How to Make the Perfect Vegan Charcuterie Board

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If you’re worried that a vegan charcuterie board will feel limiting, au contraire. The plant kingdom affords endless color and creative possibility, so the only limit is your imagination. (And possibly the availability of plant meats and cheeses near you — more on that later.) Although “charcuterie” traditionally refers to cured meats, there are so many directions you can take with your vegan spread. Keep it classic and feature gourmet, plant-based meats and cheeses, or showcase the best of the season’s fruits and vegetables. Or anything in between. The choice, and all the creative fun to be had, is yours.

How to Approach a Vegan Charcuterie Board

Whether you’re a long-time plant-based eater looking for inspiration, or a hostess or host looking to delight your plant-forward friends, building a vegan charcuterie board is a fun and creative endeavor. There are just a few key parameters to keep in mind:

1. Ingredient Sourcing: As you’ll discover later on in this post, some of the best vegan meats and cheeses are easiest to purchase online. However, that may mean long lead times (sometimes up to 1.5 weeks). So if your event is right around the corner, you may have to plan accordingly.

2. Time & Effort: If you’re willing to make dips and spreads from scratch, a whole world of charcuterie board possibilities opens up. But you may already have plenty of party planning on your plate, in which case store-bought dips and spreads will do just fine.

3. Cost: It’s easy to spend a lot on a fancy charcuterie board. Upscale vegan meats and cheeses tend to cost a pretty penny. So if your special occasion will spare no expense, go for it. But if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, plan to go heavy on the more cost-effective components.

The Key Components of a Vegan Charcuterie Board

You can’t really go wrong here, as long as you have enough different flavors, textures, and colors to make things interesting. In terms of assembly, a good rule of thumb is to begin by placing your biggest and/or focal items like meats, cheese, and spreads, and then layer in your other ingredients. The best charcuterie boards seem to skirt the line between order and chaos, so let loose and have fun putting it all together.

The Board Itself

Though cutting boards are the classic base for a charcuterie spread, there are various options. You might opt for a marble board, slate slab, or any other food-safe tray that you have at your disposal. Note that if your board is sufficiently stuffed, you’ll hardly be able to see the bottom anyway. (Of course, the bottom may become visible as people munch. But even then, things spread out and no one pays too much attention.)

Bread & Crackers

The cornerstone of any charcuterie spread is, no doubt, the delicious carby base. Crackers offer easy stacking, visual appeal, and a nice opportunity for variety in size, shape, crunch, flavor, and ingredients (e.g. it’s easy to find good gluten-free crackers).

But few things bring a charcuterie spread together better than a baguette. Drizzle it with a little olive oil and pop it in the oven at 300 degrees for a few minutes. Then delight in that perfect crackle when you give it a little squeeze. You can slice it, or leave it whole for your guests to slice or pull apart as they please.

Fruits & Veggies

Go wild with fruits and veggies on your vegan charcuterie board. Fruit will add color and unique textures, and a welcome sweet intermission between savory items. Grapes are one great option; they stay together nicely on their vine, last well in the open air, and look pretty. And you can’t go wrong with strawberries, blackberries, oranges, kiwis, apples, and anything else your heart desires. Dried fruit is also a great option in fall and winter.

Likewise with vegetables. Cucumbers are a classic because they’re a great carrier for dips (and crisp and refreshing on their own — especially Persian cucumbers). Add in some carrots, celery, radishes, tomatoes, snap peas, and anything else you love. Bonus points if your produce is in-season, as that will take the flavors to the next level.

Nuts

Barring any allergies at your gathering, nuts bring some lovely crunch to the mix. I find that roasted cashews always hit the spot and complement lots of other flavors, but pecans, pistachios, or a nut mix are nice as well. And depending on the season and your other board components, candied nuts can offer a little fun and intrigue.

Pickled Things

Salt lovers will need no convincing on this point. Add in your favorite pickles, olives, artichoke hearts, pickled asparagus, marinated mushrooms, and more. That tangy, briny profile will bring a vegan charcuterie board to new heights; it opens up a whole world of potential flavor combinations. If you’re feeling wild, you can even branch out into more exotic pickled things, like green beans, green tomatoes, radishes.

A note on olives that may go without saying: Pitted olives are best if possible, so guests don’t have to hunt for a place to dispose of the pits.

Spreads & Dips

Like bread and crackers, spreads and dips are a foundational pillar to a successful vegan charcuterie board — especially if you opt out of plant meats and cheeses (more on that below). All the other board components will benefit from something spreadable that lends texture and flavor. Mix it up with dips and spreads that are savory, sweet, spicy, creamy, or all of the above.

Depending on your time constraints, you can usually find lovely (if basic) options at your local grocer, like hummus and a vegan cheese dip. Jams and preserves are also top notch. If you have the time and motivation, you can make an easy plant-based dip or two to elevate your board with something freshly prepared.

Vegan Meats & Cheeses [Optional]

How, pray tell, are the meats and cheeses optional on a charcuterie board? Well, we can be trendy and call it a “grazing board” instead, if we like. But the point is that these elements are not essential for a wow-worthy vegan charcuterie board. I underscore this because, depending on where you live, charcuterie-appropriate vegan meat and cheese can be hard (or pricey) to find.

If you live near a Whole Foods or other natural foods store, you may find some good options there. (See the next section for some additional ideas.) However, if you choose to go a simpler route, know that you can still make an exceptional vegan charcuterie board using just in-season produce, fresh bread, and homemade dips.

Where to Buy Vegan Meats & Cheese

As aforementioned, things can get tricky when it comes to finding suitable meats and cheeses for your vegan charcuterie spread. Here are three possible approaches:

1. Grocery Store: If you live in or near a vegan-friendly city, you’re in luck! You’ll likely find some solid options at your nearest natural foods store. Regardless of where you live, you may be able to find options in the natural or vegan section of your conventional grocer. It’s worth a look. (e.g. Chao cheese slices, which are supah tasty, are widely available. And vegan Babybels.) If you discover a meat or cheese brand that interests you online, visit the store locator on their site to see if and where it’s available near you.

2. Online: This will probably be your best bet for laying hands on the exact vegan meats and cheeses you’re looking for. The caveats are that sometimes a) you’ll encounter very long lead times for your order, which can be impractical if your party or gathering is coming up shortly, and b) shipping may prove prohibitively expensive. If you want to explore this route, I recommend checking out Rebel Cheese (brand), RIND (brand), Riverdel (marketplace), Besties (marketplace), and The Vreamery (marketplace).

3. Make Your Own: If this idea fills you with the same cold dread that it fills me with, then forget I brought it up. But if you’re an enterprising type who loves to cook, you GO for it. There are several highly-rated books on making vegan cheese from scratch that you can find here.

Themed Vegan Charcuterie Board Ideas

If the more open-ended approach to creating a vegan charcuterie board doesn’t work as well for you, consider building your board around a theme. Here are some ideas:

Mediterranean

Featuring: Falafels, stuffed grape leaves, homemade hummus, vegan tzatziki (this one’s my fave), mixed olives, cucumbers, pickled red onions, roasted red peppers, pickles, and pita wedges.

Italian

Featuring: Little vegan meatballs (most grocery stores will have at least one option), Miyoko’s mozzarella, Mia vegan carpaccio, tomatoes (heirloom, on the vine), fresh basil, olives, and melon balls.

Just Fruit (or Fruit + Cheese)

Charfruiterie, if you will. Though not appropriate for every setting, there’s a time and a place for an all-fruit board. Like: the dead of summer when everything is perfectly ripe, fresh, and can be locally sourced.

Additional Considerations

Here are some other quick pointers and reminders as you bring your charcuterie board to life:

• Thinking seasonally will pay dividends when it comes to flavors and vibes. If it’s hot weather, consider going all out with fresh fruits and veggies that are at their prime. If it’s the middle of winter, then heavier and more warming ingredients (think dried fruit, candied nuts, denser cheeses) will hit the spot and compliment other things you might be serving, like apple cider or hot cocoa.
• Don’t forget all the accoutrement, like spoons, knives, and forks for serving, tooth picks, little plates, and napkins.
• With the pickables accounted for, you can turn to the sippables: bring it all together with your favorite vegan wine or nonalcoholic cocktail.