I am so thankful for the progress that vegan cheese has made over the past few years in regards to both taste and availability. I remember when options were limited to one or two brands that weren’t even that good and you had to travel to a specific grocery store that sold them. Now you can get pretty much any kind of non-dairy cheese your heart desires, readily available, without even noticing a difference in flavor. A favorite of mine that I have been stuck on lately is the feta block from Trader Joe’s. It is so perfectly salty, crumbly, and cheap for cheese.
I like to blend my feta with some cashew yogurt to turn it into a creamy dip. Feta is popular in Greek cuisine, so I paired the dip with other prominent flavors from the region—lemon, fig, and mint. The fig topping adds the perfect amount of sweetness to balance out the salt and tang from the feta. Because different brands of feta can vary in saltiness, add salt to the recipe slowly and sparingly, until you find the amount that works for you. You can play around with what herbs and nuts you want to use for add-in’s, depending on what is available to you. I used roasted garlic because it brings a greater depth of flavor, but you can use raw garlic if you would prefer.
I like to blend my feta with some cashew yogurt to turn it into a creamy dip. Feta is popular in Greek cuisine, so I paired the dip with other prominent flavors from the region—lemon, fig, and mint. The fig topping adds the perfect amount of sweetness to balance out the salt and tang from the feta. Because different brands of feta can vary in saltiness, add salt to the recipe slowly and sparingly, until you find the amount that works for you. You can play around with what herbs and nuts you want to use for add-in’s, depending on what is available to you. I used roasted garlic because it brings a greater depth of flavor, but you can use raw garlic if you would prefer.
YIELDS
about 3 cups
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- For the whipped feta:
- 8oz block vegan feta
- 3/4 cup vegan Greek yogurt, plain
- 2 cloves roasted garlic
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- For the topping:
- 4 fresh figs
- 2 tsp raw honey
- 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp walnuts
- salt & pepper to taste
- To top:
- 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- honey drizzle
Directions
1. To make the dip, add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
2. To make the topping, remove the skin from the figs and use the back of a fork to smash down the figs.
3. To a small pot over low heat, add the figs, honey, balsamic, and walnuts. Sauté for a couple minutes to let the flavors melt together.
4. Remove topping from heat and pour over the whipped feta.
5. Top with fresh mint and honey.
Also by Lauren: Balsamic Golden Beet & Lentil Salad
Vegan Carrot Cake Oatmeal With Cream Cheese Topping
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Photo: Lauren Sacerdote
