If one day I rubbed my tea kettle and a magic cooking genie came out (I’m picturing the genie looking like Julia Child), and she declared “I will grant you one magic cooking wish!” (did you just read that in her warbly voice? Because I totally did). I would wish for the ability to go back in time when I ate all the non-vegan things, and take extremely detailed notes about the flavours, textures, and what could possibly taste similar in the vegan cooking world.
One of the more challenging things I do for my recipes is to try and recall tastes that I last had over 4 years ago if not longer! I have done this with my nacho cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cheese ball, but also in “meatier” type recipes such as my chili, and my bolognese, and even in desserts when making peanut butter cups, and pumpkin pie. Let me tell you, replicating flavours from memory is tough stuff, and it always has me digging through my fridge and pantry tasting random things, looking for the perfect missing flavour.
There are few things more exciting when people exclaim that my recipe tastes just like the non-vegan version or EVEN BETTER! Woot! Joy.
Once again, I have attempted reaching the far corners of my taste memory and I made this Vegan Blue Cheese Dip.
This vegan blue cheese dip is tangy, creamy, a little tart, full of umami, and even has chunks of cheesy(ish) goodness throughout. Best yet, it only requires 6 ingredients and can be whipped up in under 5 minutes. Just add everything to a bowl, stir, enjoy. My kinda recipe!
Whether it tastes exactly the same as traditional blue cheese dip, I’m not sure, but I will tell you one thing, it is a mighty tasty dip! And it makes the perfect accompaniment to buffalo flavoured things- I bet you have an idea of what recipe is coming up next, you clever minx you. ;
Only 6 ingredients and takes less than 5 minutes to make. Perfect to pair with buffalo cauliflower or vegan chicken wings.
- 1 cup vegan mayonaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dill
- 1/4 block medium or firm tofu (about 85g), crumbled
- Add everything but the tofu to a bowl and stir well to combine. Once mixed, add in the tofu crumbles, and give it another stir to mix in. Enjoy!
Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
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Is there another herb you would recommend as a substitute? I loved blue cheese before I went dairy free but absolutely cannot stand the taste of dill! Would love to try this recipe though!
You can just skip it. Enjoy!
Thanks Sam. Did exactly that and it’s crazy how much this tastes like blue cheese!
servigns are what we get when we go to heaven
servings is more likely what you meant 🙂
I don’t see that typo anywhere?
It’s on the nutritional information, at the top.
I would love to try this, but I think I only have red miso. Do you think it’ll still work?
I’m sure the flavour would be ok, but it would make your dip a funny colour.
Hello there, i’m Louis from Greece and i think i am going to love this recipe! I was wondering if i can use soy sauce or vegetable stock instead of miso paste. is it going to taste the same???
Thank you
It will not get the same taste. Miso has a unique umami flavour which is what really helps get the blue cheese taste here. I hope you enjoy it!
I was a bleu cheese junkie. Tried this tonight with the buffalo cauliflower…oh man! Soooo good! (both recipes!) I did not have tofu, so I omitted it, but didn’t miss it. Also did not have any miso paste. A quick search and I found tahini suggested as a sub. Worked wonderfully. Thank you so much!.
yay! So happy you enjoyed them both, Jenn 😀
Do you use fresh or dried dill?
dried 🙂
Great tasting stuff! I used chopped garbanzo beans in place of the tofu. Works great!
Wonderful! So glad you liked it 🙂
BTW I used a pastry cutter to chop the garbanzo beans. Leave no beans un-chopped. Very favorable results testing this with a bunch of guys at beer club.
Great idea!!
This was delicious! I’m vegetarian so I made both this recipe and a standard blue cheese dip and asked my family (five people in all) to taste test them. Three people strongly preferred your dip, one liked both equally, and one preferred the blue cheese dip.
Your dip doesn’t taste exactly like blue cheese dip, but it has a surprisingly similar sort of presence. If my blue cheese dip was like some of the lighter blue cheese dips I’ve had, I think they would have been even closer. I did add a squeeze of lemon, a small clove of garlic and a bit of salt and pepper to your recipe in order to try to make the two dips more similar, but then I made it a second time exactly as you’ve written it. It was fabulous both times.
I’m going to make it again this weekend with the buffalo cauliflower. Thanks for your wonderful recipes!
Wow! Great review. Thanks for doing a side by side taste test! Great to know how the response was, and even better to know that the vegan one won!! So happy you love the recipe Mary 🙂
Not a comment, but a question. What brand of vegan mayo do you use? I have tried several, but haven’t found one that I really love.
Right now I have been enjoying Hellmann’s vegan mayo, but I often make my own as well (recipe will be in my cookbook). 🙂
Thanks!! Looking forward to your recipe! Can’t wait to try with your cauliflower buffalo wings. I LOVE roaster cauliflower in all different forms!!
Woohoo! I hope you saw that my Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower recipe is now available 🙂
That looks delicious! Since I’m an omni who just prefers to eat vegan most of the time, you can just feel free to send me any recipes you want to test! 😉
Haha, awesome! Let me know if you like this one 🙂
I try to avoid tofu since I have autoimmune disease, is there a substitution?
It’s just for texture, so you could easily skip it and still have all the flavour. 🙂
Makes me wonder if one could add marinated tempeh that’s been cooked crumbed and cooled instead of tofu. Than added to the said recipe? I usually make my own tempeh using white or black beans. No soy for me! What type of marinate would you use?
Absolutely. The texture would be quite different as I am using a medium or firm tofu, and tempeh is much denser, but it would add some crumbles. I don’t marinate the tofu in this, it’s just for texture.
What kind of miso? I never know what kind to use. I have a white kind and a sweet one I think is brown.
You rock!!! Recipe invention is fun. When I have the time, I like to try and recreate dishes I have had at restaurants or other people’s houses. Such a yummy and creative endeavor! Not always successful but that’s the fun and challenge of trying to do it.
You’re right, I forgot to be specific about the miso, I updated the recipe, I used white miso paste. I love re-creating restaurant dishes too! 🙂
I ordered the miso from the link in the recipe but got miso broth instead of white miso paste…my bad, I didn’t examine the link closely enough. I’m not familiar with miso. Can the paste be substituted for the broth somehow?
Oh that’s too bad. Sometimes when a product is out of stock, Amazon will flip you to a similar product, (in this case not similar enough!). I’m afraid the broth will be too mild in flavour and won’t do much except make the recipe watery. You could used the broth instead of the water and miso paste in this soup recipe, however. Enjoy!
I love the flavor of bleu cheez. Can’t wait to try this. And…I love it when I already have everything to execute a new recipe! Will let you know how it goes!
Yay! I hope you love it Debbie 🙂
Yum! I have this thing lately where I want blue cheese with my (vegan) pizza. Now I can have it all — thank you!
Woo hoo!! I hope you love it 🙂