Community
Print
Miyoko Schinner is a celebrated vegan chef and founder of Miyoko’s Creamery. In her latest video, she shares how to recreate a traditional Japanese comfort food using only plant-based, oil-free ingredients. She walks viewers through how to make a vegan oyako donburi, a dish that usually features chicken and egg served over rice.
“Oyako means parent and child…it typically involves both chicken and eggs,” she explains. Schinner’s version swaps both animal ingredients for plants, using king trumpet mushrooms and silken tofu to mimic the original textures and flavors.
Read more: ‘I Visited London As A Vegan: Here Are My Top Restaurant Picks’
Making the broth and base
Schinner starts by slicing an onion and simmering it in broth. She skips the sautéing step entirely. “It’s not going to get sautéed,” she says. Instead, she adds the onions to a broth made from soy sauce, sweet mirin, sugar, and a vegan chicken-style base. “Because I want a little bit of that chicken flavor, I found the organic vegetarian no chicken base,” she says.
She also mentions that her cookbook The Homemade Vegan Pantry includes a homemade version of this broth. But any mushroom or vegetable stock will work.
“We’re going to simmer that covered until the onions are tender,” she says. While the broth cooks, she moves on to the other components of the dish.
The vegan ‘chicken’
To replace the chicken, Schinner uses chopped king trumpet mushrooms. “You can get some vegetarian chicken if you like, or use seitan,” she says, “or you can just use king trumpet mushrooms.” She cuts them into chunks and adds them to the simmering broth alongside the onions. “They won’t be exactly like chicken,” she says, “but they’ll be meaty and delicious.”
She also adds broccoli to the dish for color and contrast. While it’s not traditional, she likes the balance it brings. “Completely untraditional,” she admits.
Once the onions are tender, she drops the mushrooms and broccoli into the pan so they can absorb the flavor of the broth. “As soon as it comes to a boil, I’m going to add the mushrooms too,” she says. “So they also cook in this vegan chicken broth and absorb some of that flavor.”
The vegan ‘egg’
Schinner makes the egg component using silken tofu blended with cornstarch and turmeric. “We’re going to make the egg, and that is made out of tofu and cornstarch,” she says. She uses about eight ounces of silken tofu, noting that it blends easily on its own. “Silken tofu is so soft it will purée by itself,” she explains. “You can use regular tofu, but it won’t be as delicate of an egg.”
She adds about five tablespoons of cornstarch to help the mixture firm up while it cooks. A pinch of turmeric gives the mixture its yellow color.
After blending, she pours the tofu mixture into the simmering pan with the vegetables. “We are not going to stir it,” she says. “We’re just going to spread it around a little bit.” To help it set, she spoons hot broth over the surface. “We want to make sure that the tofu is covered by the broth,” she says. “So we’re going to be kind of basting the top of the tofu.”
She covers the pan and lets the egg cook undisturbed for about five minutes. “Oh, look at that,” she says as she checks it. “It looks like it’s egg, and it is beginning to solidify.”
Serving the vegan oyako donburi
Once the tofu egg is fully set, Schinner removes the pan from the heat. “The egg is fully cooked,” she says. She serves it over a bowl of freshly made Japanese rice.
She layers the tofu egg, mushrooms, and broth over the rice so the liquid seeps through. “You get the egg, you get a little bit of the broth that dribbles down onto your rice,” she says. “And it’s absolutely delicious.”
Find more comforting plant-based recipes on Miyoko Schinner’s YouTube channel.
Read more: Violife Launches ‘Market-First’ High-Protein Cheddar Alternative
