Culinary Boot Camp: Vegetarian Cooking Techniques

This hands-on, skills-based series covers all the basic skills you'll need to feel comfortable and creative in the kitchen.

This boot camp focuses primarily on techniques you'll need to create meals firmly rooted in the the vegetable kingdom, along with legumes, grains, and eggs. This course is ideal for vegetarians and anyone who wants to add more vegetables and plant-proteins to their cooking repertoire. (We will be using dairy in some of the dishes, but most of the curriculum is also suited for vegan cooking.)

WEEK 1: Knife Skills and Vegetable Techniques

• SKILLS COVERED: Blanching/Shocking, Roasting, Sautéing ~ Seasoning Techniques: Balancing Salt/Fat/Acid
• RECIPES INCLUDE: Sautéed Swiss Chard with Garlic and Lemon, Roasted Vegetables, Roasted Ratatouille, Blanched String Beans with Lemon Gremolata

WEEK 2:  Legume Techniques

• SKILLS COVERED: Cooking Dried Beans, Selecting and Seasoning Canned Beans, Pressing/Seasoning Tofu, Cooking Whole Grains
• RECIPES INCLUDE: Smoky Black Bean Soup, Stewed White Beans with Rosemary and Garlic, Red Lentil Dal, Korean Braised Tofu, A Good Pot of Rice

WEEK 3: Egg + Grain Techniques

• SKILLS COVERED: Eggs 101; Cooking Whole Grains
• RECIPES INCLUDE: Frittata with Roasted Tomatoes + Herbed Goat Cheese, Shakshuka, Farro Risotto, Baked Fruit Clafoutis (our favorite eggy dessert)

WEEK 4: Pasta Techniques

• SKILLS COVERED: Fresh vs. Dried Pasta, Sauce Building, Proper Pasta Cooking Technique
• RECIPES INCLUDE: Pasta Puttanesca with Chickpeas, Pappardelle with Wild Mushroom Ragout

WEEK 5: Vegetarian Meals Around the Globe

• SKILLS COVERED: Working with Herbs and Spices; Understanding Flavor Profiles; Vegetarian Meal Planning
• RECIPES INCLUDE: Indian Matar Paneer, Lebanese Fattoush Salad with Spiced Chickpeas, Thai Red Coconut Curry with Crispy Tofu and Basil, Persian Lentil Soup