Your Vegan Cooking Guide

Welcome to the Vegan Cooking Guide. Ready to play with your food?

Are you looking for tips on preparing basic vegan foods like vegetables, beans, and whole grains? If so, then you will love the information you'll find here. Not only will you learn the basics of vegetarian cooking, but you will learn how to cook without recipes and let your creativity come out to play. It's like your very own virtual vegan cooking school. :)

Do you like to cook? Or is it a necessary evil? Before I went vegan back in 1994, I was the worst cook I knew; my friends actually joked about my lack of skills in the kitchen (boo-hoo). I just really HAY-AY-ATED cooking.

Quinoa Kale Rollups It wasn't until I went vegetarian (and later dropped the eggs and dairy) that I was forced to learn how to cook for myself and hubby Jeff. And what I have learned over the years is that cooking is the best way to relax, let all the stress float away, and let your creativity flow.

But cooking CAN be stressful too, especially when you first head down the path to vegan and you really don't have a clue what to cook. Or you get bored with the same few recipes you make over and over again.

Sure you can find vegan recipes on this website. Recipes are not difficult to find out there. But what you will discover HERE is how to cook WITHOUT recipes. Does that sound scary to you? Exciting? A little bit of both? I totally understand.

But it's important for you to learn how to cook without recipes. Why? Because it is (surprisingly) an easier way to approach your food than using a recipe. There is no time-consuming measuring of ingredients, so it is best for people who feel they are too busy to cook vegan food. You just use your natural-born instinct to guide you. Sometimes you will mess up. And sometimes you'll hit it out of the park. But with each and every dish you make, you will learn something new.

Let's begin with a few tips to help get you started with this Vegan Cooking Guide...



VEGAN COOKING STEP #1:

Colorful Vegetables

Whether using a recipe or not, the most important thing you can do is to get familiar with the main vegan ingredients you will be using to create your vegan food. This is vital to your success wtih vegan cooking. If you don't know how to work with each ingredient individually, how can you hope to mix them together to make a yummy vegan meal?

Take a peek at the list below, and you will find vegetables, whole grains, beans (and vegan protein foods), and fruits. Image of chef with the words Vegan Cooking Guide TutorialThese links lead to lots and lots of information that will help you learn to shop for these ingredients, how to cook them, and how to flavor them individually.

Highly recommended: To make sense of alllll the information you will find by clicking the links in the List of Whole Food Ingredients below, be sure to review the easy-to-understand Vegan Cooking Guide Tutorial to learn how to make use of all the information you will find after clicking on the vegetable, bean, whole grain, or fruit listed below. (This will open in a new window so you can go back and forth as needed.)



VEGAN COOKING STEP #2:

Now, Step 1 helped you to get familiar with how to make each whole-food main ingredient on its own (how they taste, how fast/slow they cook up, and the flavors that match them such as herbs and spices, etc.). And now that you have these basics down, you can begin to put them together to make easy vegan meals.

For instance, let's say this Vegan Cooking Guide helped you learn to cook broccoli. You also tried your hand at making some quinoa. And you have discovered how to cook black beans. What are you going to do with this information?

Here are some ideas for how you might use these three ingredients to whip up a healthy and delectable meal:

  • Cook, season, and serve each of the main ingredients individually on the plate. Instant super easy meal. And since you have learned how to cook and flavor each one, they can stand on their own to make the meal sing;
  • Mixing grains and rice is always a good option because they usually compliment each other in flavor, consistency, and nutrients. So go ahead and mix the beans and quinoa together, and serve the broccoli on the side;
  • Photo of tortilla bowls with fillingWrap your main ingredients into a warmed tortilla and munch away. Or pop the wrap under the broiler, and make a vegan sauce to drizzle over the top. Or make fun tortilla bowls to spoon the ingredients into.
  • Heat a large pan and add vegetable broth to nearly cover the bottom. Slice some onions, garlic, red pepper, bok choy, and any other veggies you like, and add to the pan with the raw chopped broccoli. Heat until the veggies are slightly tender, and add the beans to the mix. Flavor, using the "Vegan Flavor Matches" you learned about in the Vegan Cooking Guide Tutorial. Spoon over a mound of cooked and flavored quinoa;

Really, the possibilities are limitless. Become comfy with the main ingredients for your vegan meals - refer to the list of vegan foods below to guide you. Also, take a peek at my blog Everyday Vegan Cooking and Nutrition, where you will find lots and lots of dishes I created on-the-fly using the same techniques you are learning here.



VEGAN COOKING STEP #3:

Now that you have an idea of how to cook your main ingredients, and how you can get started making these ingredients into a meal, it's time for some helpful vegan cooking tips to help you along:

  1. When you look through the list of Vegan Flavor Matches for the various veggies, whole grains, and beans, you might see some ingredients you aren't familiar with. Don't get hung up on them. Choose to focus on those ingredients you already know and love. For instance, if you see "Bragg Liquid Aminos" (a soy-based condiment much like soy sauce) listed as an option but you only have traditional soy sauce on hand, then go ahead and use what you are familiar with. Over time, as you continue to cook, you will naturally become more curious about the "strange" ingredients and you can investigate them at that time;

  2. When cooking vegan food, you'll be chopping, slicing, and dicing veggies. Be sure to chop each down to about the same size cuts so they cook evenly. Also, keep in mind the relation to the rest of the dish -- for instance, if I am making a rice dish, I will chop veggies on the smaller side to so they don't overpower the grain; if I am making penne pasta, I might choose to keep my veggie chops or slices on the larger side;

  3. Fresh herbs are yummy but can freak some new cooks out. You can go ahead and use dried herbs, just remember that they should be added earlier in the cooking process so they can begin to rehydrate and release their flavors. Be sure that you rub them between your thumb and forefinger or between the palms of your hands before adding them to your pot or pan to give the herbs a boost of energy so they can do their herb-y thing. Fresh herbs should always be added toward the end of cooking to enjoy their full flavor effect because they are more fragile;

  4. If your dish seems a little blah, add lemon juice or vinegar at the end of cooking to perk up the flavors. Especially helpful when reheating a soup, stew, or grain-based dish. (By the way, NEVER use distilled white vinegar in your cooking.);

  5. Wondering which flavors to add to your dish? Always let "THE BIG 4" guide you: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter/pungent. Add some of your favorite flavors, then taste. What do you think it needs? (There is no right or wrong answer. That's the beauty of cooking because you make the rules.) Does your dish taste like it needs more sweetness? Then add a little bit of maple syrup, some raisins or chopped dates, Agave nectar, or Sucanat (a natural sugar). Does your dish need a bitter/pungent edge? Add some freshly ground black pepper, some unsweetened cocoa, chili peppers, or olives;

  6. Nuts and seeds contain vital enzymes your body needs so always buy them "raw". However, toasting them in a dry pan (watch carefully!) greatly brings out their flavor and can add much to a dish. The solution? Toast half of them, and leave the other half raw so you get the best of both worlds;

  7. When working with beans and grains and veggies, you can sometimes have a challenge with consistency and texture. So do your best to add ingredients to the dish to "up" the crunch factor such as nuts, seeds, fried onions, or lightly crushed crackers or tortilla chips;

  8. Think color! The more color a dish has, the more visually appealing it is, and often the tastier and more nutritious too.



VEGAN COOKING STEP #4:

Get to know the Vegan Food Pyramid so you have an understanding of which food groups you need to eat on a daily basis. This will help to guide you in choosing your main ingredients with which to make your vegan meals.



Helpful Kitchen Tools

To assist you on your vegan cooking adventure...



Photo of Vitamix filled with ice and fruit

The Vitamix is an ESSENTIAL part of my vegan kitchen, allowing me to make absolutely divine and healthy meals VERY quickly and easily. It isn't unusual for me to use my Vitamix three times a day (for instance, smoothie in the morning, soup in the afternoon, and a cashew chocolate shake for dessert).

Click here to discover some of the
faaaaabulous things a Vitamix can do.



Photo of Magefesa Mageplus pressure cooker Need to get dinner on the table fast?

A pressure cooker is VITAL to my sanity! It helps me to pull a meal together in minutes when life gets so busy I can't even think straight, let alone figure out how I'm going to feed us!

Pressure cookers are super fast, cooking foods quickly - especially beans and grains, mainstays of the vegan diet. And best of all your food retains the nutrients you need to fill your body with good stuff.


Click here to learn about
the pressure cookers I recommend.


Pssst...Remember, before you use this Vegan Cooking Guide, you may want to refer to the Vegan Cooking Guide Tutorial for a better understanding of what you'll find within the pages of each main ingredient listed below.



Vegan Cooking Guide
List of Whole Food Ingredients

The Veggie Group
Click to learn more about fresh vegetables.
3-6 Servings/Day

Asparagus
Learn all about cooking asparagus, from selection to flavoring.

Boiled Asparagus
Blanched Asparagus
Grilled Asparagus
Roasted Asparagus
Steamed Asparagus

Beets
Click the link above to discover how to cook beets, including choosing your beets, cleaning, and flavoring.

Baked Beets
Boiled Beets
Sauteed Beets
Steamed Beets

Bok Choy
Learn to create your very own bok choy recipes with these helpful tips, from selection to prep to cleaning and more.

Grilled Bok Choy
Sauteed Bok Choy
Steamed Bok Choy

Broccoli
Become a master at cooking fresh broccoli, a clear favorite among most people.

Sauteed Broccoli
Steamed Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts
Creating your own Brussels sprouts recipe is a snap with these helpful tips.

Baked Brussels Sprouts
Boiled Brussels Sprouts
Braised Brussels Sprouts
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts
Steamed Brussels Sprouts
Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage
Cabbage is incredibly good for you! Learn to make your very own cooked cabbage recipe here.

Baked Cabbage
Boiled Cabbage
Braised Cabbage
Sauteed Cabbage
Steamed Cabbage
Stir-Fried Cabbage

Carrots
Before you can make the best carrot recipe that you and your family will love, it's important to know how to choose the freshest carrots, and how to clean, cook, and flavor them.

Baked Carrots
Boiled Carrots
Sauteed Carrots
Steamed Carrots

Cauliflower
Want to learn how to cook cauliflower quickly and easily? It all begins here!

Baked Cauliflower
Boiled Cauliflower
Pureed Cauliflower
Sauteed Cauliflower
Steamed Cauliflower

Celery
Crisp and refreshing, add celery to any dish to UP the crunch factor and add a touch of natural salty flavor.

Baked Celery
Braised Celery
Sauteed Celery
Stir-Fried Celery

Collard Greens
Before you can make your own collard greens recipes check out these helpful hints and tips.

Braised Collard Greens
Parboiled Collard Greens
Sauteed Collard Greens
Steamed Collard Greens

(Where's the corn? Down below in the Grains category.)

Kale
Haven't discovered kale yet? Oy! It's a delicious secret to uncover. Sure to become a favorite if you learn to cook and flavor it properly to make your very own fresh kale recipes.

Braised Kale
Parboiled Kale
Sauteed Kale
Steamed Kale

Mustard Greens
If you love creating your own collard greens recipes, then give mustard greens a try as well.

Braised Mustard Greens
Parboiled Mustard Greens
Sauteed Mustard Greens
Steamed Mustard Greens

Potatoes
Who doesn't LOVE potatoes? Click here to learn everything there is to know about selecting your potatoes in the store, cleaning, cooking, and flavoring too.

Baked Potatoes
Boiled Potatoes
Pureed Potatoes
Roasted Potatoes
Sauteed Potatoes

Spinach
While you can eat spinach raw for sures, cooking spinach is a breeze and can actually help make the nutrients more available.

Boiled Spinach
Pureed Spinach
Sauteed Spinach
Eat it RAW

Sweet Potatoes
Learn to make your own sweet potato recipes - it's easy and the results are always delicious no matter which way you choose to cook them.

Baked Sweet Potatoes
Boiled Sweet Potatoes
Pureed Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Sauteed Sweet Potatoes

Swiss Chard
Who would have thought Swiss chard was sooooo delectable? Oy! It's like buttah! Learn to create your own Swiss chard recipe from scratch.

Braised Swiss Chard
Parboiled Swiss Chard
Sauteed Swiss Chard
Steamed Swiss Chard

Turnips
Learn how to cook a turnip so you can begin to enjoy this unique and comforting veggie today.

Baked Turnips
Boiled Turnips
Sauteed Turnips
Steamed Turnips

Turnip Greens
If you like collard greens and mustard greens, then you should certainly give turnip greens a try.

Braised Turnip Greens
Parboiled Turnip Greens
Sauteed Turnip Greens
Steamed Turnip Greens

Yams
You can substitute yams in most sweet potato recipes, even though they are not even related (believe it or not!). Here, learn how to select your yams, prep, and season to perfection.

Baked Yams
Boiled Yams
Pureed Yams
Roasted Yams
Sauteed Yams
Whole Grains, Bread, Rice, Pasta and Cereal Group
Click to learn more about whole grains.
3-6 Servings/Day

Barley
Learn to work with this highly nutritious grain while you create barley recipes from scratch.

Baked Barley
Boiled Barley
Pressure Cooked Barley
Steamed Barley

Brown Rice
Brown rice recipes are easy to make with these helpful tips.

Baked Brown Rice
Boiled Brown Rice
Pressure Cooked Brown Rice
Steamed Brown Rice

Corn (On The Cob)
Who doesn't love corn on the cob? Create your own recipes with these thorough directions.

Boiling Corn On The Cob
Grilling Corn On The Cob
Roasted Corn On The Cob
Steamed Corn On The Cob

Buckwheat/Kasha
Kasha is simply toasted buckwheat. Here you will learn how to work with this amazing and tasty grain.

Boiled Buckwheat/Kasha
Pressure Cooked Buckwheat/Kasha
Sprouted Buckwheat

Millet
Discover how to prepare millet, a popular grain the world over.

Boiled Millet
Pressure Cooked Millet

Quinoa
Haven't tried quinoa yet? You're in for a treat! Create quinoa recipes from scratch by clicking here.

Boiled Quinoa
Pressure Cooked Quinoa
Photo of Tonia

"Hi Sassy, What a fantastic site!!! As a vegan of 3yrs, I love it. I can cook recipes anytime, but I love that your site shows me ideas and stuff so I don't NEED to." :D

-- Tonia from Perth, Australia
Legumes, Nuts & Seeds, Beans Group
Click to learn more about vegan protein.
2-3 Servings/Day

Beans!
Before you can learn how to cook beans, it's important to know how to select them, prepare them for cooking, and flavor them when all is said and done.

Pressure Cooked Beans
Cooking Beans Without A Pressure Cooker

Tempeh
Tempeh is one of the healthiest types of soy you will find because it is fermented and easy to digest.

Baked Tempeh
Sauteed Tempeh
Steamed Tempeh

Nuts & Seeds!
Don't forget nuts and seeds to add nutrition and crunch to any dish.

The Fruit Group
Fruit! Good! Eat!
Click to learn more about fruit.
2 or more Servings/Day
Apples
Apricots
Bananas
Berries
Citrus Fruit
Cranberries
Figs
Kiwi
Melons
Papaya
Pears
Pineapple

Be sure to visit the Vegan Coach Blog where you'll discover how I use the information within the pages of this site to whip up dinner in minutes!



* * * * *
Vegan Coach Backstage Pass!

Up next: Stock Your Kitchen With These Vegan Ingredients.

This special page has been created for my newsletter subscribers, otherwise known as the Vegan Coach VIPs. ;O)

Subscribe to my newsletter to discover this and other special pages across the VeganCoach.com website. These "Backstage Pass" pages contain oodles of vegan food and nutrition advice.



Questions From Our Website Visitors

Click below to see questions from other visitors to this page...

Creating a breakfast smoothie  starstarstarstarstar
Hi Sassy,

I am on my way to creating a powerful energy-filled breakfast smoothie for daily consumption.

I love your Seedalicious Topping recipe....

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Hi Sassy,

My husband and I have been pure Vegan for about 8 months now, and we are loving the results. We are however, also off all oils and it is ...

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I read your recipe for boiled barley. I measured out 1 cup of hulled barley, and I soaked it over night. I got out my pot, and put in 3 cups of water,...

Too hot to cook!  starstarstarstarstar
Hi Sassy,

It is way too hot this summer! Other than smoothies, sandwiches and salads, do you have any ideas for hot weather healthy eating?

My rice ...

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What should I do with seitan? I have never cooked with it before and I'm not sure what to do with it. I was thinking to throw it in a stir fry. Thanks....

Jeff's Brown Rice Medley Video  starstarstarstarstar
Great Video! Are equal parts rice, barley etc used? *****
Sassy Sez - Thanks, and glad you enjoyed our Brown Rice Medley video

The amounts of ...

Artichoke Burgers   starstarstarstarstar
Hi Sassy! Do you or anyone out there have a vegan artichoke burger recipe to share? My husband and I have found fantastic frozen artichoke burgers (only ...

Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking?  starstarstarstarstar
Do you offer gluten-free, veggie cooking ideas?
*****
Sassy sez: Hi Diann - Since my entire site is based on personal experience, and since I am ...

Cooking Corn On The Cob  starstarstarstarstar

I couldn't find anything on your excellent website about cooking corn on the cob. Any suggestions? Thanks, Bill
*****
Hi Bill -- It is located ...

Unhulled Barley vs Hulled for Baking & Cooking  starstarstarstarstar

While we know that pearled barley has the nutrients removed, is there any benefit to using unhulled barley over the hulled variety? Are the husks digestible?...

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I have been looking into safe heat temperatures for cooking oils, and one of the worst oils to use for cooking is extra virgin olive oil....high temperatures ...

Turnips - Is it important to buy organic?  starstarstarstarstar
Is it very important to buy only organic turnip?
*****
Sassy Sez - The short answer is no.

Here is a longer answer:

Personally, I try to ...

Vegan Cooking - I'm a failure!  starstarstarstarstar
I am not vegan but vegetarian and don't know how to become creative. How can I do this? I am working on seasonal cooking...I am having to teach myself ...

Cooking Tofu  starstarstarstarstar
I want to know how you cook tofu or what do you use tofu for?

Raw versus cooked green leafy vegetables  starstarstarstar
Hello, first thank you for the dedication and information you have taken time to share with all of us strangers :)

I am confused that on the Vegan ...

How to make seitan  Not rated yet
I am looking for advice on how to make seitan. As a new vegan, I find that I really like seitan due to its "meat-like" texture. However, I have been unsuccessful ...

Food Processor Recommendation  Not rated yet
Hi Sassy,

Thanks for helping me understand the value of a pressure cooker. I have a Vitamix but recipes sometimes call for a food processor. Do you ...

Can you pre-cook brown rice?  Not rated yet
Is it possible to pre-cook a big batch of rice and maybe freeze or just refrigerate? 1 hour preparation is quite a bit on an average day.
*****
Sassy ...

Vegan Seasoning Basics  Not rated yet
Sassy - My question is about vegan seasoning basics. I like to eat simple meals that I can throw together quickly - like brown rice w/ beans, & one or ...

Barley to water ratio after soaking  Not rated yet
I took 1 cup of dry barley. I soaked it. Now I have a lot more barley than 1c. So do I take 1c of the soaked barley to 2c. broth? Or is it the whole pile ...

Hulled Barley Shelf Life  Not rated yet

Hello!

I recently discovered a stash of hulled Barley in a glass container..dating back to just before I moved into my current home....which was ...

How to avoid clumped barley  Not rated yet

When I prepare the baked barley using your instructions, the barley clumps on cooling. What am I doing wrong?

After 50 minutes I checked the barley ...

Freezing Asparagus  Not rated yet
I have 5 pounds of fresh asparagus and would like to freeze it for future use. I am not certain if the asparagus should be blanched first and then bagged,...

Kasha Too Mushy  Not rated yet
Thank you for the information on your site. I have a question about Kasha. I cooked some up the other day for the first time and it came out very mushy....

Freezing Tofu  Not rated yet
Last year I bought a summer/country/eventual retirement home that is about 3 hours to the nearest store that sells tofu, grains and other staples. I want ...


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