I have been vegetarian since I was fourteen years old, and only vegan for the past three. The sticking point for me was not eggs, or milk. It was cheese. Cheese was the the topping of choice for me. I had special recipes like vegetarian sausage lasagna bake with cheese on top (four different types). I was kind of cheese crazy, so you can see why it was hard to give up. But once I did, I never looked back. Here are six brands of vegan cheese that will surely make your taste buds think they are tasting the real thing, without the cruelty.
Punk Rawk Labs (PRL)
PRL is a start-up woman owned company based in Minneapolis that makes, “authentically fermented handmade artisan cheeses.” The base is made of only four organic ingredients: nuts, water, culture and salt. The resulting product is a fabulous tasting, extremely healthy alternative to dairy cheese. They come in the four flavors cashew original, cashew herb, cashew smoked and nacho. Try the smoked with French onion soup, or cube it with crackers for a party with the girls. For more information please visit their website and support this great company.
Daiya
Daiya vegan cheese is soy free, stretches and melts like real cheese and is made from tapioca. On a cold day, grilled cheese and tomato soup is a staple and Daiya has perfect cheese slices for that! They come in cheddar, Swiss and provolone.
If you want to grate your cheese, Daiya has blocks that can also be made into small cubes for a quick appetizer. The flavors are Monterey Jack, jalapeno havarti, cheddar and Gouda. Daiya’s shredded cheese comes in classic blend, cheddar, mozzarella and pepper jack. Cream cheese spreads are also available in strawberry, plain and chive & onion.
Follow Your Heart
You know them as the company that makes Vegenaise, but they also make yummy non-dairy cheeses. The styles of Vegan Gourmet® include shreds with the flavors cheddar, fiesta blend and mozzarella. Their original soy-based cheese comes in blocks of nacho, cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey Jack. The latest “Follow Your Heart” product is their soy-free cheese blocks and slices, which have people talking. The flavors to choose from are American, provolone, garden herb and mozzarella. You can use them in your favorite recipes, on pizza, or make the beloved macaroni and cheese.
Go Veggie
One of the things I truly missed when going vegan was grated Parmesan. Look no further with Go Veggie! Their Parmesan cheese alternative is amazing. I put it on everything; salads, pasta, soup, you name it. They also have vegan cheese slices that include mozzarella, pepper jack, cheddar and American as well as shreds in Mexican and mozzarella flavors. If you are looking for creamy cheese bliss, they have plain, strawberry and chive & garlic.
Tofutti
Tofutti is a well-known brand to me. When I became vegan, I turned to their ice cream alternatives. Tofutti makes many dairy-free soy-based cheeses. They have non-GMO slices in mozzarella and American, cheese cream in French onion, garlic & herb, herb & chives and ricotta cheese for your favorite lasagna or any Italian dish.
Field Roast
Field Roast is best known for their alternatives to burgers, sausages, deli slices and roasts. But did you know they also make Chao Slices? It is a vegan, coconut and non-GMO cheese alternative. A family in Taiwan and a Greek cheese maker collaborated to create Chao Slices which come in three inventive flavors: coconut herb with black pepper, creamy original with chao tofu and tomato cayenne with spicy pepper. I was creative with them, I tried the coconut herb with black pepper for grilled cheese, but you can use it for anything. The sky is the limit with this tasty cheese alternative!
Now get ready to try a bunch of tasty vegan cheese and tell us which one is your favorite! And, of course, enjoy.
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