Welcoming to the blog this beautiful Vegan Herb Ricotta & Veggie Puff Pastry! Whipped, smooth & fresh vegan ricotta fills this puff pastry with flavors from the garden—a springtime recipe begging to be brought to the party.
The fun adorning the pastry with fresh veggies sliced into flower petals almost hides what you're cooking. A dish meant to be loved for its looks before being carved into little shared party squares.
If you're browsing for other dishes that look amazing and wow guests, check out my Gluten-Free & Vegan Focaccia Bread or my No Bake Vegan Orange Cheesecake!
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Vegan ricotta
It's ready to be shared after five years of perfecting this vegan ricotta recipe. After going vegan in 2017, I learned a few staple recipes that carried me through the first year, one being lasagna. It's so wonderful to see all the new vegan cheese and spreads available, but until a few years ago, there really weren't many clean vegan options to pick from. It always seemed easier to go at it on my own, plus I love creating in the kitchen.
This ricotta, or a version of it, lived inside my Sunday night lasagna and has now morphed into the perfect spread for various uses. I'm so happy that such a beautiful garden pastry, like Vegan Herb Ricotta & Veggie Puff Pastry, gets to introduce the recipe virtually.
Garden vegetables
Before moving, I had a pretty garden on the east coast. It had four large garden boxes overfilled with cucumbers, peppers, kale, tomatoes, and various herbs. I'd spend hours digging in the dirt, pruning leaves to give more energy to the stalk, and tying stems so high I needed a ladder to reach.
I gathered so many veggies from that garden; it stretched my imagination of what growing my own food could be! I wish I made this while picking in that garden.
If a garden isn't conducive to your space, try small herbs on a window sill or one tomato plant in a pot. It might be perfect if you don't have space for an outdoor garden but crave being in nature like I do.
For Vegan Herb Ricotta & Veggie Puff Pastry, any vegetables will work. Get creative and let your food art go wild! Whether it's the grocery store produce section, farmer's markets or CSA box, use in-season veggies for the freshest flavors.
Tips to prepare
🌱Puff pastry: I decided to use a store-bought puff pastry sheet, especially since Whole Foods has a brand of pastry that uses limited ingredients without any preservatives. It's all vegan and delicious! It came with two sheets of puff pastry that I fitted together. It's frozen and takes 45-minutes to thaw, so keep that in mind when prepping for this recipe.
🌱Tofu: this vegan ricotta has a couple of extra steps that are critical in the end flavor.
#1 you have to press the tofu. Pressing removes the liquid but completely changes the consistency once blended in the food processor. Cover in a towel and place a heavy pan on top; 15 minutes is all you need.
#2 cook the garlic & onions until browned and super fragrant.
🌱Design: wash and rinse all the veggies and start by cutting the ends off the asparagus. Fill in the flower petals using diced onion, radish, sliced tomato, carrots, fresh spinach, or mushrooms. No matter what anyone says, food is art - let your imagination wander and create a masterpiece!
🌱Brush with oil: lightly brush the top with a bit of oil in an even layer (egg wash substitute) to avoid over-drying.
Why you'll love this recipe
🌻It's a perfect party dish
🌻It's art! Super fun to put together, and kids will love helping in the kitchen!
🌻It's healthy and encourages more veggies.
🌻Easy to prepare with store-bought puff pastry.
Tofu ricotta puff pastries are fun to create and kid-friendly once the veggies are finely chopped. It's the perfect dish to pass at a gathering and a party favorite. The vegan ricotta can be customized by swapping herbs or leaving them entirely out for your next lasagna or stuffed shells. Don't skip the ACV; it adds a subtle, necessary flavor.
If you made this party pastry, leave me a comment below, letting me know how it went.
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Vegan Herb Ricotta & Veggie Puff Pastry
Ingredients
Vegan ricotta:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow or white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 block extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
All other ingredients:
- 1 package puff pastry
- Veggies for design: sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, fresh spinach, radish, sliced carrot, onion, asparagus, broccoli.
- 1 tablespoon oil (to brush on at the end)
Instructions
- Press a block of extra-firm tofu for 15 minutes, releasing liquid.
- While the tofu is being pressed, spread some oil onto a frying pan and add minced garlic on medium-high for a few minutes. Once fragrant, add chopped yellow or white onion and cook, frequently stirring, until all sides are golden brown.
- Add crumbled tofu to the food processor's large mixing bowl. Bring in the onions and garlic, and all other ingredients. Pulse until combined, be sure to not over pulse the tofu mixture but look for that spreadable ricotta texture.
- Spread the vegan ricotta all over the pastry keeping the edges of the pastry free for a crispy crust.
- Wash, rinse all the veggies and start by cutting the ends off the asparagus. Fill in the flower petals using diced onion, radish, sliced tomato, carrots, fresh spinach, or mushrooms. No matter what anyone says, food is art - let your imagination wander and create a masterpiece!
- Bake the pastry per package instructions: 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lightly brush the top with a little oil in an even layer (egg wash substitute) to keep it from over drying.
- Cut into 8 equal squares with a pizza cutter.
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