The Humble Gourmand

To the non-vegetarian, “meatless” goes far beyond tofu these days. Tempeh, seitan, quinoa, millet … there’s even something called TVP (which stands for textured vegetable protein). Unless you’re a savvy vegetarian cook, these foods sound foreign and perhaps a bit suspicious.

Yet too many carnivores simply dismiss vegetarian dishes as wimpy, unsatisfying, and full of those mysteriously suspect textures. Such close-minded perspectives prevent them from enjoying new foods and flavor combinations, and from capturing the health benefits associated with eating less red meat.

In 2008, give the occasional meatless meal a try. If the mere suggestion gives you heart palpitations, take a deep breath. No one is forcing you to kiss filet mignon goodbye for good. Get over the notion that “meatless” equals plain tofu (a particularly unpalatable that no self-respecting vegetarian cook would serve you, anyway! Fresh, spicy, and savory flavors are an integral part of vegetarian dishes). In fact, you can dip a toe into the uncharted waters of lentils, beans, mushrooms, and orzo without ever going near a synthetic, unpronounceable protein.

As part of my New Year’s resolution to eat healthfully, I’ll be going “veggie” at least once a week — starting with simple quiches and omelettes, the HG’s white bean and leek soup, and this classic Provencal vegetable soup, from Julia Child’s French Chef cookbook:

SOUP BASE
3 quarts water
2 Tbsp. salt
2 cups each of diced carrots, boiling potatoes, and yellow onions

Add above ingredients to a large stockpot. Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Fifteen minutes before serving, add:

ADDITIONAL VEGETABLES & FLAVORINGS
2 cups diced fresh green beans
1/3 cup small pasta or spaghetti strands broken into 1/2-inch pieces
1 slice stale white bread, crumbled
1 cup canned navy or kidney beans
Large pinches of pepper and saffron
1 or 2 cups diced fresh zucchini, green peas, red or green bell peppers

Bring soup base to a boil and add above ingredients. Boil slowly, uncovered, until green vegetables are tender. Add boiling water if the soup seems too thick, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

PISTOU FLAVORING
4 cloves garlic
4 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

While the soup is boiling, prepare the pistou flavoring in a soup tureen or casserole dish. Put the garlic cloves through a press, stir in the tomato paste, basil, and cheese. Then, with a whisk, gradually beat in the olive oil to make a thick paste.

Just before serving, dribble several ladlefuls of soup into the pistou, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in the rest of the soup, then the parsley, and serve at once with hot French bread.

As you can see, the possibilities for improvisation with this soup are almost infinite. Enjoy!

1. carinnemj

   January 9 1:53 p.m. 1

   Me too! And Indian food has been my saving grace. Much if not most of traditional Indian cooking is vegetarian, and in some cases vegan. My heavy-hitters have been curried lentil soups, chickpea-based main courses, dal with rice...there are so many great vegetable dishes that go beyond salad and stir-fry.

   By the way Alison, if you ever want to take a cooking class with me, there's a great chef in Dupont who specializes in Asian cuisine, particularly Indian and Thai. She taught me how to make a kheer that will drop you to your knees.

2. Alison

   January 31 12:53 p.m. 2

   That would be great! Indian is one of those cuisines that I really enjoy but haven't cooked much on my own -- I think I've been a little intimidated, but it may just be a question of being shown the ropes a few times (and making sure to have the right spices and ingredients on hand). Will follow up with you in private (ooooh....)!

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