The perfect guide to cooking vegetarian food

The perfect guide to cooking vegetarian food

You should always try to eat a healthy diet and vegetarian food can present many health benefits, such as maintaining a good weight, keeping a balanced blood sugar and promoting heart health.

There are so many vegetable dishes you can try. Don’t just stick to the ones that are familiar. Many foreign countries have their own dishes that you can try, such as Kimchi from Korea, shakshouka from Israel or tabbouleh from Morocco.

But before you start commandeering the stove, here are some tips that you need to know first.

Tips for making the Best Vegetarian Meals

Make your plate colorful

We eat with our eyes. So if you are transitioning to a vegetarian diet, you want to make your food more appetizing. The great thing is that vegetables offer an array of colors, from yellow peppers to green spinach to pink radishes. Use different colors so that your plate will be more visually appealing.

Add fat for flavor

If you want to make sure that your vegetable dishes have flavor, you will need to add some fat. We’re not talking about bacon grease or other animal fats because you can still get the flavor without having to use meat.

You can start with some good quality olive oil or a dab of butter. If you’re looking for something a little more exotic or tropical flavor, you can use coconut oil. If you are looking for other ways to add flavor, you may want to roast your vegetables in the oven. Those brown bits would be a great addition to any sauce you will make for your meal.

Some great vegetables for roasting include cauliflower, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes.

Ensure that it is a balanced meal

Just because you are eating vegetarian food does not mean that it will not be a balanced diet. Make sure to have your protein and your fibers in there. You can add foods that are not vegetables, such as tofu. They are not only nutritious but can offer some great texture to your dish. Another grain you can add is quinoa, which is a very healthy alternative to rice.

5 Easy Vegetarian Recipes

Now that you have an idea of how to make your meals more flavorful and appetizing, here are some basic recipes you must include in your repertoire.

Cucumber Salad

If you want something that’s easy to prepare, you need to learn this cucumber salad recipe. The best thing is that you will not need to cook it so it’s perfect if you are a beginner. It’s so simple because all you need to do is cut up the cucumbers (or use a mandoline slicer) and add the dressing plus a few more ingredients for flavor.

All you need is ten minutes, and you will have the perfect salad to pair with other dishes, like roasted vegetables and the like. If you have prepared it beforehand, make sure to keep it in the chiller so that it will taste refreshing.

Guacamole

Guacamole is perfect for game night. But it can also be used for a variety of dishes. You can spread it toast for breakfast, as a filling for a sandwich or even as a salad dressing. The key to making it taste better is that you should use fresh produce.

Pesto

Pesto is a must for all who would like to learn to cook vegetarian meals. It is so versatile that you can use it as a dip for chips, as a replacement for pizza sauce, in pasta dishes or even baked into your bread! Here’s a video you can watch on how to make pesto.

You’ll see that you will only need a few ingredients to make this versatile dish. Of course, you will need a food processor so make sure to buy one. Don’t worry about this investment as a food processor is one of the best kitchen tools you can buy.

When making pesto, you can make big batches because they can be frozen for up to three months.

Minestrone Soup

This minestrone soup recipe is perfect for those cold nights, or when you want something heavier. Add lots of herbs for great flavor. You can also try roasting the other vegetables like the squash or zucchini for a deeper flavor. You can also make a big batch of this so that you can freeze the rest and just heat it up when you feel like eating a portion.

Asparagus Frittata

If you are looking for a big breakfast vegetarian meal that the whole family will enjoy, try this asparagus frittata recipe. Get up a little earlier than usual because you will need at least half an hour to prepare this dish. But you can be sure that those extra minutes will be absolutely worth it.

This dish is creamy and cheesy and absolutely delicious that you might even want to bring some with you to work.