If there was one favorite recipe I thought I'd never be able to veganize when I decided to go vegan, it was cheese fondue. I'm not Swiss, and yet, growing up in Venezuela, one of our favorite treats as teens who couldn't cook, was to open a box of vegan cheese fondue, rip the little foil packet open with its wonderful aroma of white wine and all that cheesy goodness, melt it, and dip some bread in it. It was such a huge tradition at my house, and my mother in law who wasn't as lazy as I was when it came to fondue, had the perfect recipe for it, using wine, brandy and a whole bunch of cheeses, garlic and of course, a fondue pot and bread for dipping.

When I decided to go vegan I thought I was saying goodbye to this favorite dish of mine, but as it happened with every other dish I've ever had, there was a vegan version ready to be discovered and made... 

...and so I did, and today I'm teaching you how to do it too!

We're using delicious vegan cheese in this recipe (I used Violife original flavor for this one, but use any you have and like), some white wine, garlic, and some other ingredients to give it that special fondue flavor, which contrary to popular belief, is much more than just melting cheese in a pot.

As if this weren't delicious enough, we're not only using bread for dipping, but we're making our oil free crispy potatoes, adding a drizzle of something extra special at the end, grilling up some sausages and making the whole thing a party. Other options for things to dip and coat in cheese are: grilled mushrooms, baked apples, broccoli, or any veggies you love, seitan, tofu. The sky is the limit! It's such a fun treat for when you're having people over and you can make it ahead of time and simply warm it up before serving.

Are you ready? Let's melt some vegan cheese and start dipping!

THE CHEESIEST VEGAN CHEESE FONDUE!

Yield: 4 servings ⎮ Prep time: 10 minutes ⎮ Cook time: 10 minutes for the fondue, 30-40 minutes for roasting the potatoes

Ingredients

For the fondue:

• 1 & 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, smashed and cut into a few large chunks
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup grated vegan cheese (I used Violife Original but use what you like and have)
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

For making the roasted potatoes:

• 3 potatoes, cut into cubes
• 3 rosemary sprigs, stems removed and coarsely chopped
• A splash of vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A drizzle of truffle oil (optional)

Additional goodies for dipping:

• 1 small baguette, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 vegan sausages, grilled and cut into thick slices

Directions

1. To roast the potatoes, pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC) and line a shallow baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Toss the potato cubes with a splash of veggie broth, salt, pepper and the rosemary.

3. Place them on the baking sheet with enough space between them, and sprinkle with a little more salt.

4. Roast them in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the potatoes are golden and they have puffed up slightly and are tender in the center. Once out of the oven, drizzle with a little truffle oil if desired, before serving it with the fondue.

5. To make the vegan fondue, heat a pot to medium-high heat and add the olive oil and garlic. Sweat the garlic in the oil being careful not to burn it, just for a minute until you can smell the garlic.

6. Add the flour and whisk for a few seconds.

7. Deglaze with the white wine while you whisk and incorporate the flour to form a creamy mixture.

8. Add the vegetable broth while whisking vigorously until combined.

9. Add the dijon mustard, the shredded vegan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Let the mixture cook until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

10. If you have a fondue pot, transfer it to the pot and light it to keep the cheesy sauce warm.

11. Serve it with the grilled sausages, the cut up baguette, the truffle potatoes and any other goodies you enjoy, and have everyone dip the pieces into the cheese sauce. If you don’t have a fondue pot, simply re-heat as needed by returning the pot to the stove when you feel it’s getting cold. Enjoy!
    
    

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