Unusual Fondue Recipes

Traditional French Fondue is simply a tangy/aged melted cheese with a touch of wine, and flour to thicken, maintained hot over a candle warmer pot. Diners use skewers or fondue forks to spear croutons, cubes of hard cheese, or crudités (including chopped cauliflower heads, celery, green beans, snap peas, broccoli, button mushroom caps, or carrots which are less Keto), and dip them in the hot melted cheese. Crudités should be left in the hot cheese for a few moments until they become slightly tender.
A traditional Fondue served with crudités or cheese cubes only, would be diabetic- and keto-friendly. Fried or firm-baked Tofu cubes, Jicama, Daikon Radish spears, raw Asparagus, cooked Brussels Sprouts, canned artichoke hearts, baby corn, cherry tomatoes, and toasted Keto-friendly tortilla triangles are more possibilities.
However, some people push the envelope into hearty Fondues without cheese, which could become a keto or low-carb meal. Obviously the keto dieter would use the crudités instead of regular bread croutons.
Some recipes require diners to leave small-cut fajitas of raw meat (chicken, pork, beef, or seafood depending on the recipe) inside the bubbling hot Fondue for a few minutes until the meat is cooked, then pull it out with the fondue fork.

Golden Vegetable Fondue

Ingredients -- Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian until you cook meat in it

1+1/2 cups soup stock (could be vegetarian or meat stock)
1/4 cup butter
8 oz carrots
1 small onion
2 medium Summer Squashes, peeled (e.g. zucchini, gooseneck, yellow squash, pattypan the flat ones, etc.) Could consider substituting Tofu, eggplant, cauliflower, mushrooms, etc.)
2 sticks Celery
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste. Dash of white wine wouldn't hurt.

Chop all vegetables finely, then put into a saucepan with stock. Bring to the boil and simmer until just tender. Drain vegetables and leave to cool slightly. Puree vegetables in a blender or food processor, then pass the puree through a sieve into the fondue pot. Place the pot over a low heat and gradually beat in the butter. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and keep hot over the burner while dipping crudités into the fondue. If you keep this fondue bubbling hot, this is also a good fondue to cook small strips of meat (fajitas) in the pot.

Cream of Mushroom Fondue

Ingredients -- Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian until you cook meat in it

2/3 cup soup stock (could be vegetarian or meat stock)
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 lb. Mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
3 tsp. Arrowroot powder
pinch of Cayenne pepper

salt & pepper to taste. Dash of white wine wouldn't hurt.

Melt butter in a saucepan, add mushrooms and garlic and cook gently for 10 mins. Add stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool slightly and puree in a blender or food processor. Put a little cream into the fondue pot, blend in the arrowroot smoothly, then add remaining cream and mushroom puree. Heat to simmer and cook over a gentle heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Serve with cubes of cheese, tofu, or crudités. Alternately, if you keep this fondue bubbling hot, this is also a good fondue to cook small strips of meat (fajitas) in the pot.

Pizza Fondue

Ingredients -- non-Vegetarian but you could skip the meat

1/2 lb. ground beef
1 medium Onion, chopped
2 cans (~10.5 oz each) Pizza sauce, or tomato sauce, or homemade
1+1/2 tsp. Fennel seeds
1+1/2 tsp. fresh or dried Oregano
2+1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Mozarella Cheese
optional basil, salt to taste

In a sauce pan over medium heat, brown onion and ground beef. Drain. Add pizza sauce and seasonings; stir until heated. Add cheese by handfuls. Stir until smooth. Pour into fondue pot. Keep warm while serving.

Leek Fondue

Ingredients -- Vegan

2 lb. Leeks, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup Vegetable Stock
2 oz Butter
2 Scallions a.k.a Spring Onions, finely chopped
pinch of nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste

Wash the leeks well, then put into a saucepan with 1 Tbsp water and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft. Drain and leave to cool slightly.
Process the leeks in a food processor with the stock until smooth. Spoon puree into a fondue pot. Place over a gentle heat and beat in butter and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in spring onions and keep warm on a low burner.

Bubbling Asian Fondue

Ingredients -- non-Vegetarian

6 cups soup stock (can be vegetarian or meat stock)
1/2 cup thinly sliced Green Onions
6 slices fresh Ginger (about quarter-sized)
1 to 2 dried hot red chiles
2 cloves garlic, peeled & pressed

salt & pepper to taste. Dash of rice wine (saké) wouldn't hurt.

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, lift out and discard ginger and chilies.
This recipe is meant for diners to cook small morsels of raw seafood. (However crudités and/or mushrooms and cubes of fried tofu would probably also work well here.
Serve with shrimp (shelled & de-veined), sea scallops, and/or cubes of firm-fleshed fish (such as Halibut). These seafoods should only need a few minutes in the bubbling hot fondue in order to cook. Serve with various sauces so that diners can remove their seafood from the fondue, dip it briefly into a finishing sauce, and enjoy a variety of tastes.

Chutney Yogurt

Combine 1/4 cup chopped Mango Chutney with 1/2 cup plain yogurt.

Ginger-Soy Dressing

Combine 1/2 cup Soy sauce, 2 Tbsp dry Sherry, 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger, 4 teaspoons Keto sweetener such as coconut sugar or allulose & monkfruit, and 2 teaspoons minced garlic.

Cilantro Mustard

Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro, 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, and 1/2 tsp. Asian (toasted) sesame oil.

Wasabi Cream

Combine 1 Tbsp Wasabi powder with 2 tsp. water until smooth. Add 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 tablespoon minced chives or green onions; mix well. Add salt to taste.

Spanish Fondue

Ingredients -- non-Vegetarian

2 lbs Rump Steak, cubed
14-oz can of Tomatoes
2 Tbsp Tomato Puree or Tomato Paste
1/2 Spanish Onion
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp Oil
3 Tbsp keto flour, such as Quinoa flour, coconut flour, fine-ground almond flour, etc.
1 fresh Green Chili, seeded & chopped
1/2 tsp. Chili powder
salt & pepper to taste. Dash of red wine wouldn't hurt.

Heat oil in a saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook gently until softened. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, tomato puree and chili powder. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and puree in blender until smooth. Return to the heat, add chopped chili and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut the steak into 1 inch cubes and coat with the keto flour. Salt and pepper then quickly sear the chunks in a hot oiled pan.
Diners should cook the meat until done by leaving it in the fondue for a couple of minutes, then remove and eat.

Fondue Indienne

Ingredients -- Vegan until you cook meat in it

1+1/4 cups (300 ml) dry white wine
1+1/4 pounds (500g) mature/aged Cheddar cheese, grated
1 medium Onion, grated
1 clove Garlic, crushed
2 tsp. (10 ml) Curry powder (to taste)
2+1/2 Tbsp keto flour, such as quinoa flour, coconut flour, finely ground almond flour, etc.
4 Tbsp (or 1/4 cup) spicy fruit relish or Chutney of choice
salt (about 1/2 tsp.) and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Rub the bottom and sides of the fondue pot with the clove of garlic before crushing it and using it in the next step.
2. Bring the garlic, onion, wine and curry powder to simmering point in the fondue pot. If you want to speed things along a little then you can do this on the stove and then transfer the mixture to the fondue pot.
3. Combine the grated cheese and flour by tossing in a plastic bag.
4. Gradually stir in the cheese, a handful at a time. Allow it to melt completely between each addition. When all the cheese has been added the mixture should be bubbling and smooth.
5. Stir in the relish/chutney.
6. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
I often add more cheese than the recipe calls for. This recipe works well when served to cook mushroom caps, or peeled and de-veined prawns, or fresh pineapple chunks. Mushrooms or prawns should be sautéed briefly in butter and then cooled, before allowing diners to cook them in the fondue.

Dilled Garbanzo Fondue

Ingredients -- Vegan

1x 1 lb. (16 oz) can Garbanzo beans, with the liquid
2 large cloves Garlic, whole
5 oz (approximately half a package) firm, silken Tofu
1 tsp. Lemon juice
1 Tbsp extra virgin Olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground Nutmeg
1 tsp. dried Dill weed
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste. Dash of white wine wouldn't hurt.

Put all ingredients into the workbowl of a food processor, and process until coarsely or thoroughly pureed, as desired.
Transfer to a 2-quart saucepan and warm gently over medium heat. Then serve in a heated fondue bowl.

Mediterranean Tomato-Arugula Fondue

Ingredients -- Vegan

1+1/2 cups Plum tomatoes (about 4 to 5 medium tomatoes), seeded and diced
3/4 cup Tomato juice or vegetable broth
1+1/2 cups Arugula, (cleaned, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped)
3 Tbsp butter
2 oz Butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp tomato paste
salt & pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp. each). Dash of red wine and/or Worcestershire wouldn't hurt.

In a medium-size saucepan sautée garlic in butter 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook 3 minutes. Add tomato juice, tomato paste, salt and pepper and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in arugula and Parmesan cheese.
Transfer fondue to an enamel or ceramic fondue pot and keep warm over a fondue burner. Serve with cubes of Feta cheese or Mozzarella balls in addition to vegetable crudités.

Mediterranean Ratatouille Fondue

Ingredients -- Vegan

1 large eggplant, peeled & cubed
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cubed
3 zucchini, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, cubed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Basil
salt (about 1/2 tsp.) and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Dash of red wine and/or Worcestershire wouldn't hurt.

Combine eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, onion, and bell pepper in slow cooker.
In a small bowl, combine oil, garlic, cilantro, basil, salt & pepper. Add to vegetables in pot. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or until vegetables are tender.

Dessert Creamy Chocolate Almond Fondue

Ingredients -- Vegan depending on your marshmallows

2x 7-oz bars of milk chocolate, hopefully keto or minimally sweetened, broken into pieces
3 oz baking White Chocolate, broken into pieces
1 jar (7-oz) marshmallow creme. Note Vegan marshmallows (no egg) are available in many stores now.
3/4 cup heavy cream, unsweetened whipping cream, or half-and-half
1/4 cup finely chopped, toasted Almonds
3 Tbsp Amaretto liquor (optional). Dash of vanilla wouldn't hurt, optional cinnamon.
for dipping: sweetened homemade Keto bread, cut into cubes; e.g. muffins made with Almond flour, or a Keto cake
for dipping: somewhat Keto-friendly fruits such as dates, figs, blackberries, kiwis, chopped into bite-size pieces if need be

From Better Homes & Gardens Crockery Cookbook
1. In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart crockery cooker combine milk chocolate, white baking bar, marshmallow creme, creme, and almonds.
2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 2 to 2 3/4 hours or till chocolate melts. Stir till smooth. If desired, stir in amaretto.
3. To serve, spear cake cubes or fruit with fondue forks.