The Ultimate Vegan fondue.
What would you call a person who is mad about cheese? My son, who falls in that category answers- Fondude:)
Fondue, has its origins from Switzerland, and was popularized from 1930s, to increase cheese consumption. Over the years, it has been our tradition to relish fondue for special occasions. Pre-covid, we would make a dinner reservation, then drive for 30 min, wait for another 15 min before we had the much awaited fondue at a restaurant. The intense cheese experience was, to be honest very indulgent and addictive. Cheese is one of those foods that humans cannot resist scientifically, in addition to chocolate:)
So, it is a challenge to create the same magic by being completely plant based and with no cheese. This recipe makes us enjoy a cozy family fondue in under 45 min, with no leaving the house, nourishing us with hearty vegetables, nuts, seeds and no animal products, and definitely is very much on par with usual cheese fondue in terms of flavor, texture and the addictive nature. I have made this recipe my family tradition for birthdays and it is now one of the much awaited ones. Easy to make and much healthier than the classic dairy based fondue, is worth a try, to make any dinner extra special.
The Ultimate Vegan fondue
Equipment
- Blender
- Pressure cooker – optional
- Fondue pot to serve
Ingredients
- 4 medium yellow potatoes cubed
- 2 Turnips roughly sliced
- 1 Radish roughly sliced
- 1 cup cashews soak in warm water for at least 30 min
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds soak in water for 30 min
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds soak in water for 30 min
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 4 cups water or vegetable broth
- 2 jalapenos chopped
- 3 cloves garlic- sliced
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- red pepper flakes – optional
- salt to taste
- 2 tsp oil- olive oil or avocado oil
Dippings
- bread slices
- steamed asparagus
- steamed carrots
- green apples
- steamed broccoli
- cherry tomatoes
- steamed cauliflower
- sweet chili peppers
Instructions
- Soak the nuts and seeds atl east 30 min prior to cooking. You can pressure cook the potatoes, turnip, radish together or just boil them over stovetop. If using instant pot to pressure cook the veggies, pressure cook for 10 min.
- Add oil to a small pan. Once hot, add the garlic , followed by jalapenos and saute for 3 min.
- Add the cooked potatoes, turnips, radish, along with sautéed garlic jalapenos to a blender jar. Then add the soaked nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast with a cup of water. Blend into a smooth paste.
- In a sauce pan, add the blended 'cheesy' mixture. On medium heat, stir in the turmeric, pepper powder, salt and red chili pepper flakes per preference.
- Then add the white wine vinegar, that adds a nice flavor over all. Mix well
- Add the tapioca flour to about 1/2 cup water , mix well with a spoon. Now add this mixture to the sauce pan, while stirring in.
- The mixture will start to thicken a bit and get a stretchy texture. At this stage add more water or broth – usually about 2-3 cups to attain the consistency of your choice, closest to melted cheese.
- Take the sauce into a fondue pot and serve with the dippings of your choice.
- The measurements above, make enough fondue for about 6 adults. Adjust if making for fewer people. The idea is simple- make a base of potatoes, turnips, radish , with nuts, seeds. Add the nutritional yeast and tapioca flour to get the aroma, flavor, texture. Adjust the spice level. Add the color with turmeric and give a final touch with a splash of white wine vinegar.