Chef Suzi Gerber is an executive chef, food product developer, and food and diet medical research specialist with a passion for plant-based cuisine. A firm believer and staunch advocate of a completely plant-based diet, Chef Suzi’s mission is to show others how easy it can be to make eating plant-based a sustainable, healthy and absolutely delicious reality. Chef Suzi teaches chefs, food educators and food developers how to incorporate plant foods into standard menus and recipes without removing flavor or compromising product texture. In her book Plant-Based Gourmet (Apollo, 2020), Chef Suzi shares more than 100 high-end, restaurant-quality dishes plant-based dishes from dinners and brunches to hors d’oeuvres, drinks and desserts that you can make at home.
Suzi Gerber’s Sunchoke-Celery Root Soup
Cooking Tips:
1. Make sure to keep seeds and nuts on hand. Cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and flaxseeds should be your pantry mainstays. Nuts and seeds can serve as nutritious toppings, crunchy elements, or as the basis for sauces and vegan cheeses.
2. When using olive oil, never heat extra-virgin olive oil past the warm stage. The flavors diminish and it smokes quickly. Stir olive oil into warm soups or submerge a container into hot water for warm oil on bread. It’s best to use fine-quality olive oils as finishing embellishments, or on breads and salads, rather than risk deteriorating these complex flavors with fire.
3. Aside from your go-to stores, I recommend seeking out Asian grocery stores, large and small. The variety of ingredients they offer, and their prices, often make these compelling outlets for home chefs with a taste for the exotic.
