One of the highlights of my 2021 was completing an online vegan cooking course. I got such a sense of accomplishment from learning new kitchen techniques and tricks, making dishes I never would have thought to try before, and sharing delicious vegan creations with my (very impressed!) friends and family. If you’ve been wanting to polish your culinary skills, get more serious about vegan cooking, or even develop professional-level kitchen expertise, there are dozens of online resources available to help you achieve your goals.
We’ve narrowed it down to seven virtual vegan cooking courses and programs that we recommend checking out if learning to cook or improving your skills is on your agenda for 2022. These are great options if you aspire to do more home cooking, live a healthier lifestyle, or just take on an exciting new hobby in the new year.
Veecoco
A Veecoco membership grants you access to 20 online vegan cooking courses on topics ranging from vegan cheesemaking to Italian cooking to Swiss baking. The database includes over 700 video lessons with new courses released regularly, so the content is sure to keep you busy. As a member, you’ll get coursebooks and written guides, shopping lists, Q&A sessions with the chefs, access to a private online community, and more. A 7-day free trial is available if you want to test the platform out before committing to a paid membership. Veecoco also donates one meal to a food-insecure child in Thailand for every month of paid subscription purchased, so you will be doing something good for yourself as well as someone in need when you enroll.
The Vegan Chef School
The Vegan Chef School is operated by professional chef Day Radley, who supports online learners from a range of skill levels to become skillful vegan chefs. When you enroll in one of her courses, you become a part of an online community that meets monthly and has study group sessions on a private online platform. Students can also schedule one-on-one calls with the Chef herself. The Vegan Chef School offers a free Healthy Breakfasts course to let prospective students get a taste of what it’s like to learn with Chef Day. Paid courses on the platform include Vegan Cooking, Vegan Nutrition, and Food Photography.
Escoffier Plant-Based Culinary Arts Program
The Escoffier Plant-Based Culinary Arts Program is the ideal resource for vegans who are serious about pursuing an education in the culinary arts. Students can complete the degree and diploma programs online or at one of Escoffier’s campuses in Austin, Texas, or Boulder, Colorado. These programs are geared toward anyone focused on gaining the necessary skills to succeed in a career as a vegan chef. Students will develop real-world industry skills through externships and hands-on training that are built into the programs. The curriculum includes lessons not only on cooking and pastry techniques but also on the foodservice industry, restaurant business, nutrition, sustainability, ethics, and much more.
Forks Over Knives Cooking Course
If you’ve ever seen the Forks Over Knives documentary, you’ll know that the team behind it is passionate about spreading the message of how veganism can improve health, prevent or reverse disease, and lessen our environmental impact. Students of the Forks Over Knives Cooking Course can experience for themselves the effects of a vegan diet by diving into 55 hours of lessons on topics such as cooking without oil, flavor balancing and seasoning, batch cooking and meal planning, and more. After completing the 90-day course, students will have over 100 new recipes in their repertoire!
Happy Bellyfish
The Happy Bellyfish vegan cooking school is unique in that its courses are presented as challenges. Students enroll in a challenge (e.g., a 30-day sugar detox, making vegan cakes from scratch, healthy cooking, etc.) and then receive video tutorials, audio prompts, and other course materials in their inbox. Students complete the simple tasks of the course, share their results with the rest of the community and with their coaches, and then have a chance to win prizes when challenges are completed on time. The courses are affordable and only require a commitment of 15 to 30 days, so they are the perfect gift for a loved one working toward a healthier lifestyle, or the perfect way to jumpstart your own progress.
Food Future Institute
You may already be sold on Food Future Institute if you’ve ever eaten at one of the restaurants owned by its founder, Matthew Kenney. Chef Kenney is a master of creative plant-based cooking, and his online cooking school, FFI, is part of his mission to bring elevated vegan food to the masses. Offering both online and onsite courses, FFI welcomes students from all skill levels and allows them to work at their own pace. In addition to learning innovative, mouthwatering recipes, students will perfect their knife skills, learn time-saving kitchen tricks, and become well-versed in vegan pantry staples. The course is also great for gluten-free eaters, offering a wide array of gluten-free recipes and recipe modifications.
Brownble Vegan Cooking and Lifestyle Program
This vegan cooking course offered by Brownble is perfect for beginner cooks and those who are new to the vegan lifestyle. The course includes over 450 step-by-step cooking videos, with new videos and printable recipe PDFs released each week. A key feature of the program is that it not only teaches students how to cook vegan meals but also how to develop a healthier mindset around food. It is great for those who are looking for some extra support along their vegan home-cooking journey.
There’s never a wrong time to do something positive for yourself, but sometimes the beginning of a new year is just what it takes to inspire us to try something new! Here’s to a year of following through with our goals, challenging ourselves, and growing through new experiences.
Also by Courtney: How To Remove Your Digital Distractions & Improve Your Relationship With The Digital World
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Photo: Max Delsid and Conscious Design via Unsplash
