150 Vegan Favorites (8 page)

A bowl of thick, pureed black beans is a wonderful sight. This dip is quick and simple to make and even easier to devour.

Yield: About 2 cups

Drain the beans, reserving ¼ cup of the liquid.

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, tomato, garlic, and jalapeños and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the beans and reserved liquid, scallions, oregano, cumin, and pepper and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with a steel blade or to a blender and process until smooth, about 5 seconds. Pour the pureed mixture into a serving bowl.

Serve with warm flour tortillas, pita bread, or cut-up vegetables.

My Sicilian grandmother can prepare this delicious red sauce with her eyes shut. With a few cans of tomato paste, plenty of garlic, and a little basil and parsley, this masterful sauce is just minutes away.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic glistens, about 2 minutes. Add the water, tomato paste, parsley, basil, sugar, pepper, and salt and stir until a thick sauce is formed. Bring the sauce to a gradual simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

Reduce the heat to low and cook (partially covered) for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the sauce from the heat and ladle over cooked pasta.

This marinara sauce will satisfy the most ardent pasta lover. The rich flavor of canned plum tomatoes is heightened with herbs and slyly seasoned with garlic and onion.

Yield: 2 cups (4 servings)

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, optional sugar, oregano, basil, pepper, and salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the sauce to a food processor fitted with a steel blade or to a blender and process until smooth, about 5 seconds. Return the sauce to the pan and keep warm until ready to serve over pasta.

This luscious Middle Eastern dip is made with roasted eggplant, garlic, tahini, and herbs. Serve it as a warm dip or sandwich spread.

  Yield: About 1 ½ to 2 cups

Preheat the oven broiler.

Place the eggplant face down on a baking pan. Place beneath the broiler and roast until the skin crackles and the flesh is tender, about 10 minutes (flip the eggplant after about 8 minutes). Remove the pan from the oven and let cool slightly. Peel off the outer black skin from the eggplant and discard; coarsely chop the flesh.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the tahini, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, cumin, pepper, and salt. Add the eggplant and mash the mixture with the back of a fork.

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with pita bread or raw vegetables (or refrigerate for later—lasts up to 4 days).

Serve this fruity condiment with grilled vegetables, baked potatoes, or roasted plantains.

  Yield: About 2 ½ cups

In a large saucepan, combine the mango, onion, carrot, chili pepper, garlic, vinegar, pineapple juice, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt, and allspice and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has a jamlike consistency, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Place the mixture into a food processor fitted with a steel blade or in a blender and process until smooth, about 10 seconds.

Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl and serve warm or chilled. If refrigerated, the sauce should keep for several weeks.

Sofrito is a versatile Puerto Rican table sauce traditionally served over soups, stews, and pilafs and other rice dishes. This variation includes earthy black beans and zesty cilantro.

Yield: 3 to 4 cups

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, cumin, pepper, and salt and cook for 7 to 10 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently. Stir in the cilantro and remove from the heat.

Spoon the sofrito into a serving bowl and serve as a table sauce.

Although green tomatoes are not as succulent as their red counterparts, the unripe mild fruits are welcome in sweet-and-tart chutneys and sauces. If your kitchen overflows with green tomatoes in autumn, this is a tasty way to use them. Chutney makes a healthful substitute for mayonnaise or butter in a variety of meals. Spoon it over baked potatoes or steamed vegetables, or toss it into a vegetable curry.

Yield: 4 cups (about 8 servings
)

In a large saucepan, combine the onion, tomatoes, pears, vinegar, cider, raisins, sugar, garlic, ginger, cumin, pepper, salt, and cloves and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is chunky. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Serve at once or refrigerate for later. If refrigerated, the chutney will keep for several weeks.

Mango chutney is a fruity, sweet-and-tart relish with roots in Indian cuisine. It makes a great low-fat topping for potatoes, curries, and cooked winter squash.

Yield: 4 cups (about 8 servings
)

In a large saucepan, combine the mango, pineapple, onion, apple, vinegar, apple juice, sugar, raisins, ginger, garlic, cumin, cloves, and salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has a jam-like consistency, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

Serve at once or refrigerate for later. If chilled, the chutney will keep for several weeks.

This sweet-and-sour condiment is a brilliant blend of cranberries, apples, vinegar, apple cider, and aromatic spices. Serve this versatile chutney with rice dishes, curries, scones, or grain pilafs.

Yield: About 2 ½ to 3 cups

In a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, apples, onion, garlic, ginger, sugar, raisins, vinegar, cider, pepper, cumin, salt, and cloves and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has a jam-like consistency, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow the chutney to cool to room temperature.

Serve the chutney warm or refrigerate for later. If chilled, the chutney should keep for several weeks.

Rouille is a Provençal-style sauce made with leftover bread. This dairy-free version can be served over pasta or rice or offered as a vegetable or cracker dip.

Yield: 3 cups (about 6 servings
)

In a medium mixing bowl, soak the bread in warm water for about 5 seconds. Place the bread in a colander, drain, and gently squeeze out the excess water (like a sponge).

Transfer the soaked bread to a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the roasted peppers, oil, garlic, thyme, cayenne, and salt. Process the mixture until smooth,
about 5 seconds. Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan and stir in the milk. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

When ready, ladle the sauce over the cooked pasta and garnish with parsley.

Salsa verde (Spanish for “green sauce”) is made with tart tomatillos, cilantro, and hot peppers. Serve the sauce with burritos, quesadillas, and other tortilla-based dishes.

Yield: 1 ½ cups

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the tomatillos, stock, jalapeños, cumin, pepper, and salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth, about 5 seconds.
Return to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cilantro.

Transfer the salsa to a bowl and serve with tortilla-based dishes (such as burritos) or as a dip. Refrigerate any leftover sauce for later.

This salsa is so tasty, you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful. It is ideally served with burritos, quesadillas, or tortilla chips or as a topping for rice and beans, potatoes, or pilafs.