Patrick Oconnell
A vegan cheese plate is a fun, simple, and beautiful dish that can be customized to your liking. Whether you're vegan, dairy-free, or neither, a vegan cheese plate is a great option for a party appetizer or light dinner. You can use a wooden or marble platter, a chopping board, a large plate, or even parchment paper. Start with bowls and containers, then lay out your cheeses and focal points, and fill in the gaps with nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Choose a variety of colours, textures, and flavours, such as crackers, bread, fresh herbs, edible flowers, and fruits like grapes, apples, and berries. Don't be afraid to get creative and experiment with different ingredients!
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Vegan cheese | Nut-based, homemade, store-bought, soft, spreadable, hard, cheddar-style |
| Fruits | Apples, Grapes, Cranberries, Pomegranate seeds, Berries, Figs, Dates, Citrus, Tangerines, Grapefruit, Peaches, Melon, Plums, Cherries, Strawberries, Blackberries |
| Vegetables | Carrots, Celery, Cucumber, Radish, Bell pepper, Endive, Avocado, Sweet peppers |
| Crunchy things | Crackers, Crostinis, Crispbreads, Seeded crackers, Tortilla chips, Nuts, Almonds, Pretzels, Popcorn |
| Dips | Hummus, Baba ghanoush, Black bean, Beet hummus, Mushroom pate, Roasted beet dip, Olive tapenade, Blackberry preserves |
| Spreads | Jams, Jellies, Marrionberry jam, Mustard |
| Pickled things | Olives, Pickles, Pickled onions |
| Others | Chocolate, Herbs, Edible flowers, Rosemary, Thyme, Rosemary springs, Bread, Flatbreads |
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What You'll Learn
Vegan cheese alternatives
Vegan cheese is typically made from soy or nut milk. There are plenty of fresh, spreadable varieties flavored with herbs, garlic, and other seasonings. Aged vegan cheeses, like blue cheese and cheddar, are also available.
When creating a vegan cheese plate, it's important to consider variety in colors, textures, and flavors. Start with a platter or board and lay out the largest pieces first. Include a mix of cheeses, fruits, vegetables, nuts, crackers, dips, and spreads.
For cheeses, try a combination of hard and soft cheeses. Miyokos and Violife are popular brands that offer vegan feta and cheddar-style cheeses. For fruits, choose seasonal options like apples, grapes, figs, berries, and stone fruits. Vegetables such as carrots, celery, bell peppers, and cucumbers add a fresh and crunchy element. Olives, pickles, and nuts provide a savory contrast, while crackers, crostinis, and crispbreads offer a crunchy texture. Dips and spreads such as hummus, mustard, tapenade, and fruit compotes like cranberry sauce or apple butter add variety and allow guests to create their own pairings.
When placing the cheeses on the platter, consider arranging them from mild to strong, with stronger-smelling cheeses placed away from milder cheeses. Adding labels and special cheese knives can also enhance the experience for your guests.
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Fruits and vegetables
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, the options are endless. You can choose seasonal ingredients, such as cranberries and pecans for the holidays, or stone fruits and berries for the summer.
For a colourful and nutritious spread, consider adding sliced apples, carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumber, radishes, and endives. If you want to get creative, try adding roasted beetroot hummus or a bean ball equivalent of Swedish meatballs.
Grapes are a popular choice, as are berries, pomegranate seeds, figs, dates, and citrus fruits like blood oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit. Olives, whether mixed or plain, are also a great addition.
For a more substantial offering, include bowls of hummus, baba ganoush, or other dips, and place veggies such as cucumber and carrot sticks next to them.
Don't be afraid to experiment with different colours, textures, and flavours. A well-rounded cheeseboard should have a mix of sweet, salty, crunchy, and fresh elements.
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Dips and spreads
Hummus is a popular choice, with its creamy texture and nutty flavour. It can be paired with vegetables such as carrots, celery, and bell peppers, or spread on crackers or crostini. For a sweeter option, blackberry preserves can be offered, or even something more unusual like a tapenade.
For a more indulgent offering, a cheese ball can be a great centrepiece, providing a soft, spreadable cheese option. This can be homemade or store-bought and is a great way to add a unique twist to the plate.
Mustards are another option, providing a sharp contrast to the creamy cheeses and dips. They can also be used as a spread on crackers or bread, or even as a dip for vegetables.
A good tip is to put the bowls of dips and spreads on the board first, then lay out the cheeses and other focal points, before filling in the gaps with clusters of nuts, fruits, and vegetables. This ensures a well-balanced and abundant-looking plate.
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Nuts and crackers
When selecting nuts for your vegan cheese plate, opt for a mix of different varieties to add interest and ensure your guests have plenty of options. Popular choices include almonds, cashews, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts. If you want to get creative, you can also include candied or spiced nuts, such as cinnamon-roasted almonds or maple-glazed pecans.
In terms of crackers, variety is also key. Choose a selection of crackers with different shapes, sizes, and textures. For example, you could include seeded crackers, oat crackers, rice crackers, and crispbreads. If you want to offer something a little heartier, you could also provide slices of bread, such as baguette or sourdough.
When arranging your vegan cheese plate, consider placing the crackers around the dips or cheeses, creating a visually appealing and functional display. This allows your guests to easily pair their favourite crackers with the other delicious offerings on the plate.
To elevate your nut presentation, try filling small bowls or ramekins with different types of nuts and placing them at intervals among the crackers and cheeses. This adds visual interest and ensures your guests can easily grab a handful.
Remember, the beauty of creating a vegan cheese plate is its customisability. Don't be afraid to experiment with different types of nuts and crackers to find your favourite combinations. Enjoy the process and have fun with it!
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Meats
Sweet Earth Foods is a popular brand for vegan meats, offering Mediterranean Veggie Burgers, Traditional Seitan Slices, Tuscan Veggie Sausages, and Harmless Ham. Field Roast is another brand that offers vegan pepperoni, and Sweet Earth makes vegan ham slices. Heck also does vegan sausages, and you can find vegan salami. You can also make your own meat substitutes, with books by Sebastien Kardinel offering recipes for seitan meat substitutes.
Vegan meats can be arranged in a variety of ways on your board. Some suggest arranging them in a "river" formation down the center of the board, while others recommend placing them in bowls or containers first and then filling in the gaps with other items. You can also pair vegan meats with crackers, hummus, or other dips and spreads.
When choosing vegan meats for your board, consider the variety of textures and flavors you want to offer. For example, grilled vegan sausages or vegan deli meat can provide a different texture and flavor profile than vegan ham or salami. You can also get creative and make your own vegan meat dishes, such as a mushroom pate or a pate made from black-eyed peas.
In addition to the vegan meats themselves, you can add herbs like rosemary or thyme to your board for a pop of color and a finishing touch.
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Frequently asked questions
Some good options for vegan cheese include Miyokos, Herbivorous Butcher, Violife, Treeline, Nuttin' Ordinary soft cheeses, and Boursin dairy-free cheese. You can also make your own homemade vegan cheese, like a cashew cheese spread or Easy Raw Cashew Cheese.
Vegan cheese plates often include fruits, vegetables, nuts, crackers, dips, and spreads. Specific examples include grapes, apples, berries, carrots, celery, bell peppers, olives, hummus, jams, and bread.
To assemble a vegan cheese plate, start by placing any bowls or containers on the board and spacing them evenly. Then, lay down the focal points, like cheeses and meats. Finally, fill in the gaps with clusters of nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Don't be afraid to mix colors, textures, and flavors!
Choose seasonal ingredients and experiment with different-sized bowls and shaped bowls. Pick two of everything: two spreads, two cheeses, two meats, two fruits, two vegetables, two crunchy things, and two pickled things. This gives everyone something to enjoy on the board!
