Vegan Blue Cheese Crumbles with Figs and Rosemary Agave
Vegan Blue Cheese Crumbles with Figs and Rosemary Agave is MUST MAKE recipe for your next dinner party. Made with delicious vegan blue cheese crumbles, fresh figs, and an easy-to-make rosemary agave, guests, vegan or not, will absolutely drool over this sweet and savory combo of unique flavors.
This is the perfect recipe to easily whip up as a vegan Italian starter and elevate your next charcuterie board with. These vegan blue cheese crumbles taste so much like the original dairy version that it will satisfy any non-vegan cheese lover as well!
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VEGAN ITALIAN STARTER
As mentioned above, this easy plant based recipe makes the perfect candidate for a Vegan Italian Starter. This snack plate is perfect when you are looking for a unique combination of flavors to bring to the table. It’s light and fresh, yet satisfying ingredients, are excellent when you are looking to snack before a meal without totally filling up.
VEGAN BLUE CHEESE CRUMBLES
So blue cheese (or bleu cheese, which is the French spelling of the word), has a super unique flavor to say the least. Blue cheese can be described as salty, sharp, and pungent, with a bit of an earthy essence. It’s a cheese that may not be for everyone, but typically if you love it, you LOVE IT! I have also found that pairing it with a partner to balance it out….say rosemary agave…can turn a nay-sayer into a fan.
VEGAN ALTERNATIVE FOR BLUE CHEESE CRUMBLES
Blue cheese, with it’s unique flavor, was a personal favorite of mine. But when I originally gave up dairy in 2007, I had to wait years for a vegan alternative to hit the shelves. I am please to announce that it was worth the wait and Follow Your Heart has absolutely nailed it!
FOLLOW YOUR HEART VEGAN BLEU CHEESE CRUMBLES
Follow Your Heart Vegan Bleu Cheese Crumbles are absolutely mind blowing! This vegan version of blue cheese tastes incredibly like the original dairy blue cheese. Seriously…it’s crazy! If you are a blue cheese fan, do not walk, run to your nearest grocery store and grab some!
The fact that you can just pull a fantastic version of vegan blue cheese crumbles off the shelf, helps to make this recipe super simple and quick to prepare.
ROSEMARY AGAVE
The other elements of this dish are super simple to prepare…just scoop out the vegan blue cheese crumbles, slice the figs, and toast the bread. The rosemary agave is the only part of the recipe that requires a bit of love and time. But trust me it is absolutely worth it and it doesn’t require much time at all!
This rosemary agave is sweet AND savory. With the combination of agave, rosemary, fennel seed, orange and lemon peel, garlic, salt and pepper, this quick and easy recipe creates an incredibly unique flavored syrup.
HOW TO MAKE ROSEMARY AGAVE
Preparing the rosemary agave takes less than 15 minutes and is very simple. You simply combine all of the ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Then strain and cool. That’s it!
FIGS
Figs are the fruit of the ficus tree. They have a unique, refreshing, sweet taste. Their texture can be described as soft and chewy and they have a bit of crunch from their seeds.
Figs are a wonderful source of antioxidants, are rich in fiber, and are a wonderful choice for a naturally sweet treat. They also contain a bit of potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron.
Figs, although originally from Asia, are wildly abundant in Italy. Southern Italy’s hot, summer climate and rich soil makes it the perfect environment to grow figs. There is an area in Calabria that produces over 800 tons of figs alone! Because of this, figs are a popular ingredient in Italian cuisine, making this Vegan Blue Cheese Crumble and Fig recipe a perfect option for a vegan Italian starter.
BREADS FOR A CHARCUTERIE BOARD
For this vegan blue cheese crumble and figs recipe, sour dough was my first choice.
When choosing crackers or breads for a charcuterie board, it’s important to think about a few aspects.
One, will the taste add to the dish or over power it?
Two, does the bread have air pockets and holes that will sabotage my efforts to eat my food without wearing it?
Sourdough, with its slightly tangy flavor profile and solid, yet airy nature, makes the perfect vehicle for the elements of this dish.
Sourdough can easily be sliced thin without falling apart, allowing you to enjoy an appetizer without totally filling your stomach with bread. And it is tasty when left un-toasted, but toasts and browns beautifully without becoming too hard and crunchy.
If you want to pump up the flavor of this snack plate even more, go for a flavored version of sourdough bread, such as rosemary or garlic.
HOW TO PREP BREADS FOR A CHARCUTERIE BOARD
Now many breads are perfectly acceptable when eaten untouched. But you can bring most bread to the next level by taking the time to perfectly toast it. You can also go one step further and season the bread as well to make the best possible vehicle for your charcuterie board snacks.
To season breads for a charcuterie board simply slice the bread, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, squeeze a light spritz of lemon juice, and top with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Then pop your bread on a baking sheet and in the oven. Broil on high for a minute or two until it starts to brown and becomes perfectly crisp.
A few extra steps, but seasoning your bread properly can really help brighten each element of your snack board and add more flavor to each bite.
VEGAN SPREAD FOR BREAD
Vegan blue cheese crumble and rosemary agave are incredibly delicious when paired with figs. But they can in fact stand on their own. The combination of this rosemary agave and vegan blue cheese crumble make a perfect vegan spread for bread.
Vegan Blue Cheese Crumbles with Figs and Rosemary Agave
Ingredients
FOR ROSEMARY AGAVE
- 1/2 cup agave
- 2 tbsp water
- 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- peel of half an orange peeled into large pieces
- peel of half a lemon peeled into large pieces
- 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
FOR SEASONED SOUR DOUGH BREAD
- 6 servings sourdough bread, sliced thin About 12 slices total, depending on size of each slice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
OTHER INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup vegan blue cheese crumbles I used Follow Your Heart Vegan Bleu Cheese Crumbles
- 8 oz container of fresh figs
Instructions
PREPARE THE ROSEMARY AGAVE
- Place all of the ingredients listed under "Rosemary Agave" in a small sauce pan
- Turn stove up to medium heat until the liquid starts to simmer. Then turn down to medium-low.
- Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will allow the flavor to infuse and the liquid to thicken slightly
- After agave has simmered for 10 minutes, remove from heat
- Place a strainer over a bowl and strain the agave into the bowl. Discard the ingredients (rosemary, garlic, ect.) that was left in the strainer.
- The agave will be a bit more liquidy when hot, so place it in the fridge or freezer to cool while you prepare the rest of the recipe
PREPARE YOUR SEASONED SOURDOUGH BREAD
- Preheat your oven to broil on high
- If your sourdough bread did not come sliced, slice it into thin pieces
- Lay the sliced sourdough bread onto a baking sheet
- Drizzle olive oil over the bread, distribute evenly
- Squeeze your lemon over the bread, distribute evenly
- Sprinkle bread with salt and pepper, distribute evenly
- Place sourdough into oven for 1-2 minutes. You need to babysit this step! Your bread will burn quickly if left in too long!
- When sourdough is perfectly toasted remove from oven
PREPARE FIGS
- Cut figs into small pieces. Set aside
- **when cutting figs, make sure you remove the top little piece. You can eat it, but it is a bit hard and is better removed
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
- **You can serve this recipe two ways! You can either plate everything individually and allow your guests to create their own bites.
- **For the second option for plating, you can construct eat bite yourself with the fig, cheese, and agave placed on the sourdough bread so your guest can just grab and eat.
- If plating the first way, pour the cooled agave into a small serving bowl with a serving spoon
- Place the remaining ingredients on a serving board or plate. Place bowl of agave on serving dish as well
- Serve and enjoy!
