From tofu chicken wings to chickpea bacon – how and why you should be making plant-based meat at home

Vegan pioneers BOSH! are back with a new book that’s all about making 100 per cent plant-based meat. The duo chat about the things they craved most when they were starting out, how hard it was to recreate bacon, and why sceptics shouldn’t be put off

Turns out you can still eat meat without the carbon footprint – just make it plant-based.

That’s the ethos behind Henry Firth and Ian Theasby’s new book. The duo behind the best-selling BOSH! series have released (dun, dun, dun...) Meat, which shows you how to cook delicious dishes that feel and taste like meat, but are in fact 100 per cent plant-based.

After “giving veganism a whirl” for a month in 2015 (“before it was cool,” they add) – partly prompted by a desire to improve their health and partly after watching the eye-opening environmental documentary Cowspiracy – the pair made the switch permanent and launched BOSH. The rest, they say, is history – and it’s certainly a successful one.

But going cold turkey (ahem) wasn’t all smooth sailing. “Initially, the main thing we missed was choice,” Theasby tells The Independent. Back in 2015, when he walked into a restaurant or a supermarket, there simply wasn’t much on offer. “In Pret, you’d get a hummus wrap if you were lucky. If you went to Tesco, you might get a really dry, crumbly falafel sandwich and that was it,” he says. But, fast forward eight years, “you walk into a supermarket today and it’s not what can I eat, but what shall I eat? Because there’s so much choice.”

Theasby and Firth are the first to admit that even enduring vegans get cravings sometimes. In their new book, they say: that’s okay! Plants can be meat too.

“If you think about a burger, it can made from an animal or it can be made from a plant. We accept that now,” says Firth. It might be strange to hear a vegan say that “we should celebrate meat” but “it’s got wonderful flavours, wonderful textures, but you can make it from plants, either from using vegetables or using some of those products that are now everywhere in the supermarket, which are pretty damn good.”

The keyword is texture, says Theasby. “One thing that people lack when they first start eating plant-based is texture, so what we wanted to do was produce a book that was packed full of bite and chew so your mouth doesn’t miss anything when you first go plant-based. Some of the recipes in there you would not be able to guess are plant-based.”

The recipes in Meat use a combination of meat alternative products and straight-up plants to achieve this. For example, there’s a section at the start that details how difficult it was to recreate bacon. Using a mix of chickepas and seitan (also known as vital wheat gluten), with flavourings like miso and colourings like beetroot, they create a kind of red and white dough that is rolled out, kneaded and cut into the shape of a piece of bacon. “It looks like bacon, it has the same mouthfeel as bacon, it’s got the same flavour profile as bacon,” says Theasby. “It’s a magic thing.”

Don’t let that put you off, says Firth. “People do get a bit freaked out and they’re scared of ultra-processed stuff and of what’s in it. It’s good to read the label but it’s also good to not be scared by new things just because they’re new.”

If you aren’t freaked out, however, we’ve got three sneakpeak recipes from the new book to put your mind at ease.

Crispy Korean-style ‘chicken’ wings

Serve these crispy ‘wings’ as they come or in a sandwich with a side of fries (Lizzie Mayson)

“These wings are SO crispy and delicious! Seriously, we love them. You can eat them as they come or you could push the boat out and serve them in a sandwich with a little plant-based mayo, kimchi and lettuce with a side of fries. They’d also go well with a side of rice and a little salad. Whichever way you choose, we’re pretty sure you’ll love them as much as we do.”

Serves: 4-6 as a side

Ingredients:

For the sticky marinade:

4 garlic cloves

2.5cm piece of fresh ginger

150g gochujang

120ml toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp light soy sauce

4 tbsp light brown sugar

¼ tsp ground white pepper

For the ‘chicken’:

2 x 280g blocks extra-firm tofu

6 tbsp cornflour

½ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp ground white pepper

Vegetable oil, for shallow frying

For the garnish:

1 fresh chilli or a pinch of dried chilli flakes

1 spring onion

A few toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Equipment:

Fine grater or microplane

Blender (optional)

Frying pan

Saucepan

Method:

Line a plate or large bowl with kitchen paper

Make the marinade:

Peel the garlic and ginger and grate with a tine grater or microplane.

Combine with the rest of the ingredients and either blitz in a blender or combine in a bowl and stir into a nice smooth paste

Prepare the chicken:

Press the tofu to remove excess liquid.

Tear the tofu into rough chunks about 3 x 2cm.

Add the tofu to a mixing bowl along with half the marinade and fold to coat.

Sprinkle the cornflour, salt and pepper into the bowl and fold to coat and combine, making sure the tofu is really well covered.

Cook the chicken:

Pour 1cm of oil into a frying pan and heat over a medium-high heat until the oil bubbles around the end of a wooden spoon that’s held in the oil.

Carefully lower the tofu chunks into the hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy, turning them regularly to ensure a really even cook.

Remove carefully and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Finish the dish:

Put the remaining marinade into a saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook until thick and shiny.

Add the cooked tofu to the sauce and quickly fold it through to ensure a good coverage.

Spoon the tofu into a serving bowl.

Trim and thinly slice the spring onion for the garnish and finely chop the chilli (if using fresh chilli).

Garnish the tofu with the chilli or chilli flakes, spring onion and toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately with some cold beers!

Lebanese-style ‘lamb’ flatbreads with minty yoghurt

Flavour-absorbing crumbled tempeh does all the legwork for these flatbreads (Lizzie Mayson)

“Making flatbread may feel like a labour of love but, really, it involves just a handful of cupboard ingredients and a few kneads to create delicious flatbreads that are impossibly soft on the inside with a glorious golden crust on the outside. You could serve them with anything, but we’ve stacked them high with a crumbled tempeh lamb spiced with mint, lemon and chilli, and drizzled them with a zesty mint yoghurt.

“This recipe is good for 2, so if you need to serve 4 simply double everything. Deeeeelicious!”

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

For the flatbreads:

140g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp fast-action dried yeast

1 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

1 tsp table salt

80ml lukewarm water

1 tbsp olive oil

Plant-based butter, softened, for brushing

For the ‘lamb’ topping:

300g tempeh

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

splash of olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tbsp mint jelly

1 lemon

Sea salt

For the mint yoghurt:

A few fresh mint leaves

150g plain plant-based yoghurt

1 tbsp mint jelly

1 lemon

Sea salt

To serve:

Handful of fresh mint leaves

Handful of pomegranate seeds

1 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Pinch of dried chilli flakes

Black pepper

Equipment:

Large saucepan

2 large flat pans (or 1, and cook the flatbreads in batches)

Pastry brush

Method:

Make the flatbread dough:

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (the flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, mixed herbs and salt) until there are no lumps.

Pour in the lukewarm water and olive oil and bring the mixture together to form a dough ball (ensuring you incorporate every part of the mixture).

Place the dough ball on a lightly floured surface and knead for 6-10 minutes until the ball bounces back when pressed.

Place the ball back in the bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for at least 30 minutes

Make the lamb topping:

Crumble the tempeh into small pieces using your hands.

Peel and dice the onion and garlic.

Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the olive oil.

Add the diced onion, garlic and a pinch of salt.

Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes until the onion begins to soften.

At this point, add the spices and crumbled tempeh with a dash of water.

Mix well and cook for 5 minutes, then stir through the mint jelly.

Halve the lemon and squeeze in some lemon juice, catching any pips in your free hand.

Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes

Make the mint yoghurt:

Thinly slice the mint leaves.

Put the yoghurt in a small bowl and mix through the mint jelly, sliced mint leaves and a pinch of salt.

Halve the lemon and squeeze in some juice, catching any pips in your free hand.

Spoon into a small serving bowl

Cook the flatbread:

Place 2 large flat pans over a medium heat (over separate flames).

Take the flatbread mixture from the bowl and halve it.

Place each piece on a lightly floured work surface and push down using your hands or a rolling pin to create a round, flatbread shape – it should be quite thin as it will become thicker in the pan.

Once the pans are hot, add the flatbreads and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden all over and cooked through.

If you don’t have two flat pans, cook the flatbreads in one flat pan, one at a time.

Assemble the flatbreads:

Place the flatbreads on 2 serving plates and brush with some butter.

Spoon the lamb mixture on top of the flatbreads then drizzle over some mint yoghurt.

Time to serve:

Chop some mint leaves and sprinkle them over the top of the flatbreads, along with a pinch of black pepper, the pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and chilli flakes (or your favourite toppings)

Orzo ‘meat’-balls

‘Meat’-balls never looked so good (Lizzie Mayson)

“Orzo – a type of pasta – is an ingredient we don’t use very often but when we do use it, we’re always left wondering why we don’t use it more often because it’s lovely. On the subject of lovely, the inspiration for this magnificent recipe came from the queen of cooking herself, Nigella Lawson.”

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

20g flat-leaf parsley (including the stalks)

3 garlic cloves

2 tbsp chia seeds

600g plant-based mince

3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs

4 tbsp nooch (nutritional yeast) or grated plantbased parmesan

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1 small onion

20ml olive oil

1 tsp sea salt flakes

250ml plant-based white wine

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

3 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp light brown sugar

2 tbsp plant-based butter

285ml cold water

250g orzo pasta

To serve:

Handful of fresh parsley

Sprinkle of nooch (nutritional yeast) or plant-based parmesan

Small bag of fresh rocket

Squeeze of lemon juice

Equipment:

Large heavy-based saucepan with lid

Make the meatball mixture

Finely chop the parsley and set aside

Peel and finely chop the garlic

Soak the chi a seeds in a bowl with 4 tablespoons of cold water for about 10 minutes until it forms a gel

Ingredients:

Place all the ingredients for the meatballs into a large bowl and mix together with your hands, being sure not to overmix, as it will make the meatballs dense-textured and heavy.

Make the meatballs:

Pinch out pieces of the mix and form them into walnutsize balls, putting them on a clean plate as you go.

You should get about 20 meatballs.

Make the sauce:

Peel and finely dice the onion.

Heat the oil in a heavybased saucepan that’s large enough to take the meatballs and pasta.

Add the chopped onion with the salt and cook over a medium heat, stirring every now and again, for about 10 minutes until softened.

Add the wine and simmer for a further 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, paprika, chilli flakes, vinegar, brown sugar and butter.

Fill both the empty tins with the water, give them a good swill, pour into the pan, bring the sauce to a simmer, put the lid on and cook for 30-35 minutes.

Cook the meatballs:

Drop the meatballs gently into the simmering sauce.

Bring back to the boil, turn the heat down again to a simmer, put the lid back on and simmer the meatballs for 15 minutes.

Add the pasta:

Tip in the orzo, stir gently and increase the heat to bring the mixture back to a bubble.

Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.

You will have to stir it occasionally throughout this time to make sure the orzo isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Time to serve:

Chop the parsley (to serve).

Spoon the pasta into bowls, sprinkle with parsley, nooch and a handful of rocket, add a squeeze of lemon juice and tuck in.

‘BOSH! MEAT’ by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby (HQ, HarperCollins).