Even if you consider yourself a true carnivore, there are certain vegetarian dishes you probably can't resist... They are hearty and delicious, and so good you won't ever miss the meat! We gathered input from online foodies to see how they create these dishes that can win over any meatlover. From "secret" ingredients to very versatile veggies, vegetarian-friendly cuisines and the best way to make tofu - these are internet foodies' best tips and tricks for getting anyone to go meatless - at least for a day.
Black Bean Burgers
One foodie shared their best beef substitute for burgers: "Morningstar Farms makes a chipotle black bean burger. Sooooo good, with a little feta cheese on top. I'm hungry now." Yep, so am I! But I prefer Hey Hutrition Lady's version - YUM!
Refried Beans
Another foodie enthusiastically gave a shout-out to refried beans. They go well in burritos, tacos and other Mexican dishes. But be careful to check the ingredients as some aren't vegetarian and contain lard, or even bacon grease!
For a great recipe, head on over to Hey Nutrition Lady. She truly is the queen of all things vegetarian - and especially beans!
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a bit divisive but hear this veggie out: "They can be very versatile making rich stocks when rehydrating dry ones, turning nutty and savoury when dry grilled, meaty and umami laced when cooked in butter. They also make great burgers." [sic] The possibilities are endless, since there are also so many different types of mushrooms to choose from, and many people who don't like them prepared one way will happily devour them prepared another way.
I love frying them with some miso paste and serving on top of ramen.
Nutritional Yeast
The secret to cheesy food without actual cheese? Nutritional yeast! For those who aren't familiar, this makes a great substitute for cheese, and I most often use it sprinkled on popcorn. Just make sure not to get it confused with regular yeast, as they are completely different things...
Cauliflower Anything
Cauliflower can be prepared in many different, delicious, ways. The two most popular variations mentioned by foodies were "Mashed cauliflower with cheese on top" and "Breaded cauliflower buffalo 'wings'." I sure love a good buffalo cauliflower wing, but mashed with cheese is one I need to try ASAP!
Falafel
One veggie suggested that falafel would be the perfect dish to convert meat eaters. For the unacquainted, falafel is a deep-fried ball that originates from the Middle East and is made from broad beans, ground garbanzo beans, or both. But as one commenter on the thread points out, falafel is best served by "a hairy guy in a tank top who says in the scruffiest voice possible 'tahini for you please.'" This may not sound appealing, but trust me, this meat lover is also a falafel fan!
Hey Nutrition Lady has my favorite falafel recipe.
Roasted Vegetables
One foodie made the point that "Pretty much all vegetables are delicious when roasted and sprinkled with cheese and/or fresh parsley." It's the veggie equivalent of barbeque meat, and it's one of the few ways I'll be happy to eat my veggies!
Indian Food
Another foodie highlighted an entire cuisine: "Lentil soup is awesome, as is nearly any Indian vegetarian dish." And they have a point. Think saag aloo, chickpea curry, palak paneer, masala dosa, mutter paneer, and more. When a considerable proportion of your population is vegetarian, it's no surprise that you'd come up with some pretty awesome vegetarian dishes.
Piping Pot Curry has an amazing Palak Paneer recipe that I believe will make anyone love vegetarian Indian food.
Gnocchi with Pesto
This Italian food enthusiast shared the combination of "homemade gnocchi and homemade pesto." Another person backed it up: "As someone with blood sugar problems, giving up gnocchi is so much harder than giving up cake. If only potatoes didn't want to kill me." If basically "better than cake" doesn't convince you, we don't know what will!
I love Sustainable Cooks' Pesto Gnocchi.
Ethiopian Food
Another person showed appreciation for an entire country's cuisine by claiming that Ethiopian food is the bomb. They said, "Vegetarian platter, so many tasty choices with sponge bread.... Mmmmmmm." For those who are curious, the platter consists of pumpkin stew, beets with potatoes, a special type of salad, split pea stew, okra, carrots with potatoes, and spiced red lentils. The sponge bread is called injera and is made from teff flour. Yum.
Urban Farmie has an amazing recipe for Shiro Wat - an Ethiopian chickpea stew that is often part of the vegetarian platter.
Hummus
This forum user expressed appreciation for Middle Eastern cuisine, saying, "Hummus is truly the food of God. It is best with a little bit too much garlic, a little bit too much tahini, a little bit olive oil, and a little bit lemon." [sic]Â Now, all you need is pita bread, and you're good to go!
Tofu
One meat eater shared, "I love meat but I worked at a Thai restaurant for seven years and some dishes are just better with tofu." Tofu has had a bad rep for being flavorless, but the key is to marinate overnight or fry it until super crisp.
Some awesome dishes to start with are Thai dishes in general, Chinese dishes like Mapu Dofu, and anything along the lines of "sticky tofu" or "crispy tofu". That's what converted me from a tofu hater, to a die-hard tofu lover!
Source: Reddit
Comments
No Comments