Cooking flavorful vegetarian dishes like a pro

A cooking class in Seoul hosted by Sempio Foods Company aimed to make veganism more appealing to picky eaters, focusing on enjoyable vegetarian dishes.

Attendees prepare food during a vegetarian cooking class held by Sempio Foods Company at the company's headquarters in Jung District, central Seoul, on Thursday. [SEMPIO FOODS COMPANY]

Im Yi-rang, a 38-year-old housewife living in Gangdong District in eastern Seoul, has embraced a vegan lifestyle, opting for vegan alternatives for around 80 percent of her household items. This includes replacing kitchen detergent with dish soap, and using plastic-free shampoo and soap bars.

However, she faces a dilemma — her two elementary school children, one in second grade and the other in third grade, find vegan food unappealing and are reluctant to adopt the lifestyle.

To make vegan recipes more tasty, she took a vegetarian cooking class run by food company Sempio on Thursday.

“Since vegetarianism is a form of vegan activism that has environmental benefits, I'm interested in finding ways to encourage my children to eat vegan foods, even though they are picky eaters,” Im said.

Her motivation to conscientiously adopt veganism stems from growing environmental concerns, particularly in relation to increasingly severe weather patterns due to global warming, which will become even more critical as her children grow older.

Twelve individuals gathered at Sempio Culinary Space in central Seoul — from dedicated housewives like Im to an avid food influencer with more than 140,000 followers, between the ages of 20 and 60 — united by a shared interest in vegetarian cuisine.

The reporter is seen preparing onion soup, a vegetarian dish, in a cooking class hosted by Sempio Foods Company on Thursday. Utilizing Sempio's Yondu sauce, the soup was easily made and delivered deeper flavors, even for a novice cook like the reporter. [SEO JI-EUN]

Leveraging their culinary expertise as a food firm, Sempio Foods Company hosted the cooking class with the aim of sharing enjoyable approaches to vegetarianism. In the class, participants were taught to create three global vegetarian dishes: onion soup, hummus, and spaghetti aglio e olio with mushrooms.

According to estimates from the Korea Vegan Union, the plant-based community in Korea now surpasses 2.5 million people, which accounts for more than 5 percent of the total population, from 150,000 individuals estimated in 2008. Globally, the International Vegetarian Union reports that there are approximately 180 million vegetarians, with the largest populations residing in the United States with 9.27 million, Germany with 7.38 million, and Britain with 3.66 million.

In the midst of a global vegetarian trend, Sempio introduced the Yondu food seasoning, nicknamed the “magic sauce,” challenging the stereotype that vegetarian food lacks flavor. The sauce can make vegetarian dishes flavorful while staying true to its plant-based origins.

“Interest in vegetarianism is rising for many reasons, such as its health benefits, environmental concerns, and animal welfare — but many people still think making tasty vegetable dishes is challenging and are hesitant to try,” said Lee Hong-ran, a research chef at Sempio Foods Company.

“Yondu provides an optimal solution for vegetarian cuisine, not only because it's ours but it allows for an easy, delicious, and healthy enjoyment of vegetable dishes, completing recipes with just one sauce, without requiring additional seasonings,” Lee said. “Furthermore, it is a 100 percent plant-based sauce derived from naturally fermented beans, thus aligning perfectly with plant-based lifestyles.”

Beginning with cutting techniques for slicing onion and chopping parsley, the cooking class explored the simple yet soul-soothing onion soup.

The key cheat code here was the addition of Yondu sauce to the broth, instead of plain water, which added depth and an umami-rich flavor to the soup. The broth, which might have otherwise hinted at only the natural sweetness of onions, had been elevated with subtle seasonings, transforming it from a plain soup to one infused with savory complexity.

“Yondu is a 100 percent plant-based sauce made from naturally fermented beans, which includes vegetables like onions, radishes, and garlic,” the chef explained. “So, by adding Yondu to water, you can create flavorful soups without simmering ingredients like anchovies or kelp all day long to prepare stock.”

“I didn't anticipate the onion soup to be this delicious since it seemed quite straightforward,” Im said upon tasting the finished product she cooked herself.

Shown clockwise: A plate of hummus with veggies, a bowl of onion soup accompanied by a baguette, and a serving of mushroom aglio e olio made by the reporter during the cooking class. [SEO JI-EUN]

Participants also explored the somewhat unfamiliar Middle Eastern puréed chickpea dip hummus and the main dish, mushroom aglio e olio. In both dishes, Yondu sauce played a pivotal role in elevating the taste profile, replacing salt while making vegetarian cooking more flavorful.

“I try to prepare healthy meals, and since I live alone, I often make easy-to-cook and nutritious bean dishes — and the key ingredient that blends perfectly with them is Yondu sauce,” said Kim Ji-young, a 34-year-old food influencer residing in Pangyo in Gyeonggi, who had already attended five previous Sempio cooking classes.

“It adds a distinctive umami flavor from amino acids in beans without overpowering the original taste of the dish, and its color isn't too intense,” Kim shared. “This makes it versatile and suitable for various dishes like curry, tomato sauce and tofu noodles.”

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]