How to Veganise Comfort Food Classics: Animal By-Products

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

Here are more tips to easily veganise your favourite recipes!

Dairy

• Milk: The variety of plant-based alternatives to milk keeps growing. If you want to make a sauce, such as a Bechamel, use an alternative that has a neutral taste, such as soy or rice.

• Butter: Vegan margarine, vegan spread from the market, vegetable oils (making sure to avoid palm oil)

• Cream: Coconut cream, plant-based cream from the market (often soy, rice or coconut), homemade cashew cream

• Yogurt and sour cream: Try out the wide range of options available in health food stores

• Cheese:

• oMake your homemade cashew cheese!

• oTry some vegan cheese from the market (such as Gusta, VegNature, Zengarry, Daiya, Follow Your Heart, Field Roast).

• oUse Unisoya “Greek” flavoured soy paste or homemade marinated tofu to replace feta cheese.

Eggs and mayonnaise

Use in place of one egg in most baking recipes:

• 1 tsp. ground flaxseed with a little water (allow to gel)

• 1 tsp. ground chia seeds with a little water (allow to gel)

• Egg substitute

• 1 mashed banana or 1/4 cup applesauce

Use silken tofu or chickpea flour for your quiches and omelettes (there are several recipes online). For a quick and easy brunch, give scrambled tofu a try! Also, Himalayan black salt (also called “kala namak”) tastes oddly like eggs.

Replace mayonnaise with a plant-based option from the market, or try making your own. In your sandwiches, you can spread a little bit of hummus or avocado puree to replace mayo.

Honey

Replace honey with another sweetener (white or brown sugar, maple syrup, agave syrup) or try using molasses or date paste.

Gelatin

To gel 1 cup of liquid:

• 1 tsp. powdered agar

• 1 tbsp. agar flakes

• 1 ounce dried carrageenan

• Vegan gelatin from the market

Coming soon: Ideas For Simple and Energy-Packed Snacks