For one day only, I’m fulfilling my dream of being a food blogger!
I love charcuterie boards, but finding a vegan-friendly one “in the wild” isn’t easy. We arranged this one on Valentine’s Day during quarantine (yes, this is a very belated post).
This vegan charcuterie board is fairly easy to put together, and definitely hits the spot. It features a lot of foods you can find at Trader Joe’s, as well as a few fun Whole Foods finds. Let’s dive in!
Vegan Charcuterie Board Ideas
Here are the ingredients for our vegan charcuterie board. Obviously, you can add and subtract as you’d like, and you can find a lot of similar items at different grocery stores. Use this as a jumping board!
If you do go with the exact products mentioned, I’ve included photos of some of the items in their original packaging below so that you know what to look for.
Fruits and Veggies
- Olives: We went with the Italian Green “Bella Di Cerignola” Olives from Trader Joe’s. Lately, I’ve also been loving the Kalamata Olives with Jalapeño and Peri Peri Peppers (also from Trader Joe’s), and it’s a great option if you like a bit of spice. If you’re shopping at Whole Foods, you could also pick out your favorites from their olive bar!
- Grilled Artichokes: We bought the Ibericos Tapas Style Grilled Artichoke Quarters from Trader Joe’s. The jarred Marinated Artichoke Hearts (also from Trader Joe’s) could also work here!
- Cornichons: These jarred mini pickled cucumbers from Trader Joe’s (but of course, you can find them elsewhere) add some nice crunch to the board!
Dips and Spreads
- Pesto: The Vegan Kale, Cashew, and Basil Pesto is available with the other refrigerated sauces and dips at Trader Joe’s. You can also make your own – this one from Minimalist Baker is my go-to!
- Beet Dip: This Beet Dip Recipe from NYTimes Cooking is seriously delicious (we don’t make the Labneh portion of the recipe), and it tastes really good with Social Snackers.
- Hummus: We didn’t have this on our charcuterie board, but this is a great alternative if you don’t make the beet dip (or just live it up and have them both!).
- Fig Butter: The Fig Butter from Trader Joe’s is super yummy. If you can’t find it (or are anti-fig), your favorite jam will do!
- Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar: Who doesn’t love bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar? We had visited Ojai for a day trip the weekend before and picked up some amazing olive oil and balsamic vinegar from Ojai Olive Oil.
“Meats”
- Mia Prosciutto Style Plant-Based Deli Slices: I found these plant-based prosciutto slices at Whole Foods and they did not disappoint! They’re particularly good with pesto on a piece of bread.
Bread and Crackers
- Sliced Baguette: We didn’t pick up anything too fancy – just grabbed a French Baguette from Trader Joe’s!
- Social Snackers: If you haven’t had these staple crackers from Trader Joe’s, you’re missing out. They are super buttery (but vegan!), and are particularly good with the beet dip and hummus.
Arranging the Vegan Charcuterie Board
I’m not a charcuterie board expert or food stylist (working on it), but I started by arranging the bread slices and crackers on the board. From there, we arranged some bowls with our dips and snacks around the bread and crackers, and then laid out the prosciutto. Of course, since this was a Valentine’s Day vegan charcuterie board, we fancied up the table with some flowers and taper candles.
If you’re looking for some more at-home meal/theme night ideas, I did a whole series of them during quarantine! You can find previous posts here. Two favorites are the Sushi Night and the Craft Beer Tasting with Homemade Pretzels.