How to Create an Epic Vegan Charcuterie Board
No vegan dinner party would be complete without a vegan charcuterie board. This meat- and dairy-free crowd pleaser is sure to be a hit with your guests, vegan and soon-to-be-vegan alike! We’ll give you step-by-step advice on picking the perfect items, and we’ve even included some Insta inspo. More dairy-free cheese and flesh-free meat options are available now than ever before. By choosing vegan cheeses and meats, you can help prevent the suffering of hundreds of thousands of cows, pigs, and other animals languishing on farms.
Vegan Cheeses
Vegan cheese comes in three major consistencies—hard, soft, and spreadable—so be sure to have at least one of each on your board. Select a variety of flavors to ensure that your guests have options ranging from mild to bold. The general rule of thumb when building the perfect charcuterie board is to have around 3 ounces of vegan cheese per person.
Miyoko’s Vegan Cheese Wheel
Looking for a beautiful—and delicious—centerpiece for your board? Then look no further. The vegan cheese wheels from Miyoko’s are as tasty as they are pretty.
Treeline Treenut Cheese
Treeline makes a variety of cashew-based cheese, including hard aged nut cheeses, as well as soft French-style nut cheeses in flavors such as Green Peppercorn and Herb-Garlic.
MozzaRisella
Impress your guests with the vegan mozzarella made from sprouted brown rice—MozzaRisella. It’s made in Italy and distributed in the U.S. by Plant Based Foods Inc. Find out where to buy it on the distributor’s website.
Follow Your Heart
This OG vegan cheese company makes many delicious, dairy-free classics, including smoked Gouda slices and gourmet cheddar.
Kite Hill
For a mouthwatering milder option for your board, grab some of Kite Hill’s vegan ricotta, made from almonds. This brand’s creamy spreads are also an excellent, tangy addition to any vegan charcuterie board.
Vegan Stokes Cheese
The creamy vegan cheeses from Stokes, including flavors such as Pub Cheddar and Smoked Gouda, are sure to be a hit.
Vegan Ready-to-Eat Meats
From deli slices to sausages, many animal-free ready-to-eat meats are readily available. It’s always a good idea to have some savory flavors on your board in order to complement the creamy cheeses.
Field Roast Deli Slices
These vegan meats from Field Roast come in three delicious flavors: Smoked Tomato, Lentil Sage, and Wild Mushroom. Pick up all three, or choose the one that will go best with your cheese choices.
Good & Green Plant-Based Deli Slices
These specialty plant-based deli slices from Good & Green make a deliciously unexpected addition to any vegan cheese board, with options including Veggie Carpaccio and Veggie Prosciutto.
Tofurky Deli Slices
Tofurky’s delicious deli slices aren’t just for sandwiches. With flavors such as Peppered and Hickory Smoked, these savory slices will enhance your board.
The Herbivorous Butcher
If you really want to impress your friends, order some gourmet meatless meats from The Herbivorous Butcher. It offers ready-to-eat flesh-free meats such as pastrami and turkey.
A Sweet Touch
Add a sampling of sweet things, like agave and fig jam, to your board in order to complement the savory vegan meats and cheeses. To make your board Insta-worthy, add a pop of color with dried apricots, grapes, peaches, or strawberries.
Crackers and Bread
No charcuterie board would be complete without a variety of delicious crackers and bread. With so many vegan options on the market, the possibilities are endless. Many household cracker brands are vegan—just be sure to check labels for dairy ingredients. And finding a delicious, animal-free baguette is actually a lot easier than you may think. Many “take and bake” baguettes at larger grocery chains are “accidentally vegan“—again, just be sure to read the ingredients.
Nuts and More
Olives or olive tapenade, Marcona almonds, and walnuts can be great smaller additions to your board. Add a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme to make your presentation more fragrant and fun.
Styling Your Board
The perfect display begins with your board. Marble slabs, wooden boards, trays, or colorful plates are excellent options for displaying your dairy- and flesh-free delicacies. We all know the cheese is the star of the show, so begin by slicing it up and arranging it on your board. Use small bowls if you’re planning to include olives, agave, or jam options for your guests. Place crackers or bread around the cheeses and bowls like petals on a flower. Roll your flesh-free meat options into small tubes and arrange them as you see fit. Finish by adding “pops of color” sporadically around your board.
Across the board, more and more people are choosing a compassionate lifestyle, so ditch the dairy and meat for these animal-free charcuterie ingredients. Becoming vegan has never been easier or more delicious. Order one of PETA’s vegan starter kits to get started:
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