Vegan soul food and really creamy – recipe for oven cheese without cheese

A classic without any milk
Vegan soul food: recipe for oven cheese without cheese

by Laura Stunz
October 8th, 2021, 7:09 pm

Autumn is here – and it doesn’t always show its golden side. When the days get shorter and darker, it’s getting colder outside and the wind is blowing through the streets, it’s time to make yourself really comfortable at home.

Stormy days and drizzle are the number one argument for transforming your own home into a small oasis of well-being – in addition to fairy lights, autumnal decorations and plenty of scented candles, the hours at home invite you to be creative in the kitchen.

What would fit better than a warming, aromatic oven cheese? As the French chef and author Guillaume Marinette said: “Melted cheese is fascinating: it warms the heart and body.” The cheese from the oven is the absolute soul food of the cold season – for example, accompanied by a fresh baguette, crispy salad and a glass of red wine.

The oven cheese and its origin

The Vacherin Mont d’Or, which has been produced during the winter months in the French-Swiss border region for more than 200 years, can be regarded as the original form of oven cheese. If it has reached the right maturity, its core is almost liquid. The Vacherin is a soft cheese made from raw cow’s milk. The French expression Mont d’Or originated in the 19th century and has been an officially protected designation of origin since 1981. It can be translated as “Goldberg” – named after the mountain of the same name, Mont d’Or.

Oven cheese is similar in consistency to Vacherin, but is usually enjoyed warm. Accordingly, it can also be seen as a simplified version of the cheese fondue. There are some myths about the origin of the cheese fondue. One says that the fondue was invented by Sennen. Cut off from the environment, they would have tried new recipe variants with the foods available to them – cheese and bread.

Some stories attribute the invention to the monks. Since they were not allowed to eat solid food during Lent, they satiated their hunger by melting cheese – without breaking the fasting rule. Refined. Both Switzerland and Savogen in France see themselves as the inventors of the popular cheese specialty. No wonder, after all, the two nations are considered absolute cheese specialists. In France, the “Fondue Savoyarde” is even considered a national dish. Switzerland sees the origin of fondue in the Kappel milk soup, which was eaten when peace was made in the first Kappel war.

Wherever the fondue – and thus the oven cheese – was really invented, it remains unclear. The fact is that melted warm cheese makes you happy and is extremely popular. All that remains is the small drawback that it is mostly made from cow’s milk …

The dilemma with milk

… If you want to reduce your consumption of dairy products for ethical, health and ecological reasons or if you are completely vegan but do not want to forego anything, you will sooner or later have to deal with the subject of “vegan substitute products”. Vegan cheese alternatives can now also be found in well-stocked supermarkets, but they usually cost a multiple of the original product. In addition, you will look in vain for a vegan variant of the oven cheese. All the better that you can easily prepare it yourself.

Ingeniously veganized

The basis of the vegan oven cheese are cashew nuts. These ensure the creaminess and give a pleasantly nutty-mild taste. Cashew nuts are an excellent vegetable source of fat and protein. They are also full of magnesium and phosphorus and can support muscles, nerves, teeth and bones. Due to their high content of B vitamins, cashew nuts are also often referred to as ideal food for the nerves. They also contain large amounts of L-tryptophan, an amino acid from which the body makes serotonin, the so-called happiness hormone.

Yeast flakes, also known as nutritional or noble yeast, provide the typical cheesy taste. They also have binding properties and thus contribute to the creaminess. Yeast flakes are considered a real superfood. They are rich in vitamins B1, B2, B6 as well as pantothenic and folic acid. They also contain numerous trace elements, minerals and protein in the form of easily usable amino acids.

Cornstarch is used for binding. Alternatively, potato or corn starch can also be used, for example. Last but not least, tapioca starch is ideal for those of you who like to experiment. Tapioca starch is the ground, dried pulp of the cassava plant. A fine, white powder with a neutral taste is created, which gives food a smooth, chewy texture – it makes the cheese particularly “cheese-like” and provides the typical “cheese threads”. To do this, replace the cornstarch with the tapioca starch.

Plenty of garlic, herbs, salt and pepper round off the taste. Apple cider vinegar provides the necessary acidity, while the olive oil provides the final finish. Voilà – your homemade vegan oven cheese is boiled and baked on the table. Bon Appetit!

Recipe for homemade vegan oven cheese

ingredients

preparation

Goes well with: fresh bread or baguette and a colorful salad.

Sources: RND, Pubmed