how to season vegan soul food collard greens and Much More!
Are you a new vegan and feeling overwhelmed with the task of coming up with nutritious, delicious meals? Have no fear! From collard greens to vegan ribs, there are so many easy and tasty plant-based recipes that anyone can master. Plus, you’ll be able to cook like a (vegan) pro in no time - we promise!
One of our favorite recipes is for seasoning collard greens - it's super simple but totally packed with flavor. Read on to find out how to create scrumptious seasonings for this powerhouse vegetable and learn other vegan cooking basics.
Delicious Vegan Greens
You may ask, “What seasonings should I use?” “How do I use them?” “What will I use them with?”
Vegetables and meat substitutes can be prepared and seasoned that same way as meat. Meat is cooked, sauteed, broiled and boiled, with an assortment of spices. The same goes for plant-based alternatives. Use your creativity, there are an abundance of flavor profiles for you to discover with plant-based cooking.
Aromatics
When these added during or after the cooking process, they add flavor and aroma to your meal. It’s what guides a person from the street to the dinner table or a restaurant when they whiff a delectable scent from afar. Anywhere that you would have added smoked meats or other meat to your dish, you can now add aromatics. You will not get the same flavor, but you will get amazing flavor.
The aromatics listed below are probably things you have had in your kitchen for cooking meat, they will continue to be staples in your kitchen when you are cheffing up plant-based creations. When you can, use the fresh version instead of powder or dehydrated. You’ll get more flavor.
Garlic
Shallots
Onions
Chilies
Carrots
Peppers
Tomatoes
Fennel
Ginger
Celery
Seasonings for the vegan Soul Food Kitchen
There will be times when you will not be able to replicate the taste of meat, cheese, and fish, but you’ll crave it nonetheless. Many vegans have be practicing with different seasonings to come up with dishes that are reminiscent. The following is a list of staples that are unique to the plant-based kitchen.
Nutritional yeast – Add this to things like vegan mac n’ cheese, cheesy sauces, scrambled tofu, or cheesy kale chips. It give you that nutty and umami flavor of cheese.
Liquid Smoke – Use this sparingly. Add just a little to greens, beans, and seitan ribs. It give a smoky meaty flavor, but too much is overpowering. Be careful. Just a few drops.
Smoked Paprika – This adds smokey flavor too.
Tamari sauce – This is essentially fancy organic soy sauce.
Liquid Aminos – This is soy sauce too. Vegans and vegetarians like to use it because it adds a unique salty flavor to dishes.
Coconut Aminos – This is like the one above, but made of coconuts. This is for the anti-soy people. It’s a little sweet & a little salty.
Mushroom seasoning – This is great to add to everything. It really adds deep flavor. This is a must for your greens.
Dried Vegan Chicken flavoring – This is great to add to wet or dry batter of “fried chicken.”
Dried Vegan Beef Flavoring – If you are making a “meatloaf” or burger this helps with beef life flavor.
Seaweed - Dulse Flakes, nori sheets, Nori Komi furikake, and kelp are a few you can add this to things like chickpeas, sunflower seeds, or carrot pulp to give you that tuna flavor. It’s seaweed, so you’ll be reminded of seafood when using this. Great on hearts of palm or king oyster scallops. Don’t forget to shake a little on banana blossom fried fish.
Everything bagel seasoning – Just something to put anywhere you need a little crunch and salt.
Miso Paste – nice salty based.
Specific Spices and Their Uses
Turmeric
Became popular due to its anti-inflammatory properties, has a strong flavor without it being spicy. For spices like these it’s advisable to use sparingly and work up to using more as you cook more meals with it.
This spice makes a delicious eggnog-like holiday drink called Golden Milk.
Golden Milk Made from Turmeric
Cayenne & Ghost Pepper
Flavor and a kick of spiciness, which will require careful use, since even having it on your hands can burn your fingers. Heed this advice while cooking for taste, whether you like it spicy or not, or whether your dish calls for it, like curry for instance.
These are different from paprika, which is used when you want your spice after the cooking but still want to keep things savory.
Ginger
Fresh Ginger
Like turmeric, has an intense flavor, which can take over a dish when used in improper quantities. Unless you are using it as a standalone ingredient in say Gingersnap, or a tea remedy, Ascertain the strength of the ginger you buy and apply accordingly.
A few nuggets of wisdom to send you off: When it comes to spice combinations for savory, feel free to experiment, but use them evenly so one doesn’t engulf the other in the cooking process. Contemplate the amount necessary for the amount of ounces you’re baking or cooking for the flavors to be present.
Also, exercise restraint and stick to conservative numbers of spices for combining, lest you achieve a dish with an amalgamated smell and flavor. What is planned to taste like everything may end up tasting like nothing. Finally, for the ingredients themselves, buy as fresh as possible, whole food versions being the best for a few of the spices mentioned. Also consider fair trade and local as the harvesting conditions are more vegan friendly and more cruelty free, due to heightened and diligent care of the product.
Hopefully, this serves you well as a starter to confidently cook vegan goodies to your heart’s and stomach’s content. Being your own chef, vegan or not, is a steep learning curve, but rewarding once educating yourself with the basics, and forming a healthy understanding of the food you use. It just goes to show you that you do not have to miss out on anything, or change methods to enjoy living vegan in and out of the kitchen.