It’s not often that I find myself posting a recipe that highlights the cooking method of frying. Some may even consider it passé cuisine in a culture where it’s all about natural foods and clean eating.
Let’s be honest, fried foods get no respect on the typical food pyramid.
Housed in that teensy-weensy section at the pyramid’s apex, it’s by no means considered the healthiest food option. That’s understandable. I hardly ever fry foods in our house for that very reason. The American Heart Association practically considers fried foods a health hazard. It is a strong player in contributing to the growing number of heart disease patients and obesity, so I completely agree that fried foods should be considered an occasional indulgence and avoided most of the time.
How—ever, today, we’re ditching the rules for my Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes…
My Southern friends know that when it comes to traditions, childhood favs, country-style cooking, and Southern roots, fried green tomatoes are a classic.
Since who-knows-when, Southerners have prepared fried green tomatoes as a side dish or as a sandwich or burger topper. In a word? Yum. The genius that thought to make fried green tomatoes a burger topper should be given the Nobel Peace Prize.
My Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes recipe is my personal take on true Southern heritage often remised in the Vegan diet. Loaded with vitamins A and C and potassium, this crunchy, quick and easy side dish or sandwich topper can be served on its own (my late grandma doused hers in hot sauce) or dipped in my Avocado Dipping Sauce.
Heart-healthy avocado, fragrant basil, garlic, and lemon juice creates this simple dipping sauce.
Adding a few dashes of hot sauce, kicks up the heat and changes the color. Grandma would have favored the spicier version.
My Avocado Dipping Sauce pairs well with anything, including roasted potatoes, veggie nuggets, Vegan burgers, and even my Vegan Chicken Fried Cauliflower or Vegan Lemon-Pepper Battered Asparagus Fries which, yes, also happens to be another fried vegetable, but you always have the option of choosing the oven or an air fryer over the FryDaddy. I highly recommend the fried version however.
EP4L’s Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes recipe epitomizes the phrase YOLO. Yes, it’s fried in oil, but tasty beats boring and a diet that is 95% healthy can include an occasional guilty pleasure.
Pay tribute to country-cooking and the South by preparing a batch of Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes and Avocado Dipping Sauce. YOLO!
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- 4 large green tomatoes
- 1 - 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk or soy milk
- 1 tbsp. apple-cider vinegar
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
- 1 tbsp. sea salt plus additional for sprinkling
- 1 tsp. black ground pepper
- oil for frying
Ingredients
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- Slice tomatoes into ¼” pieces.
- Place almond milk and apple-cider vinegar in a shallow dish. Stir until combined. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir again. Add tomato slices.
- Add oil to a large frying pan or cast-iron skillet. Heat to medium-high.
- In second shallow dish or plate, combine flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper.
- Dredge tomato slices in dry mixture.
- Working in batches, place tomatoes in the hot oil. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain cooked tomatoes on paper towels. Sprinkle with additional salt. Serve with Avocado Aioli.
- Enjoy!
| Servings |
cups (about)
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- 1 large avocado, skin and pit removed
- 1/4 cup water plus additional if needed
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 large basil leaves
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- sea salt to taste
- 3-5 dashes hot sauce, optional heat
Ingredients
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- Combine all ingredients in a food processor. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until desired consistency is reached. Taste. Add additional salt if needed.
- Store unused portion in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Enjoy!
*picture is dipping sauce without hot sauce.
