Veggie Forward!
Photography and Styling by Sara Ghedina
The choices we make every day, no matter how small, have an impact on the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we live. Our lifestyles are ultimately responsible for the wellbeing of our planet.
It’s easy to understand how recycling, walking or biking more often, choosing renewable energy sources, composting food waste, or using cloth bags instead of plastic, helps the environment. The food we eat, however, represents one of the our most trenchant impacts, with meat at the top of the list. Animal agriculture is recognized as a leading cause of global warming. Cows themselves produce an incredible amount of greenhouse gas, and raising them wastes huge amounts of water, is one of the main causes of deforestation, and consumes fossil fuels in the production and transportation of animal feed.
Abstaining from meat and animal products, occasionally or altogether, can be an important step forward against animal cruelty and for environmental responsibility.
The case against meat is very strong, but obviously we can only adopt new habits when there are valid alternatives. Many people are under the misconception that being vegan is extremely difficult or that vegans live off lettuce and carrots and a few other unappetizing foods. This couldn’t be further from the truth: nature offers us an incredible array of vegetable products and it’s up to our imagination to turn them into delicious and nutritious dishes. It often goes unnoticed that Mediterranean and other cuisines offer many dishes that are already vegan, and additional recipes that can easily become vegan by using newly available plant-based products.
I’ve been vegan for seven years, and since then I’ve become more and more creative with food, taking the opportunity to discover new ways of filling raviolis or making a fluffy and luxurious chocolate mousse. To be honest, I’ve never been a big meat eater, and I didn’t find the transition to a vegan lifestyle all that hard. The biggest challenge I face is fighting the misconception that vegan food is boring and tasteless. However, I do recognize that for many people giving up meat and dairy altogether can be extremely difficult, psychologically and emotionally as well as physically. Food is a cultural practice and giving up hot dogs on Fourth of July is far more than a dietary change. But here’s the good news: meat consumption is not an all-or-nothing decision, and vegan food is not just for vegans. There are multitudes of middle-of-the-road positions that can help people move away from meat-centered diets.
Think Meatless Mondays or meatless breakfasts; think going vegan for a full day every week or for a full week every two or three months; think substituting your burger with one of the delicious plant-based alternatives now available; think giving plant based gelato a try next time you’re in the mood for ice cream. All these simple choices are based on the idea that little steps can produce big changes. Millions of people going meatless for one day a week have a much bigger impact on the environment than a handful of year-round vegans. The choice is up to us!
Sara’s recipe for vegan Lentil Bolognese will carry you into your next #MeatlessMonday.
MUSHROOM POTATO SOUP
Perfect for colder days during fall season, this hearty and warming soup comes together in 35 minutes. For a more intense flavor, substitute common white and crimini mushrooms with Portabella and baby bella mushrooms, or a mix of your favorite wild mushrooms. Russet potatoes instead of Yukon Gold will work.
Serves 4
Ingredients
10 oz white mushroom
10 oz crimini mushroom
3.5 oz shiitake mushroom
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cubed
4 to 5 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves only
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups vegetable stock
Instructions
Clean the mushrooms and pat them dry. Trim and discard any dried stem ends, then chop them roughly and set aside. In a large pot, heat 4 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat, then add shallot and 3 garlic cloves and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly softened and fragrant.
Add potatoes, thyme and chili flakes, and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes more, then add mushrooms, keeping aside about 3/4 cup for serving. Cook, stirring frequently until mushrooms release their liquid and start to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Cover with hot vegetable stock and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
While soup is cooking, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small skillet, adding remaining garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the reserved mushroom, season with salt and pepper and cook until they soften and brown. Keep warm and set aside.
Remove soup from heat and let it cool off a bit, then puree using a hand-held blender or whirling it in batches in a blender or food processor. Pour it back in the pan and add more stock if it is too dense, or let it cook longer if it needs to thicken a bit. Serve hot, garnishing each bowl with a spoon of sautéed mushrooms and a few croutons.
STORY, RECIPE, STYLING AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARA GHEDINA
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