I stopped eating meat almost four years ago, primarily for health reasons after reading The China Study, and cut out most dairy too. I do eat a bit of fish, for the vitamin B12 (and because it keeps me sane), and I still eat things that have butter in them/on them, because that makes me happy.
I’ve noticed over these past few years that, in the US at least, there are more and more veg-friendly options out there. Salad shops, soup shops, and also food from around the world that is delicious and not made with meat.
Where I still feel vegetarians are misunderstood is that, because it can be such a strange concept not to eat meat, many people assume that vegetarians go to the other extreme: that being vegetarian means that I eat side dishes all day long, food that’s more spare and has less flavor than meat-eaters would find satisfying. In fact, I have no interest in steamed broccoli with no salt or olive oil, nor do I like salads and raw, cold food much more than most people.
Great, complex, fully satisfying vegetarian main dishes are still hard to find, so when I come across them I’m quick to go back for more. The other day I had a vegan mushroom ramen from Mokbar that was every bit as ramen-y, rich, and delicious as I hoped it would be, and I was pretty amazed that they could create that much depth of flavor without any pork shoulder in the broth. That got me thinking about my top-top list of most delicious vegetarian dishes that erase any remaining longing for meaty goodness:
- Squash rice from the Fat Hen in Johns Island, South Carolina (just had this last month for the first time. Amazing)
- The Warm Farro & Fried Egg Salad from Red Hat Bistro in Irvington, NY (which may have disappeared from their menu, which would be a shame)
- Tofu Bahn Mi sandwich from CoBa, on 17th St and 9th Avenue
- Eggplant Sabich from Taim Falafel, 45 Spring Street, New York
- Black bean burger from Smashburger (far and away the best veg hamburger I’ve ever had)
- Lentil pie from the Tuck Shop in Chelsea Market
- Vegetarian chili recipe from Cooks Illustrated (umami-full flavors that win over the meat-eaters)
- Pumpkin Curry from Ariana Kebab House on 52nd Street and 9th Avenue
This list omits Indian restaurants, as I don’t have a favorite, and gets me thinking about great veg dishes at Thai restaurants.
What about you? What would you add to this list of great main course vegetarian dishes?
I’ve used the Rebar Modern Food cookbook to win over many a meat eater. In particular, their soups are spectacular.
Ooh thank you I will check it out.