Vegan for meat eaters
Trend forecasters predicted a glorious future for jackfruit as the ultimate meat substitute in 2017—and look at it now: name one meat eater who doesn’t eagerly sink their incisors into pulled jackfruit. But these other vegan ingredients can also tempt even the most committed carnivore, thanks to two characteristics: umami (savoury flavour) and fibre.
1. Jackfruit
‘The vegan ingredient of the year 2017.’ This starchy, originally South Indian fruit can be savoury or sweet. Its fibrous texture is what makes it particularly suitable for the former. Think: pulled jackfruit, Buffalo ‘chicken’ salad or jackfruit tacos.
2. Mushrooms
That aroma! That flavour! That texture! For us, mushrooms—especially porcini and morels—remain the tastiest and most aromatic meat substitute. But every mushroom is packed with umami, automatically qualifying it as a meat substitute.
3. Truffle
A fungus that grows in the wild only on a very limited scale, for example in Italy’s Piedmont. Anyone eating risotto with truffle is guaranteed not to think about meat for a moment.
4. Chickpeas & co.
Here too, it is mainly the fibrous texture that gives legumes such as chickpeas their meaty potential. Grind them and you can make burgers or meatballs. Keep them whole and they are perfect in an Indian curry or pasta e ceci (with chickpeas). Fry them and you have a snack. Save the cooking liquid and you have aquafaba, with the same properties as egg white. With it, you can whip up both mayonnaise and meringues.
5. Cauliflower
Another vegan ingredient declared a trend by trend forecasters in 2017. Even though pioneers such as chef Dan Barber had already featured it on their menus for almost ten years, serving charcoal-grilled cauliflower steaks at his New York restaurant Blue Hill. Ground, it also makes an excellent pizza base or couscous.
6. Nuts
Add pistachios, cashews or other nuts to your curry, salad, soup or vegan burger and you get exactly that lightly salty, chewy factor that keeps you so addicted to meat.
7. Polenta
You can make porridge from cornmeal, bake bread or cake, but you can also shape it into ‘patties’ and grill, bake or deep-fry them. Crisp and deeply flavoured.
8. Artichoke
Once again, it is the fibrous texture of the flesh that makes this fruit such a perfect meat substitute. Chewy like steak. Delicious on pizza. Or deep-fried whole, Roman-style.
9. Pumpkin
From soup to curry, hummus and grilled on the BBQ, pumpkin is just as versatile as it is rich in umami.
10. Avocado
Need we say more? The official ingredient of the past year. Smashed avocado toast, anyone? Soon it will even have its own bar.
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