Yield: 2 servings
As hard as it may be to believe, it is a fallacy that egg is needed as a binder in baked goods or breading, as this recipe deliciously demonstrates.
½ cup unsweetened soy milk (plain works too, but is a little sweeter)
½ cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
(feel free to season to taste with pinches of cumin, curry powder, smoked paprika, etc.)
2 medium-sized firm green tomatoes, cores removed and sliced into 1/3” slices
¼ inch canola oil in a 10-inch skillet
Heat oil over medium-high heat until a drop off water sizzles briskly. Watch oil closely and remove from heat if it starts to smoke. Meanwhile, place flour, soy milk and cornmeal into three separate small bowls. Divide the salt equally among all three. Add ¼ teaspoon of both the garlic and onion powders and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper to both the flour and the cornmeal. Stir to combine well.
Dip each tomato slice into flour, then soy milk, then cornmeal, coating well. Place into oil and cook for a couple of minutes or until golden brown. Carefully flip and repeat on the opposite side. Drain on paper towel or brown paper. Sprinkle with a little more salt and serve with the sauce of your choice. I prefer my Tahini Topping which can be dressed up in myriad ways. I like a plain version of the topping with a sprinkling of capers.
Note: You will have a little leftover flour, soy milk and cornmeal, but you need the ingredients to be deep enough in the bowls to coat the tomato slices easily. The ends of the tomatoes may not take the coating as nicely as the interior slices because of the slick skin vs. the absorbent flesh.
April 14, 2010 at 7:33 pm
what a great recipe! i substituted zucchini because the tomatoes were hard to find…oh ps I graduated from PA in 2000! I just saw your bio and was super surprised!
April 14, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Hey there, Summer! What fun to meet a PA alum. I started teaching in 2004, so unfortunately we wouldn't have crossed paths. Glad you tried a substitution and that it worked out for you. I'm not sure where you're living now, but it seems that the Kroger on VA Beach Blvd. next to Home Depot virtually always has green tomatoes. Cheers!
May 13, 2010 at 10:24 am
Hi, I found this post when I googled "vegan fried green tomatoes." I am going to use your recipe to make lovely,crunchy toping on a barbequed sweet potato sandwich for a vegan dinner. Thanks a bunch!
May 13, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Hi there! I'm so glad you did. Your sandwich sounds outrageous–I wish I had one right now! The finished product is prettier than the dark photo suggests. When I snapped it, I was losing light and I KNEW they wouldn't last until the next day! Enjoy and come back some time!