Holiday Vegan Cheese Ball Platter with Fennel & Cranberry Jam
With Thanksgiving just around the corner we want to share one of our favorite holiday appetizers with you all. Create this eye catching vegan holiday cheese platter - something for everyone to enjoy and appreciate.
Ingredients
- 1 6.5 oz vegan cheese wheel *see notes
- 8 oz vegan ricotta *see notes
- 1/3 cup leek, finely diced
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tbsp chives, diced
- 1/4 cup Sprouts organic raw walnuts, finely chopped (find them in the bulk bins)
- 1/4 cup Sprouts organic raw almonds, finely chopped (find them in the bulk bins)
- 1/2 tsp fennel seed
Fig Cranberry Jam
- 6 oz Sprouts Organic Fig Fruit Spread
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped (from the Sprouts bulk bins!)
- 2 lemons, juiced
Platter Ingredients
- Sprouts Organic Wheat Crackers
- crackers of choice
- black or purple grapes
- broccolini (raw or blanched)
- persimmon
- asian pear (sub pear variety of choice)
- walnuts
- rosemary sprigs
- pomegranate arils
Instructions
Vegan Cheese Ball Instructions
- In a small pan heat vegan butter over medium-low heat. Add diced leeks and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool slightly.
- Using the same pan, add your organic walnuts, almonds, and fennel seeds. Heat over medium heat, tossing often, until toasted (about 3-5 minutes.)
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a standing mixer, add your vegan cheese wheel and vegan ricotta. Pour cooled leeks and chopped chives into the bowl. Mix on high until smooth and well combined. Transfer bowl to the freezer to allow the cheese to firm up (about 10-15 mins.)
- After 10-15 minutes, form the cheese evenly into two balls. Roll each ball in toasted nuts. Transfer to a plate, covered with parchment paper, and chill until firm (about 20 minutes).
Cranberry Fig Jam Instructions
- Meanwhile, add chopped cranberries and lemon juice to a bowl and let sit for 20 minutes. This will allow the cranberries to rehydrate and soak up the juice.
- When almost all of the juice has been soaked up, add cranberries to a bowl along with Sprouts Organic Fig Spread. Use a fork or spatula to mix until well combined. Chill until ready to serve.
Platter Instructions
- Blanche broccolini if desired. Lay nut vegan cheese balls on platter along with a small bowl of cranberry fig jam. Layer platter with crackers, broccolini, persimmon, pears, grapes, rosemary, and pomegranate arils.
