyme
• 1/4 cup chopped sage
• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced (about 4 ½-5 cups when sliced)
• 2 cups shredded vegan cheese
• Fresh herbs for garnish

Instructions

1. Make sure the potatoes are thinly sliced and ready to be assembled. Grease a 9×12 casserole dish with cooking oil or vegan butter, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy milk and arrowroot starch. Set aside.
3. To a medium saucepan, heat the vegan butter and minced garlic until the garlic is lightly golden. Add in the rosemary, thyme, sage, and salt, and saute on medium heat until fragrant.
4. Pour in the soy milk mixture, and reduce the heat to medium-low, stirring the mixture for 5-7 minutes, until the arrowroot thickens the milk. Remove from heat, and set aside.
5. For the first layer, arrange the sliced potatoes in three rows, each slice being placed slightly on top of the next. Pour about one third of the soy milk mixture onto the potatoes, and top with about ½ cup of vegan cheese.
6. Repeat for the second and third layer of potatoes.
7. On the third layer, use all of the remaining cheese.
8. Place the casserole into the oven to bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the cheese has slightly melted and the potatoes have slightly browned.
9. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Nutritionals

Calories 304 | Total Fat 11.8g | Saturated Fat 3.5g | Sodium 1032mg | Total Carbohydrate 43.5g | Dietary Fiber 8.2g | Total Sugars 5.3g | Protein 6.6g | Calcium 173mg | Iron 5mg | Potassium 780mg |

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Thyme in a cake may sound unusual, but it pairs amazingly with the sweetness of pear and adds a hint of the aromatic flavor, bringing you an amazing dessert experience. Serve your cake with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream, vegan whipped cream, or even eat it as is. A cake like this is so good, it holds well on its own.

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 40 Min

Total Time: 55 Min

Vegan Upside Down Pear & Thyme Cake

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Bosc Pears, peeled and thinly sliced
• ½ Cup Maple Syrup
• 1 Cup Non-Dairy Milk, unsweetened
• 1 Flax Egg, (1 Tbsp Ground Flax + 4 Tbsp Water)
• 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• ¼ Cup Avocado Oil
• ⅓ Cup Sugar, can sub for coconut sugar
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Tsp Baking Powder
• ¼ Tsp Baking Soda
• 1-2 Tsp Thyme, destemmed
• ¼ Tsp Salt

Instructions

1. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round baking pan with parchment paper and Preheat the oven to 350F. Peel and thinly slice your pears.
2. In the baking pan, lay out your pears. Feel free to use whatever pattern you like! Pour your maple syrup over your pears and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, add your non-dairy milk, flax egg, apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, add your flour, baking powder, baking soda, thyme, and salt. Whisk until evenly mixed. Fold your dry ingredients into your wet until combined and you get a batter consistency. Do not over mix.
5. Pour your cake batter over your pears and using the back of a spoon or spatula, evenly smooth it out. Bake in the oven for 35-50 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 15-20 minutes before carefully flipping the cake over onto a plate. Remove the parchment paper and enjoy!

Nutritionals 

Calories 323 | Total Fat 2.1g | Saturated Fat 0.3g | Sodium 173mg | Total Crabohydrate 74g | Dietary Fiber 4.9g | Total Sugars 40.3g | Protein 4.4g | Vitamin D 17mcg | Calcium 167mg | Iron 2mg | Potassium 411mg |

@MyVeganBreakfast showed us their creation and said it was easy to make and tasted delicious, even better in the morning with a cup of coffee. Did you make this recipe? Tag us on social and we’ll feature you on The Beet.

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Drum roll, please: To kick off the first day is this chocolate peppermint cake recipe made by the talented vegan baker, Britt Berlin, also known as @the_bananadiaires.

The best part about this recipe is that there is no baking required. All you will need is 15 minutes to prep your cake and the rest of the time, the cake will chill in the fridge before it’s ready for the first slice.

This festive recipe is completely vegan, gluten-free, and healthier than most traditional chocolate cake recipes because it’s made with whole-food, natural ingredients. The crust is made with oats, dates, cacao powder, and nut milk, and the filling is made with raw cashews, coconut cream, cacao powder, lemon, and peppermint candies for a holiday garnish.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a savory side dish to complement this cake and complete your ultimate holiday menu with all the recipes that are coming soon.

The post No-Bake, Vegan, Gluten-Free Chocolate Peppermint Cake appeared first on The Beet.