Taste Testing Vegan Cheeses
Vegan cheeses
One the reasons I am not a vegan is my love for cheese. I eat all types pepper jack, cheddar, feta, mozzarella etc. When I first began a vegetarian diet I decided to give vegan cheese a try. The plant based cheddar sliced cheese was not good the taste and texture were a no for me. I couldn’t even force myself to eat the whole slice. Now a few years later I see that there are new brands of vegan cheese out and a variety of types so I decided to give some of them a try.
Daiya Spicy Monterey Jack Style
First 4 ingredients; filtered water, tapioca flour, coconut oil and expeller pressed safflower oil
80 calories per serving
230mg sodium per serving
First Impressions - It looks slightly different from a shredded dairy based cheese but you wouldn’t really notice the different unless you were looking for it
Taste- I would not recommend using this uncooked, the texture is not as you would expect dairy based cheese to be, it was a little grainy and the flavor a little strong. However cooked in a quesadilla or enchilada dish the texture and flavor are great.
Field Roast Vegan Chao Shreds
First 4 ingredients; filtered water, coconut oil, corn and potato starch, and modified potato starch
80 calories per serving
260mg sodium per serving
First Impressions -Visually it looks just like a shredded mozzarella
Taste- I would use this cooked or uncooked. It has a light flavor and the texture is creamy. I would use this as a substitute for provolone and mozzarella.
SO Delicious Mexican Style Shreds
First 4 ingredients; filtered water, coconut oil, potato starch, and modified potato starch
90 calories per serving
210mg of sodium per serving
First Impressions -Visually it looks just like a shredded Mexican cheese
Taste- I would use this cooked or uncooked. The flavor does remind me of Mexican cheese and the texture is better than Daiya’s. I would put this on my tacos, quesadilla’s, nachos and other Mexican dishes
Follow Your Heart Feta Crumbles
First 4 ingredients; filtered water, organic coconut oil, modified potato starch, and potato starch
80 calories per serving
270mg sodium per serving
First Impressions -Visually it looks just like a dairy based feta
Taste- The flavor is slightly less salty then a dairy based feta but it’s a great substitute. I would put this in any of my greek salads
The vegan cheeses I tried for this taste test are a vast improvement over the one I tried a few years ago. This taste test showed me there’s a different vegan cheese I can use for any type of dish I want to make. While none of them are an exact flavor match for dairy based cheese they will hit the spot when you have a cheese craving or add an extra touch to your dish.
