How to make vegetarian food so good you don't miss the meat

Rising food costs are forcing us all to become savvier about how we shop and cook at home.

Staple foods that Kiwis used to view as basics - eggs, dairy, fruits, vegetables and meat - are becoming increasingly unaffordable. Finding ways to reduce our food costs while still eating well is easier said than done.

One of the obvious areas to target in reducing food costs is meat consumption. Meat-based cooking is unquestionably more expensive than using plant-based alternatives.

These days there are some excellent protein alternatives such as seitan, tempeh, tofu, lentils and beans. Fresh produce like portobello mushrooms, jackfruit or celeriac can mimic the meaty texture we enjoy.

The challenge is that a lot of us have grown up with meat as a central focus when learning how to cook. While anyone can swap a can of kidney beans for a slab of mince, many of us lack the skills to make the meal taste just as good without the meat.

One of the reasons that meat is so delectable is the umami flavour it imparts.

Umami, or delicious savouriness, is one of the lesser known basic tastes that makes our food mouth-wateringly good.

Umami is typically experienced through amino acids (that form proteins) in foods interacting with our taste receptors. This includes substances such as glutamate and monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG, which is actually naturally occurring in many foods such as cheese and tomatoes.

Meat is high in glutamate and the nucleotide inosinate, which both deliver that signature umami taste that keeps us coming back for more.

People complain that meat substitutes like tofu, tempeh, beans and pulses are inferior to meat, because they lack the flavour factor.

And they’re right – a piece of steak certainly tastes better than a plain block of tofu. The key to delicious meat-free cooking is using nature’s pantry of naturally occurring umami to bring that savouriness our taste buds yearn.

Ingredients like soy sauce, miso, parmesan cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, and nuts are all umami powerhouses we can manipulate when cooking without meat, to produce something equally flavoursome.

The recipe below is a prime example of how you can create that meaty flavour in your kitchen without having to swallow the hefty price tag.

Not-beef bourguignon with roasted garlic mash 

This is my plant-based version of the traditional French beef stew. Mushrooms, tomato, soy sauce and Marmite mingle together for a wallet-friendly umami flavour bomb that rivals the meat-based counterpart. Serves 4 as a main.

Hands-on time: 50 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Bourguignon

250ml vegetable stock
20g dried sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
2 brown onions, peeled and sliced
450g carrots (about 3), peeled and diced into 1.5cm rounds
1 tsp sea salt
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500g portobello mushrooms, stalks removed, cut into 2cm wedges
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp ground cinnamon
500ml red wine (e.g. cabernet sauvignon or merlot)
400g can butter beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
100g tomato paste
50ml light soy sauce
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp Marmite (or other yeast spread)
1 Tbsp soft brown sugar
2 bay leaves
1 handful fresh thyme sprigs (about 6), plus extra to serve
1 tsp dried oregano
Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve

Roasted garlic mash

1 bulb garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1kg Agria potatoes, peeled and cut into 3-4cm chunks
1 Tbsp + ½ tsp sea salt
60ml coconut milk 
100g vegan butter or spread (e.g. Olivani)
½ tsp cracked black pepper

Heat the oven to 160°C fan-forced (or 180°C conventional). 

To prepare the bourguignon, place the vegetable stock in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and add the dried shiitake mushrooms. Set aside for 20 minutes to allow the mushrooms to rehydrate.

Meanwhile, place the oil in a large round Dutch oven or flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrot and salt, and sauté for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are nicely softened. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until turning golden, then add the portobello mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, stirring through.

Add the flour, paprika, black pepper and cinnamon and cook for a further minute, tossing through the vegetables to evenly coat. Add the remaining ingredients and gently bring to the boil. Strain the soaking liquid from the rehydrated shiitake into the Dutch oven.

Cut the tough stalks off the shiitake slices, discard, then roughly chop the shiitake mushrooms and add to the Dutch oven. Once bubbling vigorously, remove from the heat and cover with a lid.

Bake for 1 hour, until the sauce is nicely thickened and the vegetables are deliciously tender. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Make the mash as the bourguignon bakes. Cut the top off the garlic bulb to expose the cross section of cloves. Place the bulb on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap tightly with the foil to enclose. Place on a tray and roast for 40 minutes until softened.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add 1 Tbsp salt and bring to the boil over high heat. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through (a knife should go through each potato easily). Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Place over medium heat for 30 seconds, stirring the potatoes to roughen the edges a little. Remove from the heat and mash or blitz with a stick blender until smooth.

Return the mash to low heat, and stir for 2 minutes to dry the mash out a little. Remove from the heat and add the butter, whipping with a wooden spoon until the butter is melted into the mash. Add the coconut milk in two parts, whipping after each addition until combined.

Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin, mash with a fork, and stir through the mash. Blitz or mash again to smooth out any remaining lumps, then stir in the pepper and remaining ½ tsp salt, adjusting to taste.

To serve, spoon a bed of mash onto each plate and spoon over the bourguignon. Finish with some chopped flat-leaf parsley and fresh thyme.

Alby Hailes is a doctor and food writer. His new cookbook, Good Vibes, will be published in August.