Easy Vegan Compound Butter: Roasted Garlic Edition
Let me start out by saying that this is not something that we eat often in our house. We don't eat a lot of processed fats at all really, reserving them for special occasions, holidays or when absolutely necessary. However when we're having company (as we are this evening), I like to do a little something extra. Especially when making a first impression on a non-vegan whom I may not want to bombard with sprouted lentils and kale chips upon the first encounter. Plus, it's fun. And it reminds me of when I was 13 and absolutely knew that I wanted to be a chef. My ever indulgent parents got me the Culinary Institute of America's "The Professional Chef" for my birthday, and I studied it religiously. That was also when I first tried my hand at compound butters (right before I went vegan), and if a 13 year old can do it, you can to! :)
This is a ridiculously easy recipe that definitely yields impress-your-company results. Compound butter, like most amazing culinary things, comes from the French, and is basically butter with stuff in it. Really that's all there is to it. It's also super easy to veganize, because there are several really great vegan butter substitutes out there. Earth Balance, or Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread for instance (though you'll want to read your Smart Balance labels very carefully - some varieties are vegan while others are not, though the vegan ones are usually very clearly labeled "Vegan"). While a lot of recipes for traditional compound butters require added salt, in the vegan version I leave it out as most margarine's usually already contain it.
Compound butter's are great for gatherings, and can be quite impressive when swapped out for plain old vegan butter. Whether you spread this roasted garlic variant on bread before popping it in the oven for delicious garlic bread, put a dollop on a baked potato, and if you're making a sweet compound butter, serve it with waffles, pancakes, muffins etc. Or just put a little bowl of the delicious mixture in the center of the table near the bread/rolls and let your guests help themselves (awesome for Holidays). It's easy and it tastes amazing. If you need more, just adjust the amounts.
Tonight I went with a standard. Roasted Garlic. So good.
Roasted Garlic "Butter"
- 8 cloves roasted garlic
- 1/3 cup vegan butter, slightly softened (just leave it sitting on the counter for about 20 minutes)
Add the softened margarine and stir to combine. You can either wrap it up to make a stick of compound butter, or just put it in a small glass container, cover and place in the fridge.
If you want to form it into a stick, simply lay out a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper, place your butter in the center, fold one side of the plastic wrap over, then just roll it.
Set it in the fridge to allow it to firm back up. A few hours should do the trick.
The options are ENDLESS!!!
Italian Herb "Butter"
- 1 tsp each - fresh minced parsley, basil, thyme, and oregano
- 1 small clove of garlic, very finely minced
- 1/3 cup vegan butter
Maple Cinnamon "Butter"
- 2 TBS real maple syrup (not the high fructose corn syrup-artificial-color-laden stuff - the kind that actually comes from a tree).
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup vegan butter
Vegan "Honey Butter"
- 2 TBS agave necter
- 1/3 cup vegan butter
Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper "Butter"
- 2 TBS diced roasted red bell peppers (homemade or the kind you can buy in a jar)
- 6 cloves roasted garlic
- 1/3 cup vegan butter
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