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Discover the Best Vegetarian Cooking Classes Near Me
A vegetarian diet is one that avoids the consumption of meats, including fish and seafood. Vegetarian lifestyles have been practiced for centuries and are recommended by major religions like Hinduism and Buddhism. Vegetarian diets may be followed for a variety of reasons. Some people follow these dietary guidelines for religious reasons, others use moral justifications, and others still refrain from the consumption of meat for health purposes.
Ethical vegetarians believe that consuming animal flesh is immoral. Moral justifications for a vegetarian diet were prominent before the 20th century and were especially espoused in the early 1800s. Greek philosophers like Pythagoras argued that the consumption of animals constituted cruel exploitation. It wasn’t until the expansion of nutritional science in the 20th century that vegetarianism was recognized as a healthy dietary alternative by the general public.
Today, it’s believed that roughly 10-15% of Americans identify as vegetarian or vegan (those who abstain from consuming animals and animal by-products). 22% of the world’s population practices vegetarianism to some degree. As this dietary practice grows in popularity, popular food chains have begun to offer vegetarian or vegan alternatives on their menus. With its emphasis on plant-based dishes, fully vegetarian diets have become more achievable for those with access to fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as legumes.
Why You Should Learn Vegetarian Cooking
Nutritionists have found that vegetarian diets provide health benefits to those that follow them. Vegetarian food isn’t always healthy, but if you adhere to recommended nutritional guidelines, a vegetarian diet may help improve your health in several ways.
Vegetarian meals typically contain less saturated fat and cholesterol than meat-based meals. High consumption of saturated fats and cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. A vegetarian diet heavy in high-fiber whole grains and legumes has been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol (also known as “bad” cholesterol), lowering the risk of heart disease and the chance of experiencing a cardiac event. Researchers have also found that vegetarians tend to have lower blood pressure than meat eaters, which may be due to the low-fat content of fruits and vegetables as well as their large concentration of potassium, which lowers blood pressure.
Cooking has been linked to improvements in mood, self-esteem, and mental health. When you cook, you become focused on the process. You have to pay attention when you’re chopping fruits and vegetables, stirring sauces, and monitoring the food you’re cooking. This constant focus has been shown to keep your mind calm. Furthermore, when you try cooking new dishes, you’re exploring your creativity.
Learning how to cook vegetarian meals is a great way to work on your eating habits, try new foods, and offer the same therapeutic benefits that cooking a meat dish would.
5 Ways to Learn Vegetarian Cooking
One barrier that prevents many people from introducing vegetarian meals into their diet is the perception that vegetarian meals solely consist of vegetables. This isn’t true. Intentional vegetarian diets have existed for centuries, giving people and cultures quite a while to perfect dishes. If you’re interested in learning about vegetarian cooking, consider one of the following methods to get started:
In-person Classes
Take a formal in-person vegetarian cooking class. In-person classes will be led by expert instructors who can answer all your questions. These classes also provide demonstrations, so you’ll have a visual understanding of how to cook vegetarian meals. Another benefit to in-person classes is that they typically provide all the materials you will need when cooking, including ingredients and cookware.
Live Online Classes
Sign-up to take a live online vegetarian cooking class. These classes take place remotely, so you can follow along in your own kitchen. An instructor will guide you and other remote learners through the class, answering questions along the way. When taking an online vegetarian cooking class, you’ll typically be responsible for sourcing all necessary ingredients and using your own cookware. If this is the case, your instructor will upload a shopping list to the class page, which you can fulfill at your local grocery store.
On-demand Classes
Self-paced on-demand classes are available online. These videos are posted to video platforms that are accessible to anyone with a stable internet connection. Their self-paced nature means that you can follow along with them at your own convenience, whether that’s after work, or when you’re looking to make a meal over the weekend. Because these classes are in video format, you won’t have a live instructor to ask questions as you follow along with them.
Vegetarian Cookbooks
Check out a book on vegetarian cooking at your local library or bookstore. Books are a great resource when cooking. There are many vegetarian cookbooks that will go in-depth on the history of vegetarian cooking and the type of cuisine the book is centered around, as well as on techniques, before providing you with detailed recipes. Cookbooks also usually include photos of the dish you’re making, so you can get some idea of what the outcome of your cooking will be.
Online Recipes
For many, cooking is an exercise in trial and error. If you’re a self-learner, browse the internet for vegetarian recipes. Recipes are often provided for free online by home cooks, professional cooks, and cooking publications. You can opt to follow these recipes to their exact measurements or play around with the ingredients as you create your own vegetarian dish.
If you have no prior cooking experience, you should consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of these learning methods. An in-person or online class will be taught by an instructor to answer your questions, whereas using an on-demand class, a book, or an online guide as a cooking resource will only provide you with information that was published. If you have no cooking experience, an in-person class can also be a good way to learn about important steps in the process of cooking, like how to safely use a knife and how to properly season food. Although you can learn this through a book, in-person classes provide in-depth demonstrations.
In-Person Vegetarian Cooking Classes
In-person vegetarian cooking classes taught by expert instructors are offered around the US. Attending an in-person class is a great way to sharpen your cooking skills and learn new vegetarian recipes that you can try out at home. Receiving instruction from a skilled teacher allows you to ask questions about the dish you’re cooking in class. Taking an in-person class will also introduce you to others with a similar interest in cooking whom you can befriend and learn cooking tips and tricks from.
Home Cooking New York, located in SoHo, has a class catering to cooks of all skill levels who’d like to add several vegetarian dinner ideas to their repertoire. In their class, Vegetarian Suppers for Everyone, you’ll learn how to make four flavorful, meatless meals. This class follows a demonstration-style structure, which will allow you and fellow participants to work together as you follow along with your instructor. Don’t worry if you don’t have much cooking experience; you’ll learn knife skills in this class as well as how to prepare ingredients for cooking.
Home Cooking New York also offers a cooking class for sushi lovers. Their DIY Sushi and Dumpling class will have you creating both meat/seafood and vegetarian sushi and dumplings. At the end of this demonstration-style class, you’ll sit down with your fellow participants and instructor for a meal.
Mukti’s Kitchen, based in Brooklyn, offers several classes for those looking to learn how to make vegetarian Indian dishes. It’s estimated that around 40% of India’s population is vegetarian, with roughly 30% of those who do consume meat doing so infrequently, making many Indian dishes suited for vegetarians. Mukti’s Kitchen offers the class Healthy Indian Vegetarian Dinner if you’re looking to try out some of these popular dishes. After learning about spices that make up the base of Indian cooking, you’ll follow your instructor in creating samosas, malai kofta, aloo gobi, navratan korma, and vegetable pulao. This class stresses socialization and ends with a sit-down dinner.
If you find that you enjoy vegetarian Indian dishes, Mukti’s Kitchen also hosts a Sunday breakfast and brunch class where you’ll make a variety of Indian breakfast dishes. All their vegetarian cooking classes are hands-on and instructor-led. After the class, your instructor will send you an electronic version of the recipes you made in class so that you can reference them at home if you decide to remake what you made in class.
Anyone in the San Francisco area with an interest in vegetarian recipes is welcome to check out CocuSocial Cooking Classes’ Authentic Asian Dumplings. Participants will learn how to make Chinese dumplings from scratch and use wrappers to learn about different dumpling textures. You’ll be making both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dumplings in this class. No prior experience is required, as this class is designed for both experienced cooks and first-timers.
With the rise in vegetarianism in the US has come the inclusion of vegetarian or vegetarian-friendly dishes in restaurants and fast-food chains. Likewise, many of the in-person cooking classes that are offered at locations around the US will provide vegetarian-friendly substitutions if they’re not focused on vegetarian recipes. If you’re interested in taking a cooking class but aren’t sure if the food will be vegetarian or vegetarian-friendly, don’t hesitate to reach out to the class instructor and ask if vegetarian substitutes will be provided.
Virtual Vegetarian Cooking Classes
Taking an in-person vegetarian cooking class is ideal if you’re looking for one-on-one feedback and room for socialization. However, in-person classes may not be available in your area or might not fit your schedule. If you can’t attend an in-person class but are interested in receiving instruction in vegetarian cooking, consider taking a virtual vegetarian cooking class.
Virtual classes are taught by live instructors who can offer remote direction and demonstrations. You can attend these classes from your own kitchen, so long as you have a stable internet connection. When taking a virtual vegetarian cooking class, you’ll be responsible for supplying all the ingredients and will have to use your own cookware. Make sure to check out the class shopping list before signing up to ensure that you’re able to procure all the required ingredients and that you have all the pots, pans, and other items you’ll need to use for the class. There are several online vegetarian cooking classes available for you to take on CourseHorse.
Persian Dinner is a class offered by Home Cooking New York open to cooks of all skill levels. In this remote class, you’ll make three Persian dishes. One dish is made with chicken; however, you can substitute the chicken with kidney beans or roasted mushrooms to make it vegetarian while still maintaining the integrity of the dish and its vibrant flavor. The herbs, ingredients, and fragrances common among Persian dishes will be especially highlighted.
If you’re looking to impress friends with your culinary skills the next time you host a dinner, check out Food Craft’s virtual Vegetarian Sushi Rolling class. This one-hour demonstration-style class is led by a live instructor who’ll walk you through seasoning your sushi rice, preparing your preferred fillings like cucumbers and avocado, making spicy mayonnaise, and rolling your sushi. When you sign up for the class, you’ll be sent an inclusive kit that includes rice, sauce packets, and a bamboo rolling mat. You’ll need to supply yourself with the necessary kitchen utensils and fresh ingredients which are located on the class page.
Vegetarian food is not limited to savory dishes. Food Craft offers a virtual Chocolate Truffle making class. You’ll learn to make three varieties of no-bake truffles: honey fig, Oreo coconut, and cinnamon coconut. This class is a great introduction to the limitless world of vegetarian baking. If you’re also interested in vegan recipes, the ones you’ll learn in this class can be easily adjusted so that your truffles are vegan.
Private Group Vegetarian Cooking Classes
Are you and a group of friends looking for private vegetarian cooking classes? Or is your business or organization looking to schedule an inclusive group cooking class as a team-bonding activity? Whatever the occasion, CourseHorse offers private group vegetarian cooking classes that they can deliver to you remotely.
Their virtual Sushi Making Workshop will teach your group how to make sushi rice and rolls from home. Participants will be sent a gift card to buy their preferred sushi fillings, including vegetables. Your instructor will go over the basics of sushi making, including how to use a bamboo rolling mat. A kit of materials will be mailed to your group, but there are several tools that each member will need to procure themselves.
If your group is looking for a fun cocktail hour cooking class, you may be interested in booking CourseHorse’s virtual Guacamole and Margaritas workshop. A professional chef will guide your group through making the perfect guacamole and margarita. Up to 100 participants over the age of 21 are welcome to take this class.
CourseHorse offers a wide range of cooking classes, many of which are vegetarian-friendly. If you’re interested in learning about vegetarian-centered group classes that CourseHorse can offer you, reach out to them via the contact form on their website. They’ll work with you to determine what type of class will best fit your group’s needs and interests.
CourseHorse supplies you and your group with kits that include most of the necessary ingredients for your cooking class. A gift card may also be supplied to purchase additional ingredients. Most cooking utensils and tools, like knives and bowls, will need to be procured by your group members.
When booking a class with CourseHorse, you’ll be asked to provide your group size. If you’re unsure of the size of your group when booking, you can provide the minimum group size and update your headcount up to one week before your class is to take place. However, some classes require you to provide a final headcount up to two weeks before the class date so that your material kits can be mailed out in a timely manner.
CourseHorse doesn’t charge booking fees and will even allow you to cancel your class for free up to two weeks out. Their classes can be taken using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, and Google Meets, although they recommend using Zoom.
What Will I Need to Learn Vegetarian Cooking?
The materials you need to learn vegetarian cooking will depend on the dish you’re making. Common ingredients used in vegetarian dishes include legumes, sweet potatoes, spinach, cauliflower, and pasta. You’ll need basic cooking tools and utensils when making vegetarian meals. This may include knives, a cutting board, pots and pans, and a measuring cup.
Anyone can learn how to cook. Having a vegetarian recipe to follow will give you a form of guidance if you’re new to the world of vegetarian cooking. You can look for vegetarian recipes online, in books, or you can learn them by taking an in-person or online vegetarian cooking class.
Is it Difficult to Learn Vegetarian Cooking?
Cooking can be an intimidating task for those who have no prior experience, especially if they’re unfamiliar with cooking and haven’t eaten many vegetarian dishes. Getting comfortable in the kitchen, however, requires experience. The best way to get better at cooking is to cook. Taking an in-person cooking class is the most efficient and thorough way to gain experience cooking vegetarian dishes. Your class instructor can ensure that you’re understanding the fundamentals of the kitchen, like knife skills, and walk you through vegetarian dishes that you’ll be able to replicate at home.
