The multi-talented Nava Atlas has done it again with her amazing revised and updated 2021 edition of the now completely vegan, 1984 classic masterpiece: Vegetariana: A Rich Harvest of Wit, Lore, & Recipes. Today, Nava has kindly shared a few festive recipes from the book (below this post) – all making excellent choices for your holiday meals! Listen to Nava talk about Vegetariana on The Laura Theodore Podcast HERE or listen on Apple Podcasts HERE.
While more than 170 easy recipes are at the heart of its pages, Vegetariana is much more than a cookbook; it’s beautifully illustrated throughout and it’s a sampler of literary quotations, folk wisdom, botanical lore, and historical anecdotes. Nava has animated the pages of Vegetariana with whimsical pencil illustrations to create an unforgettable visual experience that will delight food lovers of all culinary persuasions. It’s a book for art lovers and food lovers alike, making a great gift for anyone on your holiday gift list!
First published in 1984, Vegetariana was one of the quirkiest entries in the field of hand-illustrated cookbooks. Publishers Weekly’s review predicted: “This book should prove itself a classic.” Now in its fourth edition and for the first time entirely vegan, Vegetariana is here for new readers to enjoy and original fans to rediscover.
If you love to cook, this inspiring book is filled with delicious recipes for soups, salads, grains, legumes, pasta, vegetables, and desserts sprinkled with witty food quotes by notable thinkers and authors, plus food lore and folk beliefs from around the world. The book includes a brief history of vegetarianism and veganism too!
Vegetariana is available on Bookshop.org*, Amazon*, and wherever books are sold and it’s a great gift for vegetarians, vegans, and food aficionados.
“This book should prove itself a classic…savory recipes, witty anecdotes, delightful aphorisms, and fascinating food folklore…a stunning visual feast. The author’s illustrations render this a very special and unusual book.” —Publishers Weekly
And now, for some festive recipes from VEGETARIANA, by NAVA ATLAS!
EASY VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE by Nava Atlas
Nava says:
Once the pumpkin or squash are baked, which you can (and should) do ahead of time, this Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie comes together quickly. It goes down easy, which is why I recommend making two pies for practically the same effort as one.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups well-baked mashed sugar pumpkin or butternut squash
Half of a 12.3-ounce aseptic package firm silken tofu
2/3 cups natural granulated sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
9-inch good-quality prepared pie crust
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Combine the baked pumpkin or squash pulp in a food processor with the next four ingredients and process until velvety smooth.
Pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the mixture is set and the crust is golden. Let the pies cool to room temperature, then cut into 6 or 8 wedges to serve.
Ingredients
Directions
EASY VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE by Nava Atlas
Nava says:
Once the pumpkin or squash are baked, which you can (and should) do ahead of time, this Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie comes together quickly. It goes down easy, which is why I recommend making two pies for practically the same effort as one.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups well-baked mashed sugar pumpkin or butternut squash
Half of a 12.3-ounce aseptic package firm silken tofu
2/3 cups natural granulated sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
9-inch good-quality prepared pie crust
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Combine the baked pumpkin or squash pulp in a food processor with the next four ingredients and process until velvety smooth.
Pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the mixture is set and the crust is golden. Let the pies cool to room temperature, then cut into 6 or 8 wedges to serve.
SWEET & SOUR CABBAGE SOUP by Nava Atlas
Nava says:
This classic soup is so soothing on chilly days. I highly recommend the optional croutons—they absorb some of the broth, giving this soup an almost stew-like consistency.
Serves 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 large or 2 medium carrots, sliced
32-ounce carton vegetable broth
5 cups coarsely shredded green cabbage
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
¼ cup dry red wine, optional
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup natural granulated sugar or agave syrup
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Croutons for serving, optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat the oil in a soup pot. Sauté the onion and carrots until golden. Add the remaining ingredients except for the parsley, salt, pepper, and optional croutons. Bring to a slow boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender but not overcooked.
Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. If the soup is crowded, add water as needed, and adjust the seasonings as well as the sweet/sour balance. Serve at once with croutons, if desired.
Ingredients
Directions
SWEET & SOUR CABBAGE SOUP by Nava Atlas
Nava says:
This classic soup is so soothing on chilly days. I highly recommend the optional croutons—they absorb some of the broth, giving this soup an almost stew-like consistency.
Serves 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 large or 2 medium carrots, sliced
32-ounce carton vegetable broth
5 cups coarsely shredded green cabbage
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
¼ cup dry red wine, optional
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup natural granulated sugar or agave syrup
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Croutons for serving, optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat the oil in a soup pot. Sauté the onion and carrots until golden. Add the remaining ingredients except for the parsley, salt, pepper, and optional croutons. Bring to a slow boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender but not overcooked.
Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. If the soup is crowded, add water as needed, and adjust the seasonings as well as the sweet/sour balance. Serve at once with croutons, if desired.
POTATO, SCALLION, & ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE by Nava Atlas
Nava says:
Here’s a (vegan) cheesy potato casserole for pure comfort, embellished with lots of scallion in honor of the Babe.
Serves 6
5 to 6 medium red-skinned or golden potatoes
2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
1 medium zucchini, very thinly sliced
5 to 6 scallions, sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
¾ cup plain plant-based milk
1½ cups mozzarella-style vegan cheese shreds
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Toasted sunflower seeds for topping
Bake or microwave the potatoes in their skins until done but still firm. When cool enough to handle, peel and slice about 1/2 inch thick.
Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Combine the potatoes with the remaining ingredients (except the sunflower seeds) in a large bowl and stir together. Don’t worry if the potatoes break apart.
Pour the mixture into an oiled 1½ quart shallow baking dish and pat it in. Sprinkle with the toasted sunflower seeds. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Let stand for 5 minutes, then scoop out of the baking dish to serve.
Ingredients
Directions
POTATO, SCALLION, & ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE by Nava Atlas
Nava says:
Here’s a (vegan) cheesy potato casserole for pure comfort, embellished with lots of scallion in honor of the Babe.
Serves 6
5 to 6 medium red-skinned or golden potatoes
2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
1 medium zucchini, very thinly sliced
5 to 6 scallions, sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
¾ cup plain plant-based milk
1½ cups mozzarella-style vegan cheese shreds
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Toasted sunflower seeds for topping
Bake or microwave the potatoes in their skins until done but still firm. When cool enough to handle, peel and slice about 1/2 inch thick.
Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Combine the potatoes with the remaining ingredients (except the sunflower seeds) in a large bowl and stir together. Don’t worry if the potatoes break apart.
Pour the mixture into an oiled 1½ quart shallow baking dish and pat it in. Sprinkle with the toasted sunflower seeds. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Let stand for 5 minutes, then scoop out of the baking dish to serve.
About Nava Atlas: Vegetariana was Nava Atlas’s first book, originally published in 1984. Since then, she has written (and often illustrated) many vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including American Harvest, Plant-Powered Protein, 5-Ingredient Vegan, Wild About Greens, Vegan Holiday Kitchen, and Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons. Nava also creates trade and limited edition visual books on women’s issues, notably, The Literary Ladies’ Guide to the Writing Life and Secret Recipes for the Modern Wife. Visit her websites, The Vegan Atlas (theveganatlas.com) and Literary Ladies Guide (literaryladiesguide.com). Nava lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York State.
Vegetariana is available on Bookshop.org*, Amazon*, and wherever books are sold.
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