As I’ve mentioned before, there are many misconceptions that vegan food is bland. In my mind, nothing could be further from the truth, but I do agree that there are my Top 10 vegan cooking tips and tricks. Here are a few of my favorites.
Olive Oil – Adding even just a little of olive oil can really bring out the flavors of a dish. Obviously, it’s easy to go overboard on this. I’ve found that a little dab will do, but I do love the flavors it adds. I’ve used olive oil on Hummus, pasta, and even cakes!
Spice Girls – Don’t be afraid of your spice rack. A friend gave me a great tip once. She advised placing the spice on your tongue so you know what you’re adding to a dish before you do. Don’t just rely on a recipe to tell you what to add to your recipe. I love to have smoked paprika, garlic powder, cinnamon, turmeric, dill, ginger, nutmeg, caraway seeds, and allspice on hand most of the time. I also grow fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano, sage, and parsley. I add spices like rosemary and sage to roasted potatoes. It makes such a difference.
Citrus it up – It’s a good idea to keep a lemon or lime on hand because citrus is a great taste enhancer. You’ll also get a bit of vitamin C in your diet. Besides, having a little lemon on hand to add to your tea is always nice! Or how about lime for your margarita? Now we’re talking. Also, I learned from my friend Liz that squeezing a little bit of lemon over your salad is a great, fresh (and super-low-calorie) dressing. Who knew.
Nuts and Seeds – OK. So there is some truth to the whole crunchy granola side of veganism. However, the fact is that nuts and seeds are incredibly beneficial for you. I love adding nuts to my smoothies to add a creamy texture. I also add them to veggie burgers for the added fat they provide. I’m a big fan of hemp seeds as well. And, of course, we use flaxseeds in many of our recipes.
Beans, Beans, Good for the heart! We always have beans on hand. Always. We keep them dried and canned. We typically use canned beans, but I also enjoy having the dried variety on hand. Our favorite beans are black, but we also use chickpeas, pinto beans, and kidney beans. And sometimes it’s just fun to try different kinds of beans to mix things up. You can’t deny the amazing flavor and healthy fiber in each bite! I’ve even used beans in my Black Bean Brownies.
Make it Savory – Here are five of my favorite things to add to a recipe to add a special dose of savory: a) We always keep vegetable broth on hand and use it as a flavoring in soups and stews. b) White wine. I might say red wine here, but I think white wine is more versatile. I add it to soups or even dishes like chili when I want a special dose of savory flavor. c) Tomatoes. Try making a minestrone without tomatoes. It just doesn’t work. It may sound crazy, but even adding a can of stewed tomatoes to a vegetable soup gives it a sort of buttery flavor. We always keep stewed, diced, and sun-dried tomatoes on hand. We also ensure that we have tomato sauces and pastes on hand. d) Adding just a bit of Mild Miso Paste to your recipe can make a big difference. Finally, e) I recommend keeping a bottle of vegan Worcestershire Sauce on hand because it also adds a nice “meaty” flavor to your savory dishes.
Make it spicy – I’m definitely a big fan of sriracha. Look, not everyone is into spicy food, so having a bottle of sriracha allows everyone to adjust their dish to their own heat preference. So I will cook the basic recipe in a reasonably mild taste profile and then serve hot sauce (or a bottle of hot sauce) on the side so people with a spicier flair (ME!) can dress up the dish as they want.
Become a short-order cook – Building on the item above, I like to buy things like LiteHouse spices and herbs that allow me to dress up my dish exactly the way I like it. For example, Shawn doesn’t really like cilantro all that much. So I can keep cilantro on hand and add it to my dishes as much as I want. It’s perfect—same thing with mushrooms. I make a batch and add them to my recipes so Shawn doesn’t have to pick them off the plate.
Just Say CHEESE – You can buy vegan parmesan, or make homemade vegan parmesan. I recommend having some on hand to sprinkle over your recipes. Also, nutritional yeast flakes (sometimes referred to as ‘nooch’) are great stuff to have around. You can buy it in most grocery stores, and it’s perfect for providing a slightly nutty, cheesy flavor to most dishes. I’ve even added it to my DIY Vegan Cheesy Popcorn! There are also some excellent vegan cheese products available. Our favorites are Daiya and Follow Your Heart.
Get Saucy – I love a good sauce. Having a sauce that you can serve over your favorite dishes will make all the difference. I’ve made a Vegan Queso sauce that can be used over a variety of vegan Mexican dishes. And I created a vegan pesto that I’ve served over a variety of pasta dishes. And there’s nothing like a good vegan alfredo sauce that can be served with pasta and even pizza!
I hope you enjoyed these Vegan Cooking Tips and Tricks! For more information on vegan cooking, visit our resources page. Also, if you’re curious about what kind of vegan you are (or might be someday), take my 3 Kinds of Vegan Survey!
Olive Oil – Adding even just a little of olive oil can really bring out the flavors of a dish. Obviously, it’s easy to go overboard on this. I’ve found that a little dab will do, but I do love the flavors it adds. I’ve used olive oil on Hummus, pasta, and even cakes!
Beans, Beans, Good for the heart! We always have beans on hand. Always. We keep them dried and canned. We typically use canned beans, but I also enjoy having the dried variety on hand. Our favorite beans are black, but we also use chickpeas, pinto beans, and kidney beans. And sometimes it’s just fun to try different kinds of beans to mix things up. You can’t deny the amazing flavor and healthy fiber in each bite! I’ve even used beans in my Black Bean Brownies.