Cookbook Review: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Ten years ago, this breakthrough cookbook made vegetarian cooking accessible to everyone. Today, the issues surrounding a plant-based diet—health, sustainability, and ethics—continue to resonate with more and more people, whether or not they’re fully vegetarian.

This new edition has been completely reviewed and revised to stay relevant to today’s cooks. New recipes include more vegan options and a brand-new chapter on smoothies, teas, and more. Charts, variations, and other key information have been updated.

And, new for this edition, the recipes are showcased in bright full-color photos throughout. With these photos and a host of recipes destined to become new favourites, this already classic vegetarian cookbook will continue to be more indispensable than ever.

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Completely Revised Tenth Anniversary Edition is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

Wintertime Tomato Soup

MAKES: 4 servings

TIME: About 1 1/2 hours, mostly unattended

1 cup lightly packed dried tomatoes (about 2 ounces; preferably not packed in oil)

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 carrot, chopped

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

4 cups vegetable stock (recipe below) or water

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Put the dried tomatoes in a heatproof bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Drain the canned tomatoes, reserving the juice. Halve the tomatoes and put on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle with the thyme if you’re using it. Roast, turning once or twice with a spatula, until the tomatoes are dry and lightly browned, 25 to 35 minutes.

2. When the tomatoes are roasted, drain the dried tomatoes, reserving the soaking liquid. Pour a little of the soaking liquid onto the baking sheet and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a spatula, breaking up the roasted tomatoes at the same time. Roughly chop the dried tomatoes.

3. Put the remaining oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the garlic and cook just until it begins to color, a minute or so. Add the carrot and onion and cook until they start to release their liquid, 1 to 2 minutes more. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add the sugar and stir until it melts, just a few seconds.

4. Add the reserved liquids from the canned and dried tomatoes and continue stirring until the liquid mostly evaporates and darkens, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the stock, the contents of the roasting pan, and the dried tomatoes. Turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat so it bubbles gently. Cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

Vegetable Stock

MAKES: About 2 quarts

TIME: 1 hour, somewhat unattended

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 carrots, sliced

4 celery stalks (plus any available leaves), sliced

2 onions, quartered (don’t bother to peel)

2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 head garlic (separate the cloves but don’t bother to peel)

1 pound white button mushrooms, trimmed and halved or sliced

Salt and pepper

10–20 parsley sprigs

2 bay leaves

1. Put the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, garlic, and mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover, and cook, undisturbed, until you hear the vegetables sizzle, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover, stir once or twice, and cook, stirring only enough to prevent burning until the vegetables release their liquid and begin to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. (If you have more time, keep going another 15 to 20 minutes or until they’re even darker.)

2. Add the parsley, 10 cups water, and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles steadily but gently. Cook until the vegetables are very tender, anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes depending on how much time you can spare.

3. Strain through a fine-meshed strainer. Taste and adjust the seasoning before using or cooling and storing.