Heather BlackmonIf you know me, you know I used to love cheese. I had that typical response of…what, give up cheese?!…when I first considered a vegan diet. Luckily, I have learned that there is no cheese-based recipe I have not been able to recreate since eliminating it from my diet over a year ago.
I’m not sure what made me think of fondue for this recent Fall Pairing Dinner, but I do recall passing a fondue restaurant in Breckenridge that I know we visited years ago on our first trip to Colorado. Fall temperatures is certainly a great time to enjoy warm cheese with bread and veggies.
Why not vegan cheese fondue?
I based this recipe off my vegan pimiento cheese sandwich recipe I shared earlier this year. I love that recipe and know that it’s gotten good feedback at parties with many non-vegan friends (really, that describes almost all of my friends). I made a few tweaks and prayed that my idea would turn out. Luckily it did!
We actually had to force ourselves to stop eating this fondue, so we would still be hungry for the remaining two course. I would say that is a good sign for a new recipe. Even better, it didn’t even last the weekend!
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup non-dairy cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon grated onion
- 1 package Daiya cheddar shreds
- 1 package Daiya Havarti wedge, sliced
- 2 jalapenos, diced
- 1/2 bread boule, such as sourdough
- Assorted veggies: broccoli, grape tomatoes, sweet peppers, etc.
- Blend cashews in food processor until finely ground. Add nutritional yeast and pulse until combined.
- Slowly add water until a paste begins to form. Add non-dairy cream cheese and grated onion, pulsing until combined.
- Transfer mixture to sauté pot and add Daiya shreds and wedge. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently until melted. Add jalapenos and stir until fully integrated.
- Transfer to fondue pot to keep cheese warm while eating. Use bread and veggies to enjoy cheeze mixture.
I paired this fondue with Anderson Valley Brewing Company’s Brother David’s Triple Style Ale. The malty-ness of this beer paired very well with the spicy cheese sauce. We gobbled up every bit of the cheese fondue with the bread and veggies – this is one recipe I know we will make again!
In case you missed yesterday’s post, check out the full menu, including the amuse bouche recipe here!
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Questions for you:
- Have you had fondue?
- Do you like meals that involve a little action, like dipping or cooking over fire?
- Did you watch the debate last night? Did you yell at the TV as much as I did? 😉
