“Another forbidden dish for me. But I found a way around it. Using my recipe for “Forget Mashed potatos, Save your heart & save your life, make this instead” which is Mashed Cauliflower and Broccoli, I substituted the that recipe instead of using starchy- not good for you mashed potatoes. Instead of artery clogging sausage, I used a leaner, vegan sausage from Morningstar Farms. Topped with a very light onion gravy, it’s hard to believe this isn’t the real thing. Plus, the ‘Mashed Cauliflower and Broccoli” is LOADED with vitamins and antioxidants.PLEASE NOTE: NUTRITION CALCULATOR ON THIS RECIPE IS VERY WRONG! 5 MORNINGSTAR FARMS VEGAN SAUSAGES=300 CALORIES 62.5 CALORIES FROM FAT.”
Published: · Modified: by Willow Moon · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
This rich comforting Vegan Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Red Pepper is loaded with sweet and savory flavors.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“SO DELICIOUS! I’m officially obsessed with this recipe! I used “Follow Your Heart” American cheese and it tasted so yummy with the onions and peppers! Thank you so much for this recipe! – Trixie”
If you have been following me for a while you may have noticed that I am a little obsessed with caramelized onions. One of my favorite ways to use them is in a dip, but I also love them in pasta, vegan tofu quiche, and mushroom sliders.
So today I decided to make Vegan Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Red Pepper. There is something about caramelized onions that takes everything to a whole new level.
They add a sweet, rich taste to whatever you put them in. If you are looking to take your vegan grilled cheese up a notch, caramelized onions are the way to go.
Some roasted red pepper recipes to try are my Roasted Pepper Tapenade, Onion and Roasted Red Pepper Focaccia Sandwich, and Tofu Ricotta and Red Pepper Dip. A caramelized onion recipe to try is my Onion Fritters recipe.
Other grilled cheese recipes to try are my Vegan Mushroom and Onion Grilled Cheese, Vegan Pesto Cheese Sandwich, and my Vegan Pizza Grilled Cheese recipe.
Maple Mustard Tofu is also good in a sandwich.
Jump to:
❤️ Why You’ll Love It
🧾 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
💭 Tips
🍽 Serving
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
🥪 Other Vegan Sandwiches
📋 Recipe
💬 Comments
❤️ Why You’ll Love It
It is rich and comforting.
It’s better than plain old grilled cheese. The caramelized onions and red pepper elevate the grilled cheese to another level.
It is an easy weeknight meal.
🧾 Ingredients
Onions: Yellow onion, sweet onion, or white onion all work.
Olive oil: To cook the onion and red pepper.
Salt: Enhances flavors. I like to use sea salt.
Balsamic vinegar: I like to add a splash of balsamic vinegar to sweeten the onion. You could also use a sprinkle of sugar or brown sugar or leave it out.
Red bell pepper: Adds sweetness.
Vegan cheddar: My favorite brands of vegan cheddar are Daiya or Follow Your Heart.
Vegan mayo: Adds a rich flavor. You could also use vegan butter.
Bread: My latest favorite is a gluten-free sourdough bread. Use your favorite bread.
To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Add olive oil and sliced onions to a large pan. Cook over medium heat. Stir them every few minutes.
With caramelized onions, it’s all about slow and steady. If the onions start to stick, add a little water, like a quarter of a cup or so.
Step 2: Cook sliced onions in a pan until caramelized. Add brown sugar or balsamic vinegar to the frying pan near the end of cooking time to add flavor.
Step 3: Add chopped red pepper and cook until softened.
Step 4: Layer caramelized onions, red pepper, and vegan cheddar cheese on bread.
Step 4: Spread vegan mayo on the outside of the bread. Place in a frying pan.
Step 5: Cook the vegan grilled cheese on both sides until golden brown.
💭 Tips
When making caramelized onion, slow and steady wins the race. For caramelized onions, you need some patience. It takes a good 20 minutes to get nicely browned onions – longer if you’re using more onions.
If they take start to stick add a little water, like a quarter of a cup or so.
Balsamic vinegar adds a wonderful flavor. I always add a couple of splashes near or at the end of the cooking time.
🍽 Serving
Vegan Tomato Soup with Tomato Paste
Vegan Peanut Stew
Vegan Black Bean Soup recipe
3 Ingredient Chili
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
What is a vegan grilled cheese made of?
This vegan grilled cheese is made with vegan cheddar, vegan mayo, and gluten-free bread. It has the addition of caramelized onions and red pepper.
Is grilled cheese good without butter?
For this vegan grilled cheese, I like to cook it in vegan mayo or vegan butter. Vegan mayo adds a rich flavor.
🥪 Other Vegan Sandwiches
If you tried this Vegan Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Red Pepper Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and let me know how you like it in the 💬 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Take your vegan grilled cheese to the next level by adding caramelized onion and red pepper!
*This post was originally published on November 27, 2015. I updated the photos and added text.
📋 Recipe
Vegan Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Red Pepper
This rich comforting Vegan Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onion and Red Pepper is loaded with sweet and savory flavors.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 2
Calories 484kcal
Instructions
Heat olive oil in pan at medium heat and add sliced onion. Add salt.
Stir the onions every five minutes or so. Cook for about 20 minutes.
Add a small amount of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan.
Add red pepper and cook until softened.
Layer vegan cheddar, caramelized onion, and red pepper on a slice of bread. Top with other slice of bread.
Spread 1 teaspoon of vegan mayo on the outside of one of the slices of bread. Place face down in a hot pan. While the grilled cheese is cooking over medium heat, spread the other teaspoon of vegan mayo on the other piece of bread (the side facing you).
Cook until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the other sandwich.
Make sure you up your lunchbox game by whipping up a batch of these positively scrumptious flapjacks! Whether you’re munching one of these for breakfast, after the gym or packing them up for the kids to snack on, this delicious recipe is full of wholesome ingredients that your stomach will love you for.
High Protein Vegan Flapjack
Serving – 10 slices
Cook Time – 25 minuets
Ingredients:
250 g Lizi’s High Protein Granola
125 g Vegan Butter
125 g Xylitol
3 tbsp Golden syrup
2 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Allspice or Nutmeg
1 handful Pecans or Walnuts
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Melt the vegan butter in a saucepan over a low heat until it is in a liquid form.
Add in the xylitol and golden syrup, stirring slowly over a low heat. Careful you don’t bring it to the boil.
In a large mixing bowl, throw in the granola and combine with the melted butter and syrup using a wooden spoon.
If you are using any nuts or spices, add these in now and use a gentle folding mixture to ensure that everything is nicely mixed up together.
Pour the mixture into a greased tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, taking care not to burn them.
When cooked, place on a wire rack to cool before cutting into bars. Enjoy!
“These cookies used to be sold at my college’s coffee shop and were a big big hit among all the students (most of whom were not vegan). People always formed a long line to get them and they sold out immediately. They are especially delicious right out of the oven!”
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Impress your guests with this gorgeous Vegan Wellington! The filling is meaty, satisfying and ever-so-tasty! It’s surprisingly easy to make too!
If you haven’t tried a Vegan Wellington before, you may want to try it out this year. It really makes a statement! You’ll need very simple ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store.
The base of the filling is made with mushrooms and chickpeas that are broken down for a nice meaty texture. Then I mixed it together with perfectly sautéed veggies, mouth-watering seasonings and then wrapped it all in a puff pastry. It’s heavenly!
If you want to get crazy, you can make this Vegan Holiday Roast that I posted last week, too. Options are always nice to have!
For sides, you can serve Sourdough Stuffing, Sautéed Veggies, Apple Cranberry Sauce, and a big festive salad. Oh, and you gotta have Savory Mushroom Gravy too!
Is puff pastry vegan?
YES!! Most store-bought puff pastry sheets are accidentally vegan. Can you believe it? You can find them in the freezer section and some are in the refrigerated section.
Pepperidge Farm is the most readily available and can be found at most grocery stores and I believe Walmart and Target carry it too.
Aussie Bakery has cleaner ingredients than most puff pastry brands and it’s nice to work with too. However, it’s almost impossible for me to find. I purchased at Whole Foods a few times, but I haven’t seen it in a long while.
Wewalka can be found in the refrigerated section and it’s by far, my favorite puff pastry to work with. It’s soft, pliable and can easily be sealed with your hands. The ingredients are fairly clean and I think it tastes the best too. *note: on the package, it says “may contain traces of milk”. I called the company and they confirmed that they don’t use any animal ingredients in their puff pastry.
How to make Vegan Wellington Filling
(printable version in recipe card below)
STEP 1 – Sauté onion, celery, and carrots over medium heat until softened.
STEP 2 – Add garlic, thyme, sage, and rosemary and sauté for one minute.
STEP 3 – Now add mushrooms and sauté until softened and their moisture is fully released. The pan should be dry.
STEP 4 – Add the tamari sauce and cook for one minute more. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool.
STEP 5 – Mash chickpeas in a large bowl just enough to break down beans. Leave lots of texture.
STEP 6 – Add the cooked mixture, breadcrumbs, walnut meal, flax mixture, Worcestershire, tomato paste, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Combine well. Taste for seasoning and add more if preferred.
How to wrap puff pastry
If your pastry sheet is frozen, you’ll need to thaw for about 30 minutes before beginning. Also, you may need to roll it out to approximately a 10x13 size.
Shape the mixture into a solid log and place it in the middle of the pastry sheet. Pick up one side and wrap it over the loaf and repeat on the other side. Gently press to seal together. *If it doesn’t seal easily, just brush a little non-dairy milk in that area and seal.
Roll up each end and press gently to seal. If you have a lot of extra length, trim the dough first before sealing to avoid a doughy texture at the ends. I cut a V-shape out of the top flap of each end (see above photo).
Flip the loaf over so and brush the top and sides with melted vegan butter. Now gently cut diagonal slits across the whole top of loaf about 1-inch apart and repeat in the opposite direction.
Place in the oven until heated throughout and the pastry is golden brown (about 30-35 minutes.) Let sit 10 minutes before gently cutting with a sharp knife. Don’t forget the gravy! ENJOY!!
Can Vegan Wellington be made ahead?
Absolutely!! Just prepare it up to the baking point and refrigerate it in cling wrap or a tightly sealed container.
The baking time will be approximately 20-30 minutes longer and I would reduce the heat to 375 °F. You can turn the heat up the last 15 minutes if the top needs more browning.
To reheat fully cooked leftovers, cover the portion you’ll be eating and heat in the oven at 375 °F until heated throughout.
Need more holiday dinner inspiration? You’ll find so many tasty options in this recipe roundup by Stacey Homemaker. They are all unbelievably drool-worthy!
I’d love to hear from you
If you make this Vegan Wellington, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Recipe
Vegan Wellington
Impress your guests with this gorgeous Vegan Wellington! The filling is meaty, satisfying and ever-so-tasty! It’s surprisingly easy to make too!
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Vegan
Servings: 6people
Calories: 418kcal
Ingredients
1sheetvegan puff pastry , thawed if frozen (about 10X13)
2tablespoonsground flax meal+ 5 tablespoons water
2tablespoonsgrapeseed oil, or preferred cooking oil
115 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained well but NOT rinsed
¾cupunsalted walnuts, ground into a course meal (measured whole)
½cuppanko breadcrumbs, more if needed
2tablespoonstomato paste
1.5tablespoonsvegan worcestershire sauce
½teaspoonsalt, more to taste
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1tablespoonvegan butter, melted
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 min. It will thicken and gel up a bit.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Now add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté until softened about 6-8 minutes.
Add garlic, thyme, sage, and rosemary. Sauté for 1 minute.
Add mushrooms and sauté until they soften and release their moisture about 5-7 minutes. You want the pan to be dry. Now add the tamari and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Add chickpeas to a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher. Don’t over mash – just mash enough to break down whole chickpeas, but leave lots of texture.
Now add the cooled mixture, breadcrumbs, walnut meal, flax mixture, Worcestershire, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Combine well with a spatula and use your hands if needed. Taste and add more seasoning if preferred. (If the mixture seems too wet, you can add another ¼ cup of breadcrumbs or rolled oats – You should be able to form it with your hands easily)
Using your hands, shape the mixture into a solid log that will fit in the middle of the pastry sheet (with a few inches of slack). Make sure log is packed well.
Unroll puff pastry sheet and lay it over the baking sheet (or a flat surface if you need to roll it first). Place the loaf in the middle of the pastry sheet. Pick up one side and wrap it over the loaf and repeat on the other side. Gently press to seal together (don’t force if it doesn’t close, just thin & lengthen the loaf or remove some mixture and form again). *If pastry doesn’t seal easily, just lightly brush a little non-dairy milk in that area and seal.
Now roll up the ends and press gently to seal. If you have a lot of extra length, you may want to trim the dough first before sealing. Otherwise, the ends of the loaf will be very doughy. Flip the loaf over so the sealed edges are facing the baking sheet.
Brush the top and sides with melted vegan butter. Using a sharp knife, gently make diagonal slits across the whole top of loaf about 1-inch apart. Now repeat going the other direction to criss-cross slits (see process photos in post above).
Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes until heated throughout and the pastry is golden brown. Let sit 10 minutes before gently cutting with a sharp knife. I felt it was easiest to cut into the slits that were made earlier. Serve with Gravy if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
* Cleaning Mushrooms: Use a dry, slightly damp paper towel or a soft brush to clean each mushroom. They are like sponges and will absorb a lot of water which can make them soggy.
No, it’s not the latest method of torture, although it may sound like it. It’s part of the 21 “detox” plan I just completed.
If you’re wondering what drove me to do such a thing, I might plead temporary insanity. I’m usually not a big supporter of any extreme diets, detox plans or anything that doesn’t promote balance. But after a friend of mine went through it and told me what a learning experience it ended up being, I decided to give it a try.
And let me tell you something, it was, indeed, an eye opening experience, for different reasons.
For starters, even as someone somewhat knowledgeable about nutrition, I was amazed by how hard it is to avoid sugar. It’s everywhere. It’s added to almost every processed product sold out there, and for no apparent reason, in my opinion. It’s unreal.
So I had to give up a lot of my staples (ketchup and gum being the most challenging ones) which made me realize that my diet wasn’t as “clean” as I thought it was.
But I have to say overall, it was easier than I thought it would be. Because to tell you the truth, I was expecting a total nightmare.
Think about it, 21 days working on the blog, creating and testing recipes and cooking all kinds of delicious food, and not being able to taste most of it. If that’s not will power, I don’t know what is.
But I made it.
And that is precisely one of the main things I got out of this experience. It forced me to find my inner strength and my determination. And it also made me realize that no matter how challenging the situation, the saying is true: “You can do anything you put your mind to”. And I believe that is true for each and everyone of us.
Even if it means saying no to caramel 😉
Hope you enjoy this recipe… as much as I didn’t.
Ruth
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Guilt Free Vegan Banana & Caramel Shake
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No reviews
BANANA CARAMEL SHAKE
1 ¼ cup vanilla almond milk (we use Silk Pure Almond)
1 ½ large frozen bananas
2 tbsp (or 3 or 4 or 5…) store bought or homemade vegan caramel sauce (recipe follows) plus extra to drizzle on the glass
1 ½ to 2 cups ice
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth and creamy. Drizzle the bottom and sides of the glass with caramel.
Pour and ENJOY!! From May I have that recipe
Prep Time:5 mins
Category:Drink
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Homemade vegan Caramel Sauce
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No reviews
1 cup sugar
¾ cup full fat coconut milk (not beverage)
2 tbsp cup coconut oil
Instructions
Pour sugar in a large, deep non-stick pan and place it on the stove at medium heat.
Let the sugar “melt” until it reaches an amber color, 5-7 minutes. Keep an eye on it constantly, it can burn very quickly!
Reduce heat to low and carefully pour coconut milk, stirring constantly. Be careful here because the mixture will bubble up. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined (the sugar might clump up and harden when you pour the coconut milk. Don’t worry if this happens, it will slowly melt again as the caramel cooks)
Add coconut oil, stirring constantly. Cook until smooth and creamy, for about 5 minutes.
Let it cool and store in the refrigerator*
Notes
*Note: If caramel sauce hardens in the refrigerator, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds until it softens.
Cook Time:15 mins
Category:Drink
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Once upon a time, I was a person who would buy a tub of no-bake cheesecake from the grocery store, plop it in a pie crust and go to town. Seriously — how gross is that?! Those were the days when convenience overrode pretty much any healthy choice I could have made in my life (aka college). But I’m in a much better place now, thanks to this vegan pumpkin cheesecake.
While there’s no getting around the fact that we’re talking about dessert, it’s comforting to know that there isn’t a drop of dairy in this autumnal dish. Plus, it’s free of refined sugar! If you like super sweet cheesecakes, consider adding another tablespoon of agave to the batter and adjust the flavor to your preference. Also, the graham cracker crust is key here. I mean, what good is a cheesecake if you don’t have a perfectly crunchy, cinnamon-y graham cracker crust to hold it all together?
One last note: It’s important not to dive into this beauty right after it comes out of the oven. Vegan or otherwise, cheesecake really needs to chill in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least six hours) to set. Plus, the longer this cheesecake sits, the better the flavor is. If you’re using a tart pan, like in the photos, you’ll want to double the recipe. But for a regular pie pan, this works just fine. If you like the swirl, set aside a little of the mix without pumpkin to make those. You’ll add 4-5 dollops on the top and gently run a butter knife through them until you’ve reached desired swirl.
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Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
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Author:Well Vegan
Prep Time:30 mins
Cook Time:60 mins
Total Time:1 hour 30 minutes
Yield:8 servings 1x
Category:Dessert
Cuisine:Vegan
Description
Smooth, creamy and spiced with autumnal flavors, this vegan pumpkin cheesecake is so festive and decadent you’d never know it was vegan.
1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked (quick soak instructions below)
2 cups graham crackers, crumbled (Nabisco has a vegan variety)
¾ tsp. cinnamon
⅛ tsp. sea salt
¼ cup vegan butter, melted
½ cup coconut cream (the hard stuff at the top of a can of coconut milk)
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ Tbsp. agave nectar
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 ¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
If you didn’t soak your cashews overnight, you can do a quick soak by adding cashews to a saucepan and covering them with water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drain cashews and set them aside.
Add the graham crackers, cinnamon and sea salt to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is very fine. Stream in the vegan butter and process until well combined. Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch pie pan and press down very firmly until the crust covers the bottom and goes up the sides. Bake crust for 8 – 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, add the soaked cashews, coconut cream, vanilla extract, agave nectar, lemon juice and salt to a food processor and puree until silky smooth, adding a touch of coconut milk as needed to help things along. Add a tablespoon more agave if you want a sweeter result. Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl. Remove ¾ cup of the batter and spread it into the bottom of the crust.
Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to the remaining batter and mix to combine. Carefully pour the pumpkin mixture over the batter in the crust and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Dust the top of the cheesecake with a bit more pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon and bake for 50 – 60 minutes, until the top is lightly puffed and the edges are golden.
Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with foil and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.
Are you in charge of dessert this Thanksgiving? Bake this plant-based cheesecake the evening before and chill in the fridge overnight. If you make it, be sure to upload a photo and tag us on Instagram @well_vegan so we can see!
This vegan maple caramel sauce is delicious but also a somewhat healthier option to traditional caramel sauce that is often made with corn syrup and other ingredients that should definitely be avoided. Made from wholesome ingredients, this vegan maple caramel sauce is a perfect topping on waffles, ice cream, crêpes or my vegan carrot cake. With only a few ingredients and a few simple steps, this deliciously sweet sauce comes together in minutes.
Here are the steps to make this vegan maple caramel sauce:
In a small saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk, maple syrup, coconut sugar, salt and arrowroot flour until very well combined.
Place the saucepan over medium to high heat and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Let the caramel boil for about 8-10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened slightly. Stirring will prevent the caramel from burning to the bottom of the pot. Remove from heat, and let cool for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the vanilla and vegan butter.
Let cool once more till the caramel sauce is slightly warm or let cool completely for a thicker sauce. Serve as a topping for whatever your heart desires and enjoy.
V.
VEGAN MAPLE CARAMEL SAUCE
Prep Time10minutes
Total Time10minutes
Ingredients
1 cup coconut milk , the canned kind
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt , or sea salt
1 tbsp arrowroot flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp vegan butter
Instructions
In a small saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk, maple syrup, coconut sugar, salt and arrowroot flour until very well combined.
Place the saucepan over medium to high heat and bring to a boil stirring constantly.
Let the caramel boil for about 8-10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened slightly. Stirring will prevent the caramel from burning to the bottom of the pot.
Remove from heat, and let cool for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the vanilla and vegan butter.
Let cool once more till it is slightly warm or let cool completely for a thicker sauce.
Serve as a topping for whatever your heart desires and enjoy.
21 days without sugar.
