Easy Vegan Fondue Recipe | Dairy-Free Fondue (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan fondue made of? ›

Using rice, potato and cashews as the creamy base makes this a healthy, vegan, plant based cheese fondue option. In a large saucepan, heat up olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and sweat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add bouillon cubes, water, potato, rice, and cashews and bring to a boil.

"The key with fondue is to keep the temperature very low once you start adding the cheese." In the double boiler, the heat was gentle enough that even with prolonged exposure, the fondue never got hot enough to break.

There are four commonly prepared types of fondue. They are cheese fondue, chocolate fondue, oil fondue (also known as meat fondue), and broth fondue.

I also love including some raw veggies–usually you see broccoli and potatoes, but this time I cubed up some zucchini, which worked really well for both the cheese fondue and the hot pot style oil fondue (keep reading for both recipes).

For another smooth, semi-hard Swiss cheese, Emmental is a great choice. In fact, it's often used with Gruyère when making fondue, so you know it will have a similar melting power.

Fondue rules

You must not double dip, and never put your fork directly into your mouth.

When making fondue, the first thing to consider is what type of ingredients you want to use; if you are a vegetarian, you may prefer the oil. The oil is also a healthier option because it contains no fat or calories. However, if you like meat and cheese, the broth is better because it has more flavors.

Gel fuel works great for cheese fondue (and you can also use alcohol fuel for it, but you may want to reduce the heat slightly by reducing the size of the openings on your burner).

Never eat directly off the fondue fork. Never forget your food in the pot. Never pour the contents of the pot onto your plate. Never cut in line when it's not your turn to dip.

What type of cheese is best for fondue? ›

The best all-around cheeses for fondue are fontina, Gruyère, and gouda. If you aren't sure what to pick, use even amounts of these three. Together are lush and complex. For classic Swiss cheese fondue (meaning one like what you would find in Switzerland), a mix of traditional, firm mountain-style cheeses is best.

When making cheese fondue, always use a thickener. Cheese should be shredded and tossed with flour or cornstarch to aid in thickening and to improve the viscosity of the fondue. A good rule of thumb is to use one tablespoon of flour or cornstarch per pound of cheese.

Even though fondue is classically made with white wine, it can also be made with other alcohols like brandy, beer or whiskey or, for a non-alcohol version, with flavorful stock. But there are a few things to keep in mind if you're making a fondue without alcohol.

The Swiss recommend 200g of cheese per person but believe me that is a lot so I would go with 150g each. Dry white wine or hot tea is the usual accompaniment with a shot of Kirsch for those who are feeling bold.

Though cheese, wine, and garlic are the basic ingredients in Swiss fondue, you'll also find other add-ins such as mountain herbs, paprika, cayenne, nutmeg, mustard, and occasionally tomato coulis. The bread is always sturdy and can be either white or brown, cut into bite-sized chunks for dipping.

What Ingredients Are in Vegan Cheese? Vegan cheeses are 100% animal-free and made using vegetable proteins. Usually, they're made from soy; nuts, such as cashews and macadamias; and vegetable oils, such as coconut oil. You can also find cheeses that derive from agar, tapioca, peas and arrowroot.

Hard cheeses, such as Gruyère and Emmental, are the cornerstones of traditional Swiss fondue. These cheeses undergo an extended aging process, during which the naturally occurring lactose sugar is gradually broken down by lactic acid bacteria.

A fairly shallow round pot is used, and in it goes a cheese sauce usually made up of two or more types, with Gruyère a must, as well as white wine, Kirsch, a little garlic and lemon juice. Only bread is dipped into the fondue, cut into cubes, which you spear on your long, thin fork.