Vegetarian Chinese Soul Food: Deliciously Doable Ways to Cook Greens, Tofu, and Other Plant-Based Ingredients

by Hsiao-Ching Chou

A vegetarian follow-up to the very popular Chinese Soul Food cookbook that includes 75 plant-based comfort food recipes you can make at home.

Chinese Soul Food drew cooks into the kitchen with the assurance they could make this cuisine at home. Though a popular cuisine across North America, Chinese food can be a little intimidating. But author Hsiao-Ching Chou's friendly and accessible recipes work for everyone, including average home cooks. In this new collection, you'll find vegetarian recipes for stir-fries, rice and noodle dishes, soups, braises, and pickles. Of course, the book wouldn't be complete without vegetarian versions of Chou's famously delicious dumplings, including soup dumplings and shu mai, as well as other dim sum delights. Separate chapters feature egg and tofu recipes. From Cauliflower with Spiced Shallot Oil to Kung Pao Tofu Puffs, and from Hot and Sour Soup to Ma Po Tofu to Steamed Egg Custard, these recipes will satisfy your every craving for classic Chinese comfort food--and all without meat.

You will also find helpful information including essential equipment, core pantry ingredients (with acceptable substitutions), ways to season and maintain a wok, and other practical tips that make this an approachable cookbook. Home cooks are gently guided toward becoming comfortable cooking satisfying Chinese meals. Whether you're a vegetarian or simply reducing the amount of meat in your daily diet, these foolproof recipes are made to be cooked any night of the week. As the author likes to say, any kitchen can be a Chinese kitchen!

• ISBN10: 1632173336
• ISBN13: 9781632173331
• Publish Date: 19 January 2021
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 26 July 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Sasquatch Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781632173331

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Vegetarian Chinese Soul Food is a plant based tutorial and recipe guide for vegetarian Chinese dishes curated and developed by Hsiao-Ching Chou. Due out 19th Jan 2021 from Sasquatch Books, it's 272 pages (print edition) and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a graphically appealing, well written, and accessible cookbook with an array of vegetarian recipes to appeal to most tastes. I really liked the layout and formatting of this cookbook. The introduction covers the basics, with a good overview of tools, ingredients, techniques, and supplies (which might not be familiar to many western cooks). The recipes which follow are arranged roughly thematically: dumplings (the author is a -virtuoso-), dim sum & small bites, soups & braises, stir-fry, steamed dishes, rice and noodles, tofu, eggs, and salads and pickles. There are a number of gluten-free recipes included (including pot sticker dough!), and these are clearly delineated. As the "egg" recipe section implies, not all the recipes are vegan-compliant. There are some lacto-ovo vegetarian recipes, but they too are clearly labeled. Many of them could be adjusted to become vegan friendly.

Each recipe has its ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar. Measurements are given in US standard only. (There's a metric conversion chart in the back of the book). Special tools and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and cooking directions. The ingredients are mostly easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery or international foods store. Nutritional information is not provided.
The recipes and tutorials are well photographed in color. The serving suggestions are very well styled and give visual cooks information about presentation and serving (especially important for cooks who are not familiar with Asian dishes). Essential info, alerts, facts, tips & answers are highlighted in text boxes. The final release version of the book will include an index.

The author's gentle encouragement and wit shine through in the tutorial texts. I am convinced she'd be a really gifted teacher and it would be a lot of fun (and enriching) to be able to take a cooking workshop from her.

Five stars. There are a large number of really tasty recipes here. We've tried a number of them at home and they've all been tasty and error free.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.