By TANYA FLINK
Finally, celebrity chefs are using the “V” word on mainstream television, and it’s not in reference to vegetarians.
If you’re vegan but still enjoy mainstream food television, raise your hand. What vegan foodie doesn’t love to watch Master Chef or Sugar Rush and not think of ways to veganize all the dishes? If you love food, you’ll find a way. Of course, it’s always a thrill to see vegan cuisine represented in the big leagues, and slowly but surely, plant-based eats are integrating into primetime. Because there are so many ways to watch food television, we’re expanding this list to encompass Netflix hits as well as the indomitable Food Network. From underdog wins to vegan cooking competitions, here are 18 vegan food moments to stream again now.
Where to find vegan cooking content on TV
Before the Food Network started to integrate vegan contestants and programming, plant-based creators took matters into their own hands.
Directors, writers, and producers placed their content on any streaming service that would have them or created their own digital space. Vegan chef and personality Jason Wrobel was one of the first to break through with his vegan Cooking Channel show, How to Live to 100, which enjoyed two seasons beginning in 2014. Former news anchor and current animal activist Jane Velez Mitchel launched her own vegan streaming service, Unchained TV, which now streams the new vegan cooking competition, Peeled.
Finally, producer, director, and animal advocate Asher Brown partnered with vegan mixologist and restaurateur Jason Eisner to create High Cuisine—a 12-episode competition series that challenged chefs to create mouthwatering vegan dishes after partaking in cannabis. The series originally aired on a now-defunct streaming service in 2017 but is now available on Amazon Prime.
Today, vegan content is making its way to the mainstream, not just on social media, YouTube, or niche streaming platforms, but on the leader of food television: the holy grail that is the Food Network. Netflix, too, has released a number of food-focused series, each captivating audiences worldwide—and luckily, vegan cuisine is showcased in more ways than one.
New vegan recipes, contestants, and episodes are continually in the works, so keep the television on and get inspired by this top-notch vegan content.
18 vegan Food Network and Netflix moments
1. Tabitha Brown gets a Food Network show
We’re not surprised this vegan entertainment maven was the first to secure a completely plant-based cooking show on the Food Network. It’s CompliPlatedoriginally aired in 2022, and put professional chefs to the test to create vegan meals any picky eater would love. Brown served as both the host and judge along with celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan and a rotating cast of picky eater judges. The show is infused with Brown’s positive energy with just enough fun-loving competition to make you root for your favorite contestant.
2. Señoreata wins “The Great Food Truck Race”
After a handful of vegan food trucks entered this televised Food Network competition, Señoreata is the first to win it all. The Los Angeles-based, Cuban pop-up took home $50,000 along with the ultimate victory, beating out worthy competitors serving animal-based mac and cheese, homemade pasta, South African cuisine, and more. The woman-owned and operated food truck brushed elbows with another Food Network celebrity—Bobby Flay and his daughter, Sophie—on August 31 while the duo filmed their new travel series, Bobby and Sophie on the Coast.
3. Vegan chef beats Bobby Flay
The longstanding Food Network show, Beat Bobby Flay kicked off 2022 with a pleasant surprise. After 29 seasons, the show’s first vegan episode aired in January, featuring chefs Tamearra Dyson of Souley Vegan and Adyre Mason of The Veggie. Dyson moved on to challenge Bobby in a plant-based burger competition. Despite the fact that Flay is known for his burgers and operates a burger chain, Dyson beat this celebrity chef titan. Sorry for the spoiler—it’s still an excellent episode to watch.
4. Chef Chloe Coscarelli wins “Cupcake Wars”
This bubbly chef and entrepreneur set the stage for the future of vegan cuisine on network television when she not only competed on Cupcake Wars, but won. Since that seminal vegan victory in 2010, the show has featured a number of vegan bakers and even hosted an all-vegan episode in 2012. It’s true—the best way to change an omnivore’s perspective is to give them a Raspberry Tiramisu cupcake.
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