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If you follow my blog, you are probably aware that I recently wrote a post about Grilled Jalapeno Poppers. They are a great appetizer, a fun dish for a BBQ or cookout, and are full of flavor and spice! I recently made a vegan version of the same grilled jalapeno popper recipe and want to share it with you today.
The recipe can be found here.
Jalapeno Poppers are essentially hollowed out jalapenos that are stuffed with cheese (non-dairy cheese in this case) and spices, are frequently breaded (we are skipping this step), and either fried, baked, or grilled to perfection. They are a guaranteed crowd pleaser!
To make my Vegan Grilled Jalapeno Poppers, you must first make Vegan Cream Cheese.
You can buy plain vegan cream cheese from your local grocery store or make your own. I prefer to make homemade vegan cream cheese. For the most part, it tastes like the real thing…. creamy, smooth, hint of sourness, but I think it has a consistency more like hummus than cream cheese. Not everyone agrees with me and I’m sure you can find a recipe for a different consistency, but this is the recipe I like to use.
Ingredients:
- 1 Block Firm or Extra Firm Tofu. Pressed
- 3 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
- 3 Tbsp Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1 ½ Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
- Juice of ½ a Lemon
- ½ Tsp Salt
Start by removing the tofu from the container and pressing it for about 10-15 minutes between paper towels (or a hand towel) to remove as much moisture as possible. Put something heavy on top of the paper towels to help push the moisture out. If you have a tofu press, that would also be perfect to use here.
Add the tofu (you can break it apart first), white wine vinegar, almond milk, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, and salt to the bowl of a food processor or blender.
Blend until smooth. This should take about 2-3 minutes. You don’t want large chunks remaining so scrape down the sides of the bowl about ½ way through blending to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.
Then, transfer to an airtight container and enjoy immediately or store in the fridge until ready to use. For our purposes, you can simply set it aside because you will be using it immediately.
The recipe can be found here.
Once you have the cream cheese made, you are ready to move onto the rest of the jalapeno poppers.
The recipe can be found here.
Start preheating the grill to 350 degrees F.
Remove the tops of the jalapenos – just the tops! Core out the inside and remove any seeds. Do not slice horizontally. You want to keep the jalapeno shape intact because you will be filling the inside.
I find it easiest to run water through the jalapenos after I’ve cored them to remove any remaining seeds. Then I set them upside down to dry out until I’m ready to use them.
Combine the cream cheese (from the batch you just made), VEGAN cheddar cheese, paprika, garlic powder, and cumin in a small bowl. Mix well.
I like to buy a block of vegan cheese and shred it myself. If you can find pre-shredded vegan cheese at your local grocery store, that works just fine.
Add the mixture to the center of each jalapeno. Make sure to stuff each jalapeno full and have some of the mixture sticking out the top.
Place the jalapenos on the grilling rack. If the jalapenos are thin, add a toothpick horizontally through the jalapeno so it doesn’t fall through the rack while grilling. The jalapenos will shrink slightly on the grill so better to be safe than sorry and not chance losing part of the meal!
Place the grilling rack on the grill and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the jalapenos are tender and the filling is melted and warmed through. It’s best to keep the grill cover closed while the jalapenos cook for more even cooking and consistency.
One tip – place the jalapeno grilling rack on your grill before you preheat it to see how it fits. If you have an upper grilling rack, it might need to be removed beforehand so you can fit the jalapenos and still close the lid. You don’t want to find this out once the grill is already preheated and deal with removing the rack when it’s already hot! I might be bringing this up from previous experience 🙂
Once done, remove the grill rack from the grill (be careful because everything will be super-hot!). Carefully remove the jalapenos to a serving platter and serve immediately. Enjoy!
The recipe can be found here.
You might need a glass of almond milk on the side in case the jalapenos are super spicy, and you need something to cut the heat! I sure did with our last batch 🙂
If you want to add a little texture or “meat” to each jalapeno popper, I recommend chopping up some seitan to include in the mixture with the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and spices. Seitan is a vegan meat substitute and is sometimes available in the grocery store as a “bacon” variety, which would be the perfect thickness and consistency for this dish.
Happy Cooking!
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