Stuart Forster reviews a vegan cheese board of Violife cheese products, vegan alternatives to conventionally made dairy produce. He also shares a quick and easy vegan nachos recipe.
Disclosure: Stuart was sent a selection of Violife cheese products for the purpose of writing this review. Some of the banners below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
I am interested in eating well and eating healthily. My diet is not restricted in any way. I’m keen to ensure that I have a varied diet through tasty dishes that are enjoyable to eat.
The rise in plant-based alternatives to traditional protein sources is exciting. Though I do not adhere to a vegan diet, I’m open to trying vegan alternatives to meats and cheeses. I’ve incorporated several such products as regular ingredients into the recipes that I cook at home.
Vegan cheese
Yet prior to sampling products from Violife to create this blog post I’d only tried vegan cheese a couple of times.
I was sent five different packs and sampled four of them as part of a vegan cheese board.
The Violife original flavour grated looked ideal for cooking. You can find my super easy vegan nachos recipe below.
Vegan cheese board
The Violife original flavour slices, Violife smoky cheddar flavour slices, epic mature cheddar flavour block and Violife Le Rond camembert flavour featured on my cheese platter.
Typically, I serve cheeses with a selection of nuts and seasonal or dried fruits. However, in this case, I decided to keep things simple so that I could focus on the taste and texture of the vegan cheeses.
The circular smoky cheddar flavour slices reminded me of conventional Bavarian smoked cheese. The texture and taste of the two are similar.
The epic mature cheddar flavour block is lighter in colour than Violife’s original flavour slices. As its name suggests, it offers a more intensive taste. As a fan of subtler flavours, it didn’t sit well on my palate.
Of the four, I preferred the creamy texture and rich, long taste of the Violife Le Rond camembert flavour. Baking it with thyme and olive oil is a way of serving it and is ideal if you’re looking for ideas for easy-to-prepare appetisers.
The sliced vegan cheeses seem ideal for serving on a vegan or vegetarian burger.
Vegan nachos
Nachos are great to share with friends. Making nachos with vegan cheese means that almost everybody can enjoy them at a gathering.
Keeping this vegan nachos recipe simple means that the dish is quick and easy to prepare. That minimises the fuss when there are so many other things to think about while hosting a party. It’s also ideal as a quick yet tasty bite after a busy day.
I found Violife’s original flavour grated ideal for melting over the top of tortilla chips. As with the other Violife products that I was sent, it is free from dairy, soya, gluten, lactose, nuts and preservatives.
Vegan nachos recipe
Ingredients
100 grams of tortilla chips
2 medium-sized red onions
2 teaspoons of sliced jalapeno peppers
50 grams of Violife original flavour grated
1 tablespoon of cold-pressed olive oil
Method
Step one – Peel and chop the two onions. Add the olive oil to a pan and fry the chopped onions until they are soft.
Step two – Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Place half of the tortilla chips in an ovenproof dish and layer half of the cooked onions over them. Top with the remaining tortilla chips then add the remaining onions and the sliced jalapeno peppers. Then add the Violife original flavour grated and place the dish in the oven.
Step three – Bake for eight to 10 minutes then serve the warm vegan nachos in a bowl.
A spicy salsa, for dipping the nachos, is optional.
If you have vegan recipes you would like to recommend, please leave a suggestion in the comments below.
Veganism for beginners
View the Vegan Society’s website for more information about veganism and how to go vegan.
Participating in Veganuary is a popular way of trying a vegan diet and deciding if it is for you. In 2022, more than 629,000 people around the planet participated in Veganuary.
Plant-based diets are becoming increasingly popular. According to statistics provided by the Vegan Society, the number of vegans in the United Kingdom grew four-fold between 2014 and 2019. The total rose from 150,000 to 600,000.
That’s a factor in the expanding choice of vegan products. Products such as Violife’s Le Rond camembert flavour are helping broaden the range and quality of vegan choices.
The plant-based revolution is helping non-vegans to assimilate vegan substitutes into their diet. Additionally, they are making it easier than ever for non-vegans to cater for friends and guests who are vegan.
Of course, you don’t have to be vegan to try these products from Violife.
Further information
Stuart Forster, the author of this post, is an award-winning travel and food writer based in northeast England. His work has been published by BBC Good Food, Four and Great British Chefs.
The photography illustrating this post is by Why Eye Photography.
Thank you for visiting Go Eat Do and reading this blog post about a Violife cheese platter tasting. You may also be interested in my interview with Day Radley as part of a post on veganism and Veganuary.
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