I have a feeling that if offered a tofu burger or a piece of cardboard to chew on, my husband David would choose the latter as a more desirable dinner option.

I am sure he is not the only man suspicious of veggie cuisine. Some common complaints/rants I used to hear when I offered up a serving of my (delicious) veggie chili were: “men need protein; veggie food does not fill me up; it’s weird; it’s tasteless”. With patience on both sides though, we have managed to find peace in our kitchen.

The secret I found is to work with the familiar. Many of David’s favourite foods can be easily converted to vegetarian versions. A veggie pizza is less alarming to my meat eater than a hot dog made of tofu. Some of his favourite vegetarian foods are now black bean fajitas, spaghetti marinara, veggie stews and stir-fries, lasagna and my hearty veggie soups. David is by no means a vegetarian now, but when the question “what’s for dinner” comes up, it is no longer followed by an hour long debate.

Here is one of my favourite vegetarian recipes, from the best-selling “Everyone Can Cook Book” by Eric Akis. Warning: I never follow recipes too closely. In my kitchen, a cup may translate to a handful or a spoonful of leftover pizza sauce may be substituted for tomato paste. Use your instincts and have fun with recipes.

Fresh Tomato Soup with Pesto

Pesto infuses this easy-to-make soup with rich garlic and basil flavours. Preparation time: about 15 minutes. Cooking time: about 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:
2 tbsps olive oil
1 medium onion
2 tbsps flour
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 - 6 tsps homemade or store-bought pesto

Heat the oil in a pot set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about three to four minutes. Mix in flour and tomato paste and cook one to two minutes. While stirring, slowly pour in stock. Mix in chopped tomatoes and sugar, bring the soup to a simmer and simmer 10 minutes. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender, or in the pot with a hand-held immersion blender. Return the soup to a simmer; season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Place a tsp of pesto in the centre of each bowl and serve.

The herbivore and carnivore have been living happily ever after since May 2007.