Vegan | Gluten-free | Soy-free

If you are looking for an appetizer that’s tasty and different, you will love this creamy Vegan Whipped Feta with Balsamic Strawberries Dip. The combination of vegan feta cheese with fresh herbs, balsamic glaze, and strawberries is to die for. 

I started making this vegan feta dip a few months ago after seeing a non-vegan version on Instagram. By making slight changes to veganize it, I landed a totally irresistible dip that’s ideal for dipping, spreading, or dressing salads, served with pita bread or toast. It also goes very well with vegetables and can be used as a sauce for pasta. 

The making of: Vegan Whipped Feta with Balsamic Strawberries Dip

We’re living in amazing times where there’s essentially a vegan version of everything. That is the case for feta cheese which is traditionally made from sheep’s milk, now there are so many vegan options!

Although you can make your own, for this recipe a store-bought block of vegan feta works best. My preferred one is Violife and it works great! However, if you can’t find vegan feta cheese, any other soft vegan salty cheese should work. 

To make this recipe, first, you’ll need to roast the strawberries with a mixture of balsamic glaze and maple syrup. This process really brings out their sweetness. This will make them soft and juicy; a new way to enjoy this delicious fruit! 

Meanwhile, start preparing the feta dip by whipping together vegan feta, vegan sour cream, and hummus; chill in the fridge. When the strawberries are done, allow them to completely cool down before adding them on top of the dip. Serve the dip on a serving plate or bowl, and top with strawberries, toasted almonds, and mint. If desired drizzle with olive oil for an extra flavor kick. 

You can use this dip in a myriad of ways. As I mentioned before, this dip can also double as a spread on a sandwich, a salad dressing, and a pasta sauce (minus the strawberries). But my favorite way is still as a dip! Serve with toasted bread, pita, and/or veggies.

As you see above, this Vegan Whipped Feta with Balsamic Strawberries Dip is the perfect recipe for when you have guests, because it is prepared in a few minutes with very few ingredients. You can also prepare it ahead of time and keep it well covered in the refrigerator until serving time.

How does it sound? It’s so easy that you don’t even need an excuse to make it! Just do it!

Strawberry Variations:

• Any other berry
• Roasted cherry tomatoes
• Roasted dates
• Artichokes
• Pesto
• Everything bagel seasoning
• Garlic confit

Notes:

• For the feta cheese, I’m using the Violife feta block. 
• If you’re making this recipe for an event, you can make the vegan feta dip and strawberries a couple of hours in advance; just make sure to keep them in separate containers until serving time.
• Leftovers? Store dip in an airtight container in your fridge for up to a week.

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Vegan Whipped Feta with Balsamic Strawberries Dip

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Serves: 2-4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

Roasted Strawberries

• 2 lbs fresh strawberries
• 2 Tbsp balsamic glaze (or vinegar)
• 2 tsp maple syrup

Whipped Feta Dip:

• 200g block of vegan feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup hummus
• 1/4 cup vegan sour cream
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Serve With:

• Toasted bread (like sourdough or baguette)
• Fresh mint
• Roasted almonds
• Drizzle of garlic-infused olive oil

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. To a large bowl, add all whipped feta ingredients and whip using a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until completely smooth and creamy; scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed. Transfer to the fridge and chill for 30-60 minutes. 
3. While the dip gets chilled, prepare the strawberries. Wash them and remove the stems. Depending on size, slice each strawberry in half or quarters. Pat dry with a paper towel and place on a paper-lined baking sheet.
4. Drizzle the balsamic glaze and maple syrup on top of the strawberries, and toss until combined. Then transfer to the oven and roast for about 30-35 minutes. 
5. When strawberries are done roasting, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes. Transfer them to a container (with all the juices!) and chill in the fridge.
6. When you're ready to serve this recipe, spoon the whipped vegan feta dip into a large shallow bowl; use your spoon to swirl and spread it around. Top with the roasted strawberries.
7. Garnish with roasted almonds, fresh mint, a drizzle of garlic-infused olive oil, and a sprinkle of black pepper.
8. Serve with toasted bread or chips for dipping. ENJOY!

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Vegan | Gluten-free | Soy-free

Today we’re honoring National Fried Chicken Day with a recipe that I’ve been dying to make for months! This is truly one of the tastiest dishes that exists in vegan gastronomy: Oyster Mushroom Fried Chick’n. 

The breaded mushrooms dipped in a vegan garlic aioli, are a delicious snack, side or main dish that combine amazing texture with intense flavor. These end up being so similar to KFC and Church’s Chicken that hopefully they’ll convince you to finally go vegan!

Oyster Mushrooms

Mushrooms in general are a rich source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. According to Harvard School of Public Health, they may also mitigate the risk of developing serious health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. I LOVE them, and find them to be the perfect plan-based meaty ingredient to add to dishes. 

But oyster mushrooms specifically have the perfect texture to replicate chicken in this dish. They’re easy to handle, but incredibly difficult to find here in Puerto Rico. If you live near an Asian market, you might be in luck; if not, you might want to contact your local Fungiculturist (mushroom grower) or you can easily grow them yourself. 

The Recipe: Pure Comfort Food

Oyster Mushroom Fried Chick’n is a very easy dish that you can prepare with few ingredients that, aside from the oyster mushrooms, you probably have everything else at hand. I know what you’re thinking, do they really taste like chicken? I know it’s crazy but it’s 100% true! Because of the resulting texture along with the seasonings, these really taste like fried chicken. 

The batter is made from a combination of home-made cashew cream, pickle brine, sriracha, apple cider vinegar, along with herbs and spices. And the coating is made with chickpea flour, corn starch, baking powder and gluten-free panko. Completely vegan, gluten & soy free!

You can either fry them, bake them or air-fry them, but I’m going to be honest, fried will yield the best results. When done, you can serve the Oyster Mushroom Fried Chick’n as an appetizer  with homemade garlic aioli, as a side or main dish. 

I can guarantee that the end result will be delicious!

Serving Suggestions

• As an appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce
• Go classic with some mashed potatoes, gravy and biscuits
• Alongside roasted potatoes
• With some tacos, like my caesar salad tacos

Alternate Cooking Instructions

• Baked: Preheat oven to 375°F. Once all the mushrooms are coated, place in a paper lined baking tray, generously spray them with avocado oil (or any other high smoke point oil). Cook them for 30 minutes; flip half way and respray with oil if needed to ensure they are cooking properly. 
• Air-fried: Set air fryer to 400°F. Once all the coated mushrooms are in the basket, generously spray them with avocado oil (or any other high smoke point oil). Cook them in increments of 5 minutes for 15 minutes. Every 5 minutes flip them and lightly spray any pieces that still have visible dry flour to ensure they are cooking properly. Repeat if you have to do this in batches.

Notes

• For better tasting results, separate the mushroom cluster into smaller pieces before coating and frying.
• This recipe is made gluten-free by using chickpea flour and gluten-free panko. If you don’t care for gluten-free recipes, you can use regular all-purpose flour and vegan panko. 
• Speaking of panko, many gluten-free panko are not vegan-friendly, so make sure to read the ingredients beforehand. This is the gluten-free panko that I recommend, 
• Be careful to not overcook as mushrooms can start losing moisture and sogging up the batter. Ideally cook 3-4 minutes on each side. 
• Leftovers? Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I find that the best way to reheat them is to lightly air-fry them for a couple of minutes; alternatively, you can lo-broil them on each side for about 3 minutes.

Pin Print

Oyster Mushroom Fried Chick'n

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Serves: 4-6 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes 15 minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 4 cups oyster mushrooms, rinsed and patted dry

Batter:

• Cashew Cream (smoothly blend: 1 cup raw cashews + ½ cup water + 2 tbsp + 1 garlic clove + salt to taste) 
• ½  tbsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp pickle brine (from pickle jar)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cumin.

Coating:

• 1 cup chickpea flour (+ more if needed)
• ½  cup cornstarch
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• Seasonings to taste: celery salt, pepper, oregano, all spice (optional), onion powder, and garlic powder.

Procedure

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine ingredients for the batter: cashew cream, sriracha, pickle brine, apple cider vinegar and seasonings. Make sure the texture resembles pancake batter thickness. Set aside in the fridge.
2. In another bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and seasonings.
3. Heat up oil to 375° F either in an electric deep fryer, or a regular frying pan to medium heat.
4. Separate the oyster mushroom clusters into smaller pieces while the oil heats up. Once the oil is ready, dredge your mushrooms first in the wet mixture, then dry, and then repeat to double dredge. Shake off any excess flour and batter. 
5. Place carefully in oil and let it fry until golden brown on both sides. Be careful to not over cook longer than 3-4 minutes. 
6. When done, remove pieces from oil and place to rest on a wire rack. Repeat until all your chick'n is fried.
7. You can keep the fried mushrooms warm in an oven or air-fryer set to the lowest setting or serve immediately. 
8. Serve on their own with your favorite dipping sauce, along mashed potatoes or in a Chick’n Sandwich. ENJOY!

Did You Make This Recipe?

How you went with my recipes? Tag me on Instagram at @veggiejeva

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

When you leave feedback it helps me improve and grow, leave me a comment below!

If you have Pinterest, you can find me here and Pin the following picture, if you like!

All images & content are protected. Please do not use my images or content prior to permission. If you want to republish this blog post, please link back to this post. Thank you for supporting VeggieJeva!

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The post Oyster Mushroom Fried Chick’n appeared first on VeggieJeva.