Vegan Basics

Compiled from VeganOutreach.org

Many people believe that eliminating all animal products will greatly narrow their menus. But according to most vegans, quite the opposite happens. Once you start frequenting your local health/natural food stores and co-ops, perusing the dozens of vegan cookbooks, or just following the suggestions on this and other sites, you will soon become familiar with the wide variety of options that weren’t a part of your previous diet. Over time, you will also discover that it is possible to follow almost any recipe by substituting ingredients.

If you do not have many specialty vegan offerings in your area, you may want to contact the Mail Order Catalog, a great source for ordering meat and dairy substitutes like soy products, seitan, TVP, nutritional yeast – even vegan broth mixes.

Ingredient Glossary

Miso is made from fermented soybeans, rice, barley, and other grains. Different types of miso vary in flavor, aroma, and color. Tamari and shoyu can be used in place of dark miso for flavoring. These sauces are superior to most commercial soy sauces, which are unfermented.

Nutritional Yeast Red Star's Vegetarian Support Formula (T6635+) is fortified with Vitamin B12. Available as flakes or powder, nutritional yeast adds a toasted, nutty-cheesy flavor to all sorts of foods.

Seitan (say-TAN), is a meat alternative.

Most of what people like about meat is the texture and the seasoning. The seasoning is easy; for texture, seitan comes closest.

Seitan, also known as wheat meat, is versatile, succulent, hearty, and chewy. It is available already prepared (refrigerated or frozen) or in ready-to-make mixes. Seitan is also relatively easy to make yourself (see recipes). And, given that it keeps well (up to ten days stored tightly covered in the refrigerator, or up to six months in the freezer), it’s good to make a lot to have on hand.

The main ingredient is vital wheat gluten, also called instant gluten flour. This can generally be found in the baking aisle at larger grocery stores. Be sure not to substitute any other flour – high gluten flour is not the same.

Seitan can be prepared several different ways, each of which has variations limited only by one’s spice cabinet and imagination. Vegan Vittles has an excellent section on seitan, including recipes for ground seitan, sausage-style seitan, and seitan salami, pepperoni, and pastrami.

See also prepared seitan, boxed mixes, and the seitan section at VRG.

Tahini, a staple in Middle Eastern cooking, is a versatile paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds. (Sesame butter, from unhulled seeds, is thicker and more bitter.) Tahini made from roasted seeds has a stronger flavor than the variety made from raw seeds. Tahini is calcium-rich, and its nutty taste and creamy consistency are great for sauces, dips, spreads, and creamy dressings.

Tempeh is traditionally made from fermented whole soybeans, although some commercially available varieties are made from soybeans combined with grains or other beans. Tempeh is richer in absorbable nutrients and more flavorful than tofu. You must marinade it if it's plain. It soaks flavors and has a wonderful texture.

Tofu (bean curd) is made from the mild white milk of the soybean. Inexpensive and easy to find, tofu is a great source of protein.

There are two major types of tofu. Silken tofu (such as Mori-Nu), sold in shelf-stable aseptic packages, is used for dressings, spreads, sauces, soups, desserts, and baked goods. Regular tofu (such as White Wave), sold water-packed and refrigerated, is generally used as a meat substitute. It is firmer than silken tofu and can be frozen, which produces a chewy texture.

Tofu’s neutral taste makes it extremely versatile, allowing it to pick up flavors from herbs, spices, and other ingredients. Pressed tofu can be stir-fried, baked, broiled, grilled, marinated, scrambled, steamed, or crumbled into salads. White Wave produces baked tofu in several flavors: barbecue, Thai, Italian, etc.

Tofu is a wonderful substitute for dairy products. You can select from the variety of ready-made tofu products on the market (e.g., cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise) or create your own dairy alternatives (e.g., mix tofu with lemon, sugar, salt, oil, basil, and garlic to make ricotta-style filling for veggie lasagna). Tofu can also be used for tasty cheesecakes, cream pies, puddings, ice creams, and more!

See WhiteWave's Tofu tips and recipes, and MoriNu's tips. Also, recipes at tofu.com, and Veggies Unite.

TVP (texturized vegetable protein) is made from soy flour that has been cooked under pressure, extruded, and dried. Since the oil has been extracted, it has a long shelf-life. TVP is high in protein, iron, calcium, fiber, and zinc. It can be used in recipes instead of ground meat or as chunks in stews.