Simple Vegetarian Charcuterie Board

It’s easy to make a simple vegetarian charcuterie board that’s beautiful, budget-friendly and offers plenty of variety and texture. Not to mention umami components so this meatless board will be enjoyed by all! Perfect for parties, an easy appetizer, or a snacky dinner.

What is it about snacking that is the most fun way to eat?! It doesn’t matter if it’s a breakfast board, a date night cheese board, or a dessert board, I am 100% ALL IN and ready to devour.

This is precisely why we’re diving into a vegetarian charcuterie board today…because it only seemed right to outline how to make a simple veg-friendly board because my idea of the perfect dinner or way to start a party is with a bunch of delicious eats I can nosh on indefinitely. You too? Great, let’s go!

What is a Vegetarian Charcuterie Board?

Let’s start off with the obvious – this is not a charcuterie board in the true definition of the word. Charcuterie (pronounced shaar·koo·tr·ee) is a French term for a type of meal or snack made with prepared meat products, delicatessen, or deli-style cuts. So, a true charcuterie board consists of a variety of cured meats such as salami, prosciutto, sausages, and more.

Yet, as cheese boards have gained popularity over the past few years, it seems they have become synonymous with the term charcuterie board – at least here in America – whether or not they actually have any meat on them. Many refer to any sort of snack board as a charcuterie board these days.

This means that this vegetarian “charcuterie” board fits into this expanded version of charcuterie, with all the same favorite elements of a snack board, without the meat.

What goes on a Vegetarian Charcuterie Board?

Let’s go over the basics for creating an easy vegetarian charcuterie board. Of course, there is no limit to how fancy you can go, but for these purposes, we are sticking with easy. Simple. A board that comes together quickly, is budget-friendly, and one that everyone will love.

First things first, take stock of your own cupboards and fridge before even creating your shopping list.

The easiest way to keep a vegetarian board both simple and cheap-to-make is to use what you have! Having little bits of this and that spread around a board makes it both beautiful and crowd-pleasing.

This means you don’t have to go out and buy a whole new portion of this-and-that. It’s the perfect excuse to use the last little bit of trail mix you have in the cupboard, or dried fruit that you just don’t seem to eat on its own.

Here are the key elements that a vegetarian cheese board should consist of. Again, this is totally customizable (YES to that!), so I will give you several ideas around the main components, but of course, feel free to adjust to your specific tastes.

The main components for a simple vegetarian board, and what you should add to your shopping list can be broken into these categories:

• Cheeses
• Savory, Umami-Packed Goodies
• Crunchy and Salty
• Fresh Fruits and/or Veggies
• Dips, Spreads, and Jams (sweet and savory!)
• The Vehicles – crackers, breads, etc.

Cheese Varieties

One of the foundational items on a vegetarian board is the cheese selection. Each cheese creates a lovely base and pairs with the other items.

I recommend 2-3 cheeses for 2-4 people, which is what I’m showcasing here. Keep in mind you can buy smaller portions of cheese, or always store the remainder for the next time your snack craving strikes. My motto is it’s always better to have extra than not enough.

Have a variety of textured cheeses. Pictured here we have cubed aged cheddar, a triple creme gouda (from Trader Joe’s and it’s FABULOUS), and blue cheese.

Other varieties that work well are a softer triple creme brie, or a firmer cheese like parmesan, manchego.

I like to have an aged, firm, and soft cheese to offer. It adds a wonderful variety and provides several different flavor profiles for guests to mix and match.

Note: some cheeses are not vegetarian and are made with animal rennet. Be sure to look for cheeses labeled vegetarian-friendly while shopping, they will be made with vegetable rennet instead.

Savory Umami-Packed Components

Now, usually on a charcuterie board, cured meats deliver the savory, umami component. However, on a vegetarian cheese board, we’re going to go a different route. And I’m not talking fake meats, either (although you could add some if you’d like).

Natural umami flavor is described as that “meaty”, “savory”, or just indescribable deliciousness. It’s the fifth taste in addition to sweet, salty, bitter, and sour.

One of my all-time favorite additions is roasted tomatoes. According to the Science of Cooking, tomatoes are high in the free form of glutamate, which provides a natural umami flavor. Roasted tomatoes have an intense flavor and they pair so well with cheeses and other goodies on this board.

The roasted tomatoes on this board were purchased from Whole Food’s olive bar and I’ve got to say…they are amazing. You can also make your own. To incorporate other tomato-based components, try traditional tomato bruschetta, roasted tomato jam, or red pepper and tomato spread.

Another delicious option would be to add roasted mushrooms or mushroom bruschetta. Marinated artichokes are great, too!

Crunchy and Salty

…ok, and maybe a little sour? There are a lot of items that can fall into this category. I am all about texture when it comes to creating the best vegetarian cheese board, well, and when it comes to salads…and just about anything.

Adding a variety of textures keeps it interesting! Crunchy and salty additions include things like nuts – go for almonds, walnuts, pistachios, Marcona almonds…honestly, whatever you like and have on hand works!

Pickles and olives – marinated olives or straight out of the jar – are a wonderful addition, bringing in their saltiness and tang.

There’s gotta be something fresh…

Fresh items are a must on a cheese board, too. They’re bright, colorful, and balance out the other deep flavors. Here we have fresh celery sticks (the crunch!), as well as blueberries and blackberries for sweetness.

Other items that are delicious include grapes, apple slices, orange wedges, raspberries, strawberries, cucumber slices, carrots, and more!

Something to Dip or Spread

This can go sweet or savory, too. I actually highly recommend you include one of each for the ultimate experience.

Here I have blueberry jam, but sometimes it’s honey, raspberry jam, or another fun variety I found at the store. There’s a lot of savoriness on the board, and having some sweet options helps balance it all out.

That doesn’t mean savory dips aren’t welcome, though. In place of olives, including an olive tapenade or artichoke tapenade are wonderful additions.

Combine both a cheese and a spread and include whipped ricotta or whipped feta, too!

You don’t have to make it complicated and make several spreads yourself, go ahead and buy a storebought dip and make your life easier!

Crackers, Bread, or Crostini

Or all three! A charcuterie board most definitely needs a vehicle of choice to pile high with cheese, roasted tomatoes, and a yummy spread.

I like to have at least 2-3 varieties of crackers or bread on the board. Doing so, again, adds variety and allows a good mix-and-match of flavors and texture.

A good crisp cracker with dried fruits pairs well with cheeses, an everyday plain cracker is an all-around good option, and a side of crostini makes for a hearty addition. Of course, easily swap gluten-free crackers if needed.

How to Assemble a Beautiful Board

There is a little bit of an art when it comes to assembling a charcuterie board and making it beautiful…but with a few key tips to keep in mind, you’ll have it down in no time!

First, place any small bowls that will be on the board.

The bowls may hold some of the umami components – like marinated artichokes, roasted tomatoes, pickles, olives, etc. Or you might want to place your jams on the board.

I recommend 3 bowls, placed in a spread-out triangle on the board. This will be visually appealing once the board comes together. As you can see, I ended up having another bowl, so I decided to place the pickles to the side – this is another option, too. Not everything has to end up on the board.

Next, add the cheeses.

If you haven’t gathered it yet, the best way to assemble the board is to add the biggest components first. Slice, chop or crumble the cheese depending on the kind, and place it on the board so that it’s inviting for guests, and they can easily grab what they want.

Similar to the bowls, place them in a triangle around the board, if you have three cheese. Otherwise, spread them out across from each other on the board.

And finally, add the crackers, any other larger items, then fill the remaining spaces with the smaller items.

You can have fun adding crackers to the board, creating a fun S shape with them, and visually creating lines with them which will inevitably make your board that much more beautiful and visually appealing.

Once they’re placed, add the rest of the items in empty spaces. Place nuts and fruit – dried or fresh berries – in the empty spaces on the board. As you place them, do so in different parts of the board.

Now that the board is filled, it’s time to open the wine and enjoy!

What kind of board should I use?

Use a wood serving tray to assemble the dessert board on; I like using round boards, but honestly whatever you have on hand will work. If you don’t have a wood board, a ceramic serving tray will work too. You need something that is flat to spread the items on.

Rectangle boards are good too, to spread items out along a table, and will work especially well to place items in multiple locations throughout the board.

You can vary the size of the board depending on how many people you’ll be serving. That’s the beauty of making a charcuterie board at home – it’s completely flexible and customizable!

Pictured is a 12-inch board from Target (they have a great selection of boards)! It’s the perfect size to serve 2 for a snacky dinner or 4 for an appetizer. For a hungry crowd of 4 to 6 people, I’d recommend sizing up the board to a 15-16 inch board. If you’re looking for a similar board to mine, this board and this board are very comparable.

Tips to Keep in Mind

• There’s no pressure! I get it, it might seem overwhelming to try to create a beatuiful board, but honestly, take that pressure off of yourself. Following the simple steps for assembly, and go with the flow. The more messy and haphazard it is, is honestly when it turns out the most beautiful.
• Keep a color scheme in mind. For this board, I was focused on what I had on hand, and incorporating the umami components (tomatoes and artichokes primarly). If I wanted to stick with a color theme focused on blues and light greens…I would’ve left the tomatoes out…see what I mean?
• On that note, you can theme the board colors for holidays. For example, use primarly red, white, and blue colors for a 4th of July board, or the colors of your favorite teams for game day, or all green for a St. Patrick’s Day board.
• Don’t put everything out at once! This will overwhelm the board. Instead, keep the extras in a convenient place so you can continue to replenish the board as time goes on.