How to build the perfect vegan charcuterie board

By: Zack Brown

Charcuterie boards are often filled with an assortment of meats and cheeses with sides of spreads, nuts, vegetables, and fruits. For vegans—building a charcuterie board may seem like an impossible task—but with a large variety of plant-based meats and cheeses on the market today, anyone can build the perfect vegan charcuterie board in no time.

Step 1: Acquire the perfect charcuterie board

The board in which you showcase your final product must be pleasing to the eye. No plastic plates here—show your guests that your vegan charcuterie board is the real deal.

Grocery List

· 2 vegan cheeses · 2 vegan meats · 1 bag of mixed nuts · 1 bottle of agave (combine with red pepper flakes to create hot “honey”) · 1 box of water crackers · 1 bag of pretzels · 1 jar of olives · 1 container of hummus · 1 container of strawberries · 1 container of blackberries · 1 container of carrots · 1 container of celery

Step 2: Create your grocery list

This is crucial if this is your first time creating a vegan charcuterie board. Your shopping will go much smoother if you have an idea of what you need before going to the store. Write down what you want to include in your board. It may look something like this.

Step 3: Go to your nearest inclusive grocery store

Finding the right grocery store that will have an assortment of vegan-friendly products is key to having the perfect board. In the Ames and Des Moines area, Wheatsfield Cooperative, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods are great options for finding vegan-friendly choices for your charcuterie board. Hy-Vee and Aldi also offer great, budget-friendly vegan finds as well.

Step 4: Purchase the ingredients

The vegan cheeses and vegan meats are going to be up to you in the end. Vegan cheeses and meats can be hit or miss. But—there are a lot of great ones out there. Here is a list of great vegan cheeses and meats to help you create the perfect board.

The Miyoko’s Creamery vegan cheese wheels made from cashew milk are perfect for a vegan charcuterie board. These wheels will elevate your board with a sense of class and elegance—and your non-vegan friends won’t even be able to tell the difference. The Field Roast Company makes a great line of vegan meats and cheeses that can be found at a variety of different grocery stores. Their Chao vegan cheese comes in a block, and has a great taste—especially when paired with some of their vegan sausages.

When looking for a great vegan deli meat option, Unreal Deli and Tofurky are going to be your best bets. Unreal Deli is available at Whole Foods, whereas Tofurky is more commonly found in most grocery stores.

Lara Murray, a sophomore at Iowa State University, has been a vegan for a few years. When asked what brand of vegan meat or cheese she would opt for when creating a charcuterie board, she said, “I don’t use vegan meats and cheeses very often. If I was creating a vegan charcuterie board, I would just put a bunch of different types of nuts, so that there is a source of protein on the board.”

Having vegan meats and cheeses on your board isn’t necessary, but it may amp up the board in a way that both vegans and non-vegans can both enjoy it.

Step 5: Assemble the board

Now, this is the fun part! Organize your board in a way that makes sense for you and your guests. Make sure that everything is evenly dispersed, so that everyone can nibble away no matter where they are standing or sitting. Serve with a glass of vegan wine and enjoy your perfect vegan charcuterie board.