An easy, cheesy, spicy appetizer. Fresh jumbo jalapeños stuffed with vegan ricotta cheese, freshly chopped red onion, and scratch-made vegan sausage crumbles.
- 15 jumbo jalapenos
- 1/4 cup red onion diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 14 ounces firm tofu pressed
- 2/3 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 10 basil leaves
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
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Preheat your oven to 450°F/230°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
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In a medium pot, stir together water, liquid smoke, soy sauce and maple syrup. Heat on medium until the mixture comes to a light boil.
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Meanwhile, in a separate bowl mix TVP, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, sage, fennel, thyme and black pepper. Stir into pot and lower the heat.
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Cover the pot and heat on low for 5 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Then, transfer to the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy.
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Meanwhile, press the tofu. When the tofu is drained, add it to a food processor with the cashews, nutritional yeast, basil, garlic, and lemon juice. Process until smooth and creamy.
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Cut each jalapeño in half, lengthwise. Using a spoon, carefully scrape the seeds without breaking the pepper. Discard the seeds. Be careful not to touch your eyes and to shield your eyes from any splashes.
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In a bowl, mix together the vegan sausage crumbles, vegan ricotta, and diced red onion.
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Using a spoon, stuff each jalapeño half with the filling and place on a baking sheet (no parchment paper). Drizzle jalapeños with olive oil and bake at 450°F/230°C for 20 minutes.
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For crispier poppers, set your oven to broil for the last 5 minutes of baking.