This sandwich is layered with bright and savory flavors, from the roasted mushrooms, to pickled vegetable and plenty of fresh green herbs. (Kayte Young/WFIU)
This set of recipes comes from Arylyn LLewellyn, who has been the chef at Function Brewing for 8 years (the restaurant and brewery in downtown Bloomington changed hands in January 2022).
Aryln is also the mom of twin toddlers. She says that throughout the pandemic, with increased demands on her time, she has looked for ways to be more efficient in the kitchen. This umami paste comes together quickly and has so many delicious applications.
Use it as suggested below, or to punch up the flavor in soups and stews.
Hear Arlyn walk through all the steps on this episode of Earth Eats.
1 head garlic cloves, peeled, minced (approx 2 oz)
2 oz oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained (oil reserved), chopped
2.5 oz drained capers (a 3.5 fl oz jar will yield this)
1.25 oz miso (approx 1 ½ Tbsps)
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp living (mother included) apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Stream 2 Tbsp of reserved sundried tomato oil (or more as needed) until paste forms. Transfer to a container and store in the fridge. Allow to sit for at least 3 days to further develop flavor before use. (Yields approx. 1 cup)
Paste can be used in following recipes, or:
* Umami Pasta – Toss cooked pasta, some of the pasta cooking water, and umami paste until noodles are well coated. Serve with parmesan (vegan or dairy) and fresh basil leaves.
* Umami Ramen – Place cooked noodles and roasted vegetables in serving bowls. Stir umami-paste into hot low-sodium vegetable broth and season to taste with soy sauce. Pour hot umami broth into serving bowls on top of pasta and vegetables. Garnish with desired protein (baked/fried tofu, poached egg, braised pork, etc).
* Umami Salad Dressing – combine paste with equal parts oil and vinegar for a flavor-packed vinaigrette. Season to taste with additional dijon mustard, garlic powder, and salt.
Umami Pickled Vegetables
Approx 6 cups of small bite-sized vegetables. Recommended to use a 50/50 mix of hardy, dense, low-moisture vegetables (carrots, turnips, cauliflower, etc) and softer, high-moisture vegetables (zucchini, onions, eggplant, mushrooms, etc).
3 Tbsp oil from sundried tomatoes (if available, or use a neutral oil like avocado oil).
2/3 cup umami paste (recipe above)
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 cup living (mother included) apple cider vinegar
Toss vegetables with oil and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in an oven heated to 400 degrees (if convection setting is available) or 425 degrees (in convection setting is not available) for 30 minutes (or until hardy vegetables are tender and give very little resistance when poked with a butter knife and softer vegetables have significantly decreased in size).
Immediately upon removing vegetables from oven, add umami paste and salt to vegetable mix and stir well until combined. Allow to cool to room temperature. Once cool, transfer to a glass container and cover with apple cider vinegar. Transfer to the fridge and allow to sit for at least 3 days to further develop flavor before use. (yields approx 4 cups)
Umami Mushrooms
1 ½ lb of mixed mushrooms, sliced
4 Tbsps vegan butter
1/2 Tbsp umami paste
1 ¼ tsp kosher salt
In a nonstick pan over med-high heat, sauteed mushrooms and butter until liquid from mushrooms has escaped and most has evaporated. Stir in umami paste and salt and continue to cook until almost all moisture has evaporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Vegan Banh Mi (Arlyn's take on a Vietnamese sandwhich)
1 Multigrain Baguette
1 1/2 cup hummus
Sriracha hot sauce (to taste)
2/3 cup cup thai basil leaves (chopped if large, intact if small)
2/3 cup cup cilantro leaves
1 batch Umami Mushrooms (recipe above)
2/3 cup cup Umami Vegetables (recipe above)
Slice baguette in half-lengthwise but try to avoid separating halves completely. Fold open bread and smear both sides liberally with hummus and a stream of sriracha. Distribute thai basil and cilantro leaves all over the bottom of the bread. Layer umami mushrooms on top of herbs and top with pickled vegetables. Fold sandwich back closed and cut into 2-3 segments depending on desired portion size.(yields 2-3 sandwiches)
