Vegetable Purées for Plant-Forward Cooking

Plants are quadruple-threat ingredients, adding flavor, texture, color, and nutrients to any dish. They’re versatile, and we eat them raw or roasted, whole or bite-sized, simple or seasoned, and every possible way in between.

In the plant-forward kitchen, vegetables are even more useful, because they can be used not just as an ingredient that tastes great and looks beautiful, but also as a tool for creating nutrient-dense foods that are rich and creamy, without the addition of ingredients like heavy cream, sour cream, yogurt, or mayonnaise.

The most basic of uses for a cooked vegetable purée is in soups, where a puréed veggie like cauliflower, carrot, or broccoli, adds lots of viscosity and body to an otherwise brothy mixture. Most vegetables are starchy to some degree, and even high-moisture ones like bell peppers or zucchini are still a bit bulkier than a basic broth.

But vegetable purées are for more than just soup! Here are a few of our favorite uses for a cooked vegetable purée:

• Puréed protein-rich legumes like chickpeas or Great Northern beans can be used in place of ricotta- or bechamel-based fillings and sauces, like in pasta dishes, as a creamy base for flatbreads and pizzas, or veggie pot pies. Add wilted greens for a flavor-neutral boost of nutrients.
• Use puréed roasted peppers as the base for a creamy salad dressing. Add tangy pepperoncini, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic, plus heart-healthy vegetable oil to help coat your greens.
• Stir puréed cauliflower or fennel into mashed potatoes for a blended side that is just as satisfying, but slightly more nutrient-packed. Bonus points for flavor! Skip the potato altogether for a cauli-fennel combo we love.
• Blend deeply-roasted parsnips, onions, and garlic with any of your favorite herbs and some olive oil for a crudité dip that is veggie on veggie magic. Spread any leftovers on multigrain toast for an on-the-go snack or light lunch.
• Use avocado as the base for a creamy sauce to drizzle over black bean tacos or sweet-potato grain bowls. More veggies make a great addition (we would add spinach and herbs!), but you might also like the acidity and sweetness from raw pineapple, mango, or even berries. Use a few drops of water or vinegar to help thin the mixture.

How to Make a Vegetable Purée

Of course, before you can use a veggie purée in your plant-forward cooking, you need to make one!

The vegetable must be cooked until tender enough to purée easily, by either pushing it through a sieve or food mill, or puréeing it with a food processor or handheld blender. You may sieve purées made with a blender or food processor for further smoothness. Some vegetables, such as spinach, cucumbers, and tomatoes, occasionally are puréed in the raw state.

Optional components include aromatics and seasonings and finishing ingredients. Have available salt and pepper, minced fresh herbs, spices, or citrus juice or zest.

1. Boil, steam, roast, or microwave the vegetable until it is extremely tender.
2. If the vegetable has been cooked in water, drain it well and remove any excess moisture by either spreading it on a sheet tray and placing the tray in a warm oven to dry, or by gently wringing the vegetable in cheesecloth. This isn’t required, but it will maximize on the texture of some veggies. Some, like hard-skinned squash, won’t need it at all!
3. Purée the vegetable by pushing it through a sieve or food mill, or use a blender or food processor or strain a second time through a fine sieve.
4. Adjust the seasoning, finish the purée, and serve it immediately on heated plates. Finishing ingredients, like oils or vinegars, should be added gradually until the desired consistency and flavor are reached.