Many home cooks want their families to eat more plant-based foods but find them dull-tasting. Have you considered how MSG can improve the taste of vegetable dishes that are “weak” or lacking in umami?
If you want to wake up your veggie dishes with More Savory Goodness (MSG, aka pure umami) – this video’s for you!
Introducing a new “Cooking with MSG” video series: 5 videos total, on the MSGdish YouTube channel, where you’ll learn how to get delicious results when you cook with MSG!
Here’s video #4, The Secret to Delicious Vegetable Dishes:
The full transcript:
A common complaint about plant-based cuisine is that it lacks depth of flavor – like the savory taste found in animal-based dishes. When I hear this, my response is simple – there is not enough umami in the dish. Adding MSG, which is pure umami, to plant-based foods gives that irresistible savory note that improves so many vegetable, grains and legumes dishes.
Here are some ideas you can try out yourself.
- MSG makes beans really pop. If you are cooking dried beans from scratch, add 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 ½ teaspoons of MSG for 1 pound of dried beans toward the end of the cooking process. For canned beans and even refried beans, I always add a sprinkle of MSG before serving.
- There’s something special that happens to vegetables when you bump up the umami. The flavor of the dish improves so much. For instance, add ¼ teaspoon of MSG to ¾ pound of sautéed Brussels sprouts, along with some other flavors like onions, garlic, or mustard.
- Another common dish that tastes better with MSG is mashed potatoes. About 1 ½ teaspoons of MSG to 4 pounds of potatoes will do the trick.
When I want my family to eat more beans and vegetables, adding MSG is my go to. So give it a try in your favorite dishes!
For more recipes and umami information, visit the “Savory Cuisine Corner” section on MSGdish.com.
MSG can be purchased online and in many grocery stores and international food markets.
ICYMI: Video #1 in the Cooking with MSG series: Boosting the Savory Flavor of Foods
Aaron Andrews is Associate Corporate Chef at Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition, North America, and now has more than 10 years’ experience in the foodservice and restaurant industries. As a seasoned hospitality veteran, “Chef Aaron” has excelled in both front of the house and back of the house operations in a variety of environments with the advanced knowledge of the principals and practices within the foodservice profession. He is a hands-on leader who has opened 50+ restaurants, created brands and managed multi-unit restaurants with a proven track record of success in culinary arts, operations and leadership. Chef Aaron earned his B.A. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University.
