Can I make a plant-based vegan charcuterie board? Hell yes! Make it anyway your beautiful heart desires. This Vegan charcuterie board couldn’t be easier. What floats your culinary boat? Due to you being your own home chef: it’s up to you. Charcuterie boards are great for holiday appetizers or heck, why not make it big enough for dinner? A meal that everyone can lend a hand. Perfect!

Fresh is best but pre-packaged organics are always an option.

What is a Charcuterie Board?

“A charcuterie board is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork.” -Wikipedia. Time to revise the Charcuterie board for us vegans!

First, who doesn’t love a challenge? Time for the old charcuterie board definition to change. Veg-friendly meatless and dairy-free options are plentiful nowadays. Therefore, they can be found anywhere from Aldis, Target, Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, etc…. If meat and cheese substitutes are not your “thing” don’t use them. Stack the board with fruit, vegetables, dips, and chips or crackers.

Inspiration

Start off by finding inspiration for your board. Jump on Pinterest or Google and get excited. The Charcuterie board is gonna be your base for this fun creative meal. Choose butcherblock, bamboo, or a piece of wood you finish. I got mine for a steal at Home Goods.

Due to the nature of Charcuterie boards, most are meat-based with varying food groups. Similarly, your plant-based Charcuterie board will also be colorful with lots of food groups. Likewise, if you want the look of a traditional board, Beyond Meat has delicious vegan sausages that are easy to grill or saute and slice into rounds. Gluten-free vegetarian potstickers are an additional fun addition. Still, want cheese? Follow Your Heart has sliced vegan cheese in many creamy flavors. Some of my personal favorites are smoked gouda and pepper jack. Finally, condiments. Like my ranch or cold artichoke dip. Hence adding texture and height to the presentation.

In-season fresh farmers market ingredients are the bomb. But if you can’t make it to the farmers market or limited on time, grab what you can at your local grocers. Organic is best but do what works for you and your budget. The more vegetables and fruit the better!

Get everyone involved, let’s get creative!

Invite family and friends to get involved and let the fun begin. Start with a beautiful wooden surface of any shape. Begin by arranging a controlled mess. What do I mean? Place your food items randomly, spreading colors and textures throughout. Foods that are similar in color and shape, move to the other side of the board. The finished product will be colorful, interesting, and inviting. Above all, family and friends will be overjoyed with the end result. Finally, diving in and enjoying all the fun hard work.

The results of your combined efforts; a dinner everyone will be talking about for weeks! Consequently, you may find yourself hosting charcuterie board parties every weekend.

Above all, do what works for you and your guests, just remember to have fun and don’t take cooking too seriously.