Plant-based menu options are in high demand—and vegans aren’t the only ones ordering them up. A growing number of flexitarians are choosing vegetable-forward dishes several times a week. These five recipes will help freshen up your plant-based offerings to appeal to both groups of diners.
Native American cooks originated this salad, which uses what they consider the holy trinity of vegetable crops: corn, beans and squash. Inspired by the original Cherokee version, Whiskey Kitchen in Raleigh, N.C. has updated the dish to take advantage of the local seasonal bounty. Israeli couscous rounds out the trio of vegetables and the salad is dressed with a mulberry vinaigrette. Mulberries are also indigenous to the area.
Commercially produced plant-based burgers are available from several manufacturers, but they can be expensive and overly processed. At Northern Arizona Healthcare, the foodservice kitchen created its own falafel burger—a blend of chickpeas, tahini and spices. It’s served with housemade tzatziki on a pita or bun.
Welltopia is a health-focused all-day café in Los Angeles with an extensive plant-based menu. Almond butter and almond milk are made daily in house and go into several items, including this signature Wellness Bowl. Ideal for breakfast, lunch or a satisfying snack, the bowl combines fresh fruit and vegetables, acai puree and chia seeds and is topped with almond butter, coconut, granola and more.
Photograph courtesy of Institute of Culinary Education
4. Tempeh With Curried Coconut Sauce
Plant-based cooking is an important part of the curriculum at the Institute of Culinary Education. This Indian-inspired recipe uses tempeh as a base for curried vegetables in a coconut milk sauce. Chef-instructor Barbara Rich, who teaches at the California campus of the school, created the recipe.
Photograph courtesy of Bon Appetit Management Company
5. Impossible Chorizo Tamales
In a recipe contest sponsored by Bon Appetit Management Co. and Impossible Foods, chef Derek Ivancic won the grand prize for these tamales. The goal of the contest was to think outside the burger box, using a new formulation of the plant-based meat to expand it into other applications. This recipe combines the product with Latin seasonings to create a tamale filling that tastes very much like classic chorizo.
The food management company’s Student Nutrition Culinary Alliance turns to what’s popular with students in their own communities when designing the special menu items.
