3 Tips To Make Vegetables Taste Amazing, From Vegan Chefs

“I used to love butter chicken,” Girard reveals. Although, he realized it wasn’t so much the meat he was craving—it was the tangy, rich sauce.

“Once you learn how to develop flavor and make a really good base, you can add tempeh, tofu, or whatever you want to it,” he says. “People are really in love with the sauce.” Perfect the drizzle, and the work is done. 

Here’s another star sauce in Girard’s dinner menu: “I used to like peppercorn steak, and now we bake with cauliflower steaks. It’s the exact same thing.” He reduces a huge pot of mushroom stock until it’s a glaze consistency, adds some peppercorns, and it’s nothing short of delicious. “You can still make an amazing Italian sauce or French sauce—it doesn’t matter. It’s about learning how to build flavor.”