Vegan Boil
Good friends of ours were having a party. It was one of those strangely warm autumn weeks and they wanted to cook something outdoors that would be both festive and easy to serve to a crowd. My friend had just been to a crab boil and loved the whole experience… the smell of the food cooking, the variety of flavors and spices, and the way everyone could just dig in and enjoy the meal as a community. So for their party they decided to do a “Vegan Boil.” This was a great option for a couple of reasons. First, a vegan boil is, well, vegan-friendly for guests like me, thereby ensuring all guests would be able to partake. And it’s also healthful, kid-friendly and economical. So who’s ready for a Vegan Boil?! : )
My friend used the following:
- corn on the cob, ears broken in half
- yellow squash, sliced and halved
- baby red potatoes
- white onions, peeled and halved
- carrots, peeled and halved
- okra, kept whole
- 2 lemons, halved
- red bell peppers, seeded and halved
- 2 bay leaves
- one bag of Zatarain’s “Crab Boil in a Bag” seasoning
Notice I don’t give you quantities because that really depends on how many people you’re serving. Just approximate and you’ll be fine. The idea behind a Boil is that it’s a blend of different flavors so as long as you’ve got a lot of deliciously fresh and flavorful produce tossed in there, you’re golden. Feel free to use any brand of seasoning or make your own seasoning pouch. But Zatarain’s is easy to find in most grocery stores and is completely vegan. Check it out here.
Simply place all the ingredients into a gigantic pot filled with water. Set it over a flame and allow it to heat to a rolling boil then reduce to simmer. When it’s time to serve, remove the vegetables from the water and place them into a large serving dish, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. My friend served the veggies alongside a delicious dish of couscous.
Fragrant couscous was the perfect accompaniment to our Vegan Boil!
Happy eating!
Good Morning from Deep River, ON, Canada. I’ve been with-out meat now for almost 2 years, June 14, 2017 as my first day of then Veganism and 1 year later I switched to a vegetarian diet. My friend arrived home from a trip to Louisiana and other places in the south, in the U.S. and she gave me some Zatarain’s Crab Boil spice. I was so happy to find your reicipe for a Vegan Boil.!!
Thank You,
Hello Mary! I’m so glad you found this recipe and what a sweet friend to gift you with the Crab Boil spice. 😍 Enjoy and congrats on two years of plant-based bliss!
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That looks awesome! I love couscous. Just wanted to stop by and tell you I nominated for the Liebster Award because I love your blog! http://aveganinprogress.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/liebster-award/
we made this on Saturday night and it was a BIG HIT! thank you for the inspiration!
Oh wonderful! My friend has some great ideas! : )
Yum- what a great idea!
I agree Barb!
Thanks for sharing this, Lauren. It was great to share with friends! One little tip — you may want to throw in vegetables at different times (or take them out early) depending on cooking time. For example, we learned that it’s hard to pull out the okra when they were ready among all the other veggies, so for our second batch, we kept the okra in a large wire scoop and submerged it in the broth, and when they were ready (bright green, whole, and just tender) it was easy to just pick up the scoop and take out the okra. A metal strainer or fryer insert would probably do the same job. Have fun!
Awesome! Thanks for the tip Marie!
MMMMMM!