BEST VEGAN PROTEIN SOURCE

I used to eat seitan straight out of the package.

Oh! Sounds killer, esp w/brioche. Was thinking of making BBQ tempeh this weekend for weekday sandwiches, but may have to make a batch of seitan instead.
xpost
Is jackfruit a protein source? Tried a prefab BBQ jackfruit once and it did nothing for me

beans/legumes, seitan, and tofu are all good, i'm not vegan/vegetarian anymore but i enjoy all those. mushrooms are good too but i think they are a little overrated, especially fancy mushrooms which aren't significantly better than common white button mushrooms imo

with few exceptions i think the soy meat analogs (e.g. soy hot dogs, TVP, soy chicken, tofurky, etc.) are all terrible even though i thought otherwise when i was vegan

jackfruit is not really a protein source but texture-wise it is remarkably like pulled pork

I love mushrooms so much. I was watching that French version of "Farmer Wants a Wife" and like the ones where they have mushroom farmers on. I didn't even think about there being people who just cultivate mushrooms.

Vegan Quorn hasn't shown up in the US AFAICT. I'd like to try it, though with a vomit bucket at hand.

Same here. Looks like the US advent of Quorn has been a bit sabotaged by Big Veggieburger.

The use of BEST PROTEIN SOURCE in the poll question is too damned ambiguous, if you ask me. Best at providing protein? Best tasting? Best value? Best behaved?

Don't nitpick, we all know falafel is the best.

Don't nitpick

Nevertheless...

Vegans don't nitpick, they nutpick. (That sounds less pleasant than it should.)

i like the new veggie burgers. beyond meat burger is dece

https://toriavey.com/images/2011/01/Falafel-10-640x480.jpg

C'mon, admit it. You know it's true.

looks like falafs on oatmeal imho (no argument with your premise!)

legumes are the clear winner here.

thinking about foul mudammas rn

Is that chunky hummus?

it's different in different places but it's essentially usually fava bean stew (sometimes a dip). i like it with lots of olive oil, onion, garlic, tahini, lemon, cumin, and aleppo pepper sauce

also it can have some chickpeas in it which i do sometimes

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

I was today years old when I found out that pulse can mean something other than a heartbeat.

Don't trouble yourself over this. I only learned that in much of the world pulse was used when doing literature searches on health effects of beans/legume/pulses.

I have no idea of this is legit but it definitely lets me feel smug: https://getpocket.com/explore/item/here-s-even-more-evidence-that-plant-protein-is-better-for-you-than-animal-protein?utm_source=pocket-newtab

I've been looking through some vegan recipes (both desserts and savory meals) and I see cashews (soaked and processed) a lot as a substitute for cream or cheese or butter(?). I have nothing against cashews but have never had them on hand (apparently they're expensive), so what are some alternatives? Could I use (soaked) chickpeas to similar effect?

Because of the fat content of cashews, they are able to mimic creamier foods when processed in the right way.

Tastewise, you're fine with soaked chickpeas, perhaps with some sunflower seed or oil mixed in.

In terms of texture, particularly for things like cream or cheese or butter substitution, cashews or another tree nut-based protein is probably a better way to go.

I am not a vegan or even a vegetarian, but was for many years, and lived/worked in a vegan cooperative where I had to cook massive amounts of food for 80+ people once/week. Taught me a lot about these things!

I'd also not use chickpeas as a sub in a dessert, but what do I know— I'm slightly grossed out by the idea of black bean brownies, which is apparently a very normal vegan thing.

thats not normal, ive never done that shit in my life

and i have done some v vegan shit in my 17 years of veganity

I'm not vegan, so for one recipe I just went with yogurt, but maybe I'll keep an eye out for raw cashews the next time I go shopping. Until then, I think that I'll try out the chickpeas in a vegan cheese/sauce recipe (although the rest of the recipe is centered around chickpeas too).

lol black bean brownies are great (with the right recipe)! You really have to be searching out for them to taste them (they all but disappear under the chocolate/sweeteners), though they will give you a denser texture. (I've tried other atypical ingredients in my brownies, avocados being the least successful.)

xp

I never voted in this because whadda I know I eat steak and burgers like 4 days a week but I feel confident the major protein source for people after the next couple decades could very well be fungus

I have a flourless cookie recipe that uses black beans and they’re delicious, really fudgey and black beans are tasteless. Fuck chickpea cookies, though, absolutely disgusting.

Leeeeee, Trader Joe’s or a bulk foods will have decent prices on raw cashews. They’re a really excellent sub for cream. I used to make a baked potato scallopini thing using cashew cream and it was rich and delicious as fuck. The cashews produce a lovely milk or cream that you can flavor how you wish bc raw cashews are pretty tasteless. I think silken tofu is also a good sub for thicker things like cheesecake.

Second Justine (hi J!) on silken tofu...I used to make a mean silken tofu Chocolate pudding that was the perfect texture and divine. Was the Belle of the ball whenever I made it.

+1 for silken tofu for chocolate pie, great way to sneak in protein to a dessert for #gainz

Hi tabes <3

we use cashews instead of parmesan when we make pesto, works out really nicely

it's not the fat content of cashews, it's thickening power bcuz of their starch that make it such a prefect and widely used subsitute in vegan cooking imo. plus they don't have a lot of character, so like tofu, can be used as a blank canvas for which to infuse flavor? garbanzos won't give you the same effect. but using them depends on what you're making i guess

Good shout Justine! I've put it on my TJ shipping list.

I've seen a few places extolling the virtues of soaking anything from beans, grains, to nuts, to improve digestibility. Is that just woo woo? I only ever soak dry beans, and haven't had problems with gassiness if I don't soak e.g. some quinoa.

i don't think it's fake but every mexican cookbook i've looked at is like we don't soak beans here
i looked this up recently and found this explanation https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-reduce-antinutrients , seems like a legitimate way to get rid of the water soluble stuff that bothers some people

Its wise to soak and wash quinoa, as that reduces saponins and makes them less bitter.

For legumes, when discarding the soak water there's a slight reduction in the α-galactosides like raffinose and stachyose. This may help with bloating/flatulence in those who don't eat legumes regularly, but the same α-galactosides are fermentable fiber that provide most of the benefits to gut microbiome.

The main plausible reason to soak nuts is to soften them. Cashew milk recipes often call for soaking overnight before blending (in the same water), and the product can be used as either dairy milk sub or ingredient in vegan cheeze making.

I haven't encountered a plausible reason to wash whole grains or bulgur wheat in the literature. As in there aren't digestive enzyme inhibitors that will elute into soak/wash water that aren't also disseminated through the grain. Of course soak them before cooking them or using them in tabouli.

Most people who talk about digestibility in health food communities aren't very qualified to have an opinion. The idea that one must soak them to improve digestibility is akin to the idea that human digestion relies on enzymes only present in raw vegetables. In general, its not true.

Most people who talk about digestibility in health food communities aren't very qualified to have an opinion.

lol