Vegan Bleu Cheese Dip

Vegan MoFo 2015 Day 10: Something blue.

I have been on a quest to find a good vegan bleu cheese recipe for years! Several years ago, lusting after something even remotely similar to a Stilton, I tried Cheezly's Blue Style block. It was ok, but there was something a little off about it--kind of artificial tasting? (This was quite a few years ago, so it may have improved since then.)

I've also tried many online recipes. This variation of the many I've sampled is tasty enough, if not entirely "bleu-cheesy". So far, it's as good as any I've tried.

I read somewhere that fermented tofu is the secret of an authentic vegan bleu cheese. Seeing as how I have yet purchase, or make fermented tofu; I used tofu marinated in seasoned rice vinegar in its stead. I marinated the tofu for about 8 hours--longer would be better. This isn't really a recipe, but rather a loose guideline.

Vegan Bleu Cheese Dip or Dressing 

1/4 cup extra firm tofu, cut into cubes and marinated in seasoned rice vinegar for several hours or overnight

1 Tablespoon of finely chopped parsley

1 cup vegan mayo (I used unsweetened cashew yogurt)

 unsalted, unsweetened, roasted tahini paste to taste

lemon juice to taste

apple cider vinegar to taste

pinch of garlic granules

salt and pepper to taste (if you use mayo, you might not need any more salt)

Drain the vinegar cubes and crumble them into small pieces. Add the finely chopped parsley and garlic granules and mix.

In a separate bowl, spoon in the mayo and gradually add the tahini, lemon juice, and cider vinegar, tasting as you go. Start with 1/2 teaspoon of each, taste, and add more according to your palate, seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Combine mixture with the crumbled tofu.

The only advice I can give is know what you're aiming for and trust your own palate.

It turns out a little different each time I make it. On this occasion, I used 2 teaspoons tahini, 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice. I added a scant 1/4 teaspoon of salt and some pepper to taste. But, keep in mind that I used homemade yogurt, which doesn't contain any salt...if using store bought mayo, you may not need to add any salt at all. 

Does it taste like bleu cheese?

Sort of...this particular rendition was pretty good actually. The flavors are stronger and better the next day.