If you are someone who follows a plant-based diet, then it’s probable that you’ve been tasked with disproving the unfair notion that seems to run rampant among people unfamiliar with vegan food: that it’s tasteless, flavorless, bland, and boring.

We here at One Green Planet understand that not only is plant-based eating a sustainable choice, it’s also the delicious future of food — and sometimes it can feel wearisome having to defend your choice of diet to naysayers. So why not just let your cooking do the talking?

While we don’t need any convincing about the merits of crave-worthy plant-based cuisine, we figured we’d still put together this ultimate roundup of articles, tips, tricks, and guides to help you ensure that your meals always burst with flavor. Read through this list, put some of these tips to the task, and you’ll never have to defend vegan food again.

Master Vegan Cooking Bases

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“Mirepoix” (pronounced “meer-pwah”) is the classical French culinary term for onions, carrots, and celery diced small and cooked in fat until soft and beginning to brown. Learn how to make mirepoix, and see for yourself how it adds untold flavor to your cooking! In Germany, a mirepoix is referred to as suppengrün.

Then move on the Cajun iteration of the mirepoix, which calls for onion, celery, and bell pepper. Here’s How to Use the Cajun Holy Trinity to Create Flavor.

Have you heard of duxelles? It’s a cooking base that’s made by finely chopping up a mixture of either mushrooms or mushroom stems, shallots or onions, and a variety of herbs like thyme, black pepper, and parsley, that are sautéed in a plant-based oil or vegan butter, and ultimately reduced to a paste. See how duxelles adds flavor to this recipe for Portobello Wellington With Shiitake Duxelle.

Finally, learn how to Use Sofrito to Make Plant-Based Latin American Food Taste Authentic. You’ll be glad you did!

Use Herbs and Spices

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If you’re on the hunt for recipes that are Herbs and Spices-Infused, look no further.

Begin by reading up on The Essential Guide to Herbs, and then make sure to reference The Ultimate Spice Guide for Vegan Cooking as a jumping-off point.

Interested in adding homemade flair to your meals? Learn How to Make Your Own Spice Blends and Curry Pastes, and then implement your knowledge correctly by adhering to this Guide to Matching Herbs and Spices With the Right Vegetables. All of your meals will be perfectly harmonious!

It’s autumn now, so we suggest incorporating These 5 Autumn Herbs into your cooking; they’ll make any dish taste cozy and warm.

Make Vegan Food Taste Meaty

Here’s a guide to vegan meats and substitutes, as well as some of our top tricks to make meatless food taste meaty. For instance, did you know that according to science, Mushrooms Are More Satisfying Than Meat? It’s true. So make one of these 15 Hearty and Meaty Mushroom Recipes. Then check out our spotlight on Portobello Mushrooms: The Other Plant-Based Meat. One of the reasons mushrooms are such a great stand-in is because they’re full of umami flavor — learn how to achieve that with other plant-based ingredients here.

You’ll never miss Meat With These 25 “Meaty” recipes, and if you want meaty veggie burgers that won’t fall apart, we have that covered too.
Here are 10 Meaty Vegan Recipes to Choose if You’re Trying to Eat Less Meat, and 10 Awesomely Meaty Recipes Without Meat. The protein-fiends among you will also enjoy reading up on 25 Delicious Vegan Sources of Protein.

Make Dairy-Free Food Taste Cheesy

There are so many Vegan Cheese recipes and products out there, but don’t let your abundance of choice overwhelm you – use it to inspire you instead!

Start off with reading up on these 20 Amazing Vegan Cheeses You Can Make at Home, and then head on over to this article on more Vegan Cheeses That Will Make You Quit Dairy. Whether you’re into Nut-Based Cheese, Cashew Cheese, Slices, Shreds, and Sauces, or just want to learn how Choose the Perfect Homemade Dairy-Free Cheese for home cooking, we have a resource for you.

Here’s Your Guide on How to Successfully Cook With Vegan Cheese Shreds, and an additional guide on how to make cheesy sauces out of vegetables. If you want more personal cheesy tips, these Secrets to Making Vegan Cheese Taste Great from our bloggers are some must-reads.

Read about how Nutritional Yeast can stand in as a cheesy-component to your meals, and how it provides a boost of umami flavor.

Make Delicious Vegan Sauces

There’s nothing like an amazing plant-based sauce to tie together an already satisfying meal. If you’re someone who loves classic flavors and meals, then learning how to make these classic and delicious vegan sauces at large is where you want to begin. Follow those up with even More of Your Favorite Sauces Made Vegan.

Are you a sautée devotee? Then you’ll want to read up on these 10 Simple and Awesome Homemade Sauté Sauces to elevate your meals. If you’re specifically into Asian cuisine, these Asian Sauce Recipes are the way to go; and complete your education with these 7 Sauces You Can Easily Make at Home Today.

We also highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 8,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to ten new recipes per day. Check it out!

Lead image source:  VICUSCHKA/Shutterstock