This vegan cheese ball recipe by chef Mel Boudens is made with Zengarry Double Crème cashew cheese and is sure to be a hit with the whole family this holiday season.
Mel owned the well-loved vegan Grow Your Roots Café in Kanata and she has a brand new e-Cookbook with some of her most popular recipes from the restaurant. Get it here.
Use the promo code VEGANLOVE to save 10% on her All Things Holiday e-Cookbook! Hurry though, because it's only available until Christmas Day!
Makes one large cheese ball
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Ingredients
· 2 packages of Fauxmagerie Zengarry Double Crème cashew cheese, softened (removed from the fridge and place on the counter until soft)
· 1 tsp of dried dill
· 1 ½ tsp of dried parsley
· 1 TBSP of nutritional yeast
· ½ tsp of granulated onion (or onion powder)
· ¼ tsp of salt
· 1.4 tsp of ground pepper
· 1 cloved of garlic, minced
For the ‘bacon’ bits
· ¼ cup of textured vegetable protein (TVP)
· 2 tsp of maple syrup
· ¾ TBSP of soy sauce
· ¼ tsp of liquid smoke
· 2 ½ TBSP of boiling water
· ½ TBSP of oil
Instructions
1. In a small glass bowl or measuring cup, add the TVP, soy sauce, maple syrup and liquid smoke. Then, pour the boiling water over top and cover with saran wrap or a plate and let sit for 5 minutes .
2. While that is rehydrating, in a medium size bowl, add in the Zengarry Double Crème cashew cheese and all of the spices. Mix well until combined, set aside.
3. In a small pan, heat the oil the medium heat & add the rehydrated TVP ‘bacon bits’ and cook until lightly crispy, about 10 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes
4. Fold the cooled ‘bacon’ bits into the cheese mixture until evenly incorporated
5. Using a spatula, scrape all the cheese onto a piece of saran wrap and wrap it up, using your hands to form it into a ball shape.
6. Refrigerate until firm & unwrap to serve!