My family loves a good cheese board. Anytime I visit my parents, my mom is always prepared with a variety of cheeses and accompaniments to snack on before dinner. Sometimes it ends up just being our dinner because hey, cheese is delicious. Even as I have transitioned towards a more plant-based diet, I continue to eat my fair share of cheese. I do however like to explore alternative options so I decided to try out a vegan cheese for this recipe. The results, a delicious charcuterie inspired vegan appetizer that combines the vegan ricotta cheese with balsamic fig jam. It’s all the best parts of a cheese board packed into one bite.
This vegan “ricotta” is made from blanched almonds. There’s no soaking or waiting in this recipe so it comes together really quickly. You just throw it all into the food processor and whip it together. You can also prep it ahead of time and use the leftovers for pasta, sandwiches, and more!
Now for the balsamic fig jam. You know those tiny beloved jars that seem to show up on every cheese board? Yep this is that same delicious jam but better and way cheaper. For the same cost as one tiny jar, you can make a full 16 oz. jar (a way bigger jar than what’s pictured here). It’s enough to serve with this appetizer, on your next charcuterie board, and gift to family and friends as a host gift (imagine a jar with a bow and set of cheese knives – adorable!).
So now you have two jars full of versatile and delicious spreads. All that’s left to do is stack vegan ricotta cheese and balsamic fig jam together on a toasty piece of bread and top with fresh basil. A quick and easy appetizer to impress everyone this holiday season.
Balsamic Fig Jam and Vegan Whipped “Ricotta” Crostini
Course: AppetizersDifficulty: Easy8
servings5
minutes30
minutesIngredients
- Balsamic Fig Jam
8 oz. of dried figs, cut into quarters
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
1.5 cups of water
Juice from half a lemon
- Vegan Almond Ricotta
1.5 cups of blanched almonds
3/4-1 cup of non-dairy milk
2 teaspoons of nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Juice from half a lemon
- Serving
Baguette sliced into 1/4 inch slices, toasted
2 tablespoons of melted plant-based butter or olive oil
Fresh basil, torn or roughly chopped
Directions
- Balsamic Fig Jam
- Combine all jam ingredients into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes until figs start to soften.
- Pour entire saucepan into food processor and pulse until it reaches desired consistency (pulse for longer if you want a smooth jam).
- Return to saucepan and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes until it thickens slightly. Transfer for glass jar and allow to cool. Jam will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Vegan Almond Ricotta
- Combine all ingredients into a food processor. Start with 3/4 cup of milk and if your mixture isn’t blending well, add an additional 1/4 cup of milk. Blend on high for 3-5 minutes until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serving
- Brush each piece of bread with melted butter or olive oil and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, watching closely until reaches toasty brown color.
- Once toasted, spread each piece of bread with almond ricotta, fig jam, and top with a piece of fresh basil. Serve!
Notes
- This recipe is very versatile so feel free to adjust things according to your diet, preferences, and what you have on hand. Crackers would be a good replacement for bread. You could also use full dairy ricotta or goat cheese if you’re not vegan.
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