Perfect for gatherings and special occasions. It’s the ultimate dairy-free party food that looks fancy but is surprisingly easy to make. A vegan cheese board is the pièce de ré·sis·tance when it comes to party appetizers. No other dish requires so little preparation but impresses so much. Nowadays we have a variety of the most delicious plant-based cheeses, from artisan wheels to mozzarella balls. All you need is some cheese, bread or crackers and a few complements such as fruit and jam for a beautiful board.
Prep Time – 20 minutes
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
2-3 vegan cheeses (include a mix of different flavours and styles)
1 jar savoury tapenade, dip or hummus
1 jar sweet jam or preserve
1-2 baguettes/loaves of good quality bread (sourdough, olive bread or French baguette)
1 pack crackers
1 jar something salty or tangy, such as olives in brine, pickles or sundried tomatoes
2-3 cups fruit or berries (fruits such as figs, pears, grapes, and/or seasonal berries
Optional
A selection of your favourite vegan mock ‘meats’ such as sausages and hams.
DIRECTIONS
- Spread cheeses and dips/jams/preserves out onto a platter or board (ideally they should be in different areas of the board to balance it visually). If you have wheels of cheese, cut a wedge or two out of them for decoration.
- Cut bread into small slices and fan out around cheeses and preserves/dips.
- Fan crackers out around cheeses and spreads in the same way.
- If using vegan meats, cut slices of them and fan out near crackers.
- Place groups of salty/tangy foods (olives, pickles, etc.) around the board close to cheeses. Alternatively, just place them on the board in their jar.
- If using fruits such as pears, slice thinly. If using figs or strawberries, slice in half. Create clusters of fruits/berries throughout cheese board to fill any spaces.
- Finally, if using, add small clusters of nuts and raw vegetable sticks to fill out any additional spaces on the board.
- Place a clean knife next to each cheese, and a small fork/spoon in each jar. Enjoy!
NOTE:
Choose a board size that makes your spread look abundant – size down if needed so it looks full and you aren’t left of lots of empty space. Instead of worrying about a board, try tearing off some brown paper and place your ingredients directly on top.
Nutritional facts per serving:
Calories 605; protein 20.6 g; fat 25.7 g; carbs 75.6 g.
Recipe and Photography By Elizabeth Emery
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