This spreadable, soft Dairy-free herb cheese delivers all the flavor and texture of Boursin cheese and is perfect for sandwiches and vegan charcuterie boards.
This soft dairy-free herb cheese is not only vegan, but super affordable and easy to make. It will fool even the most strident dairy cheese aficionado and is a great way to elevate a sandwich, enjoy on a cracker with a glass of wine, or on your vegan charcuterie board.
My memories of Boursin cheese are from very special occasions at someone’s home or event. It was too expensive to be part of my household growing up, so I remember thinking it was equally special and addictive. I’m pretty sure my mom scolded me, once or twice, about eating too much of it (like, at a wedding reception).
Memories of Delicious Herbed Cheese Sandwiches
One of our first apartments was near a wonderful specialty sandwich and “to-go” food shop. It was pre-vegan days and it was there that I had my first experiences of things like smoked mussels and pickled this-and-that. Everything seemed like something I had never had before. One very special item was a sandwich that became our favorite for supper on the beach. It was a french baguette, sliced in half, with each side spread with Boursin cheese and then loaded with basil, salad greens and roasted red peppers. It was so delicious and we ordered then way more than we could afford to.
Easy, Affordable, Dairy-free Soft Garlic and Herb Cheese
Recently, I remembered the lovely beach dates and those delicious sandwiches. I knew that there were vegan soft herb cheese products on the market, but they are hard to find and not exactly economical. But I wanted something easy-to-make from easy-to-find ingredients. So, I started working on this recipe.
Some of the Best Ideas are Inspired
When I’m trying to figure out a vegan version of a food, or recipe, that I enjoyed in the past I often start with the cookbooks and old magazines I have in my bookcase. After some thought and searching, I found something similar to what I wanted in a book I have owned and used for many years: “The Non-Dairy Formulary” by Skye Michale Conroy (sadly no longer in print, but may possibly be found at Libraries or used book sellers). Using what I found there I succeeded in making the exact delicious soft herb cheese I was looking for.
Delicious Soft Dairy-free Herb Cheese Perfect for Sandwiches and Vegan Charcuterie Boards
Because of the easy spreadable texture, it is great for a cheese and cracker spread, or a vegan charcuterie board, as well as sandwiches. If you are stuck for a vegan hors d’oeuvre to bring to a gathering, this is a great choice. The cheese spread is really best if made several hours to a day ahead. Simply transfer it to a nice dish and surround it with an assortment of crackers and raw veggies and you will have an easy crowd pleaser.
You know this won’t last long!
The Return of Those Delicious Beach Sandwiches
Recently, we re-made those sandwiches using this vegan version of Boursin and it absolutely did not disappoint! The flavors and textures were perfect and everything we hoped for – and, or course we took them to the beach! In fact, I strongly recommend you try this sandwich!! Make it in a ciabatta role for a single serving, or prepare a long baguette and slice on the diagonal to wow a crowd at a party. It is so easy!!
Bring these on your next beach day or picnic! 🙂
A Few Notes Before You Start
The garlic: This recipe has a strong garlic flavor. Not everyone enjoys the bite and power of raw garlic. If you want a gentler garlic presence, simply replace the raw cloves with roasted garlic cloves. We have a post all about making roasted garlic here.
Pressing the tofu: I have wrapped my tofu in a linen cloth and placed it under a cast iron pan to express the water. There are many ways to effectively accomplish this. We were given a tofu press and it makes it super EASY. If you use tofu even occasionally, the press is totally worth it.
Coconut oil: It must be refined. It is for texture. You do not want to use unrefined coconut oil or you will add the flavor of coconut. (Yuk)
This spreadable, soft Dairy-free herb cheese delivers all the flavor and texture of Boursin cheese and is perfect for sandwiches, dips, and vegan charcuterie boards. Easy-to-find and economical ingredients make a no fuss recipe.
Ingredients
Scale
1/2 block or 7 ounces of extra firm organic tofu, pressed and drained to remove water.
3 Tbs organic refined coconut oil, warmed to liquid form.
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2–3 cloves of raw garlic or 4 cloves of roasted garlic
2 tsp or raw apple cider vinegar
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried chives
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
Transfer to a container with a tight lid.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Notes
The garlic: This recipe has a strong garlic flavor. Not everyone enjoys the bite and power of raw garlic. If you want a gentler garlic presence, simply replace the raw cloves with roasted garlic cloves. We have a post all about making roasted garlic here.
Pressing the tofu: I have wrapped my tofu in a linen cloth and placed it under a cast iron pan to express the water. There are many ways to effectively accomplish this. We were given a tofu press and it makes it super EASY. If you use tofu even occasionally, the press is totally worth it.
Coconut oil: It must be refined. It is for texture. You do not want to use unrefined coconut oil or you will add the flavor of coconut. (Yuk)
Georgia is an unpretentious foodie who, at 50, transitioned from a vegetarian diet to a whole foods plant based diet and is loving it. She works as a nurse, plays as a quilter, loves to run, hates to race.
She thinks dogs are actually angels (in dog suits).
Vegan Pad Thai that is just the way you like it. It's better than take-out!…
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[…] sure that you’ve read recipes (maybe even a few of our’s) that instruct you to press tofu. You probably wondered “why do I press tofu?” and more […]
[…] sure that you’ve read recipes (maybe even a few of our’s) that instruct you to press tofu. You probably wondered “why do I press tofu?” and more […]