How to Veganise Comfort Food Classics: Animal Products

By Ariane Bilodeau, Copywriter/editor, and health & food blogger 

Who says you have to let go of your favorite meals when you go vegan? Here are some tips to easily veganise your favourite recipes!

Meat

• Ground meat: For spaghetti, Shepherd’s Pie, meat pies and Mexican-style dishes, use a mix of green lentils and chopped mushrooms, crumbled firm tofu or tempeh, textured soy protein (rehydrated), or mock ground meat from the market (visit the frozen food section of your local health food store).

• Bacon: Did you know that the bacon bits you find at the market are often made of soy? This type of product is great for Caesar salads and fettuccini carbonara! Online, it’s also easy to find vegan bacon recipes (using rice paper, tempeh or eggplant).

• Burgers: Try making bean patties or simply toasting the top of a Portobello mushroom.

Try some mock meats from the market (Gusta, Yves, Paradis végétarien, Gardenin, etc.) or try making your own seitan, an interesting high-protein option.

Fish and seafood

Give making your own “carrot smoked salmon” a try. It may sound strange, but adding liquid smoke and seaweed flakes gives it a rich smoky and fishy flavor. It’s great in bagels and vegan sushi!

Visit your local health food store to try vegan fish substitutes (Paradis végétarien, Gardenin, Sophie’s Kitchen), such as fake shrimp, fried “squid” and “fish” croquettes.

Broth

Use vegetable scraps to make your own broth, or buy vegetable broth, miso broth or chicken- or beef-flavoured vegan broth. It’s surprising to see how many meat-flavoured broths are totally vegan.

You’ll see, it’s simple – and so good.

Next: How to Veganise Comfort Food Classics (Animal By-Products)