20 Best Vegan Cast Iron Skillet Recipes | Perfect Vegan Camping Food (2024)

FAQs

Do vegans need cast iron skillet? ›

According to the Food and Nutrition Board, vegans require nearly twice as much iron as meat eaters because of this lower absorption. A little extra from a cast iron pan—especially when it's used to cook foods that aren't especially acidic—is not likely to hurt us.

Wash your cast iron with hot soapy water and dry thoroughly. Use a paper or cloth towel to rub a thin layer of a high-heat vegetable oil (such as canola or avocado) all over the surface (interior and exterior). You don't need much — just a thin layer. Place pan upside down on a center rack and bake for 1 hour.

For one, cast iron pans aren't perfectly smooth and foods like eggs may get stuck. For the best results, make sure to keep your cast iron pan seasoned, and preheat the skillet for a few minutes before you add any food to it. This allows the pan to heat evenly and prevents most food from sticking. Add fat as needed.

What happens if you cook with an unseasoned cast iron pan? Nothing will happen to the pan. The food may stick a bit, but that won't stop the process of cooking. Proceed just as if you are using a regular stainless steel pan or even a regular thin steel or aluminum pan.

What oils can I use to season cast iron? All cooking oils and fats can be used for seasoning cast iron, but based on availability, affordability, effectiveness, and having a high smoke point, Lodge recommends vegetable oil, melted shortening, or canola oil, like our Seasoning Spray.

The best oil to season your cast iron, according to Ross, is Crisco. It's not only versatile and easy to find, but it's also food safe. You need to reseason your cast iron only occasionally—the pans actually get better with age when cared for properly—but you should still apply a fine layer of oil after every use.

Traditionally, lard was used to season cast iron, and while that is still okay, we do not recommend it unless you frequently use your cookware. If the cookware is stored for too long, lard and other animal-based fats can go rancid. Using flaxseed oil to season cast iron pans is a growing trend.

Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of coarse kosher salt into your cast iron skillet. (If you have a smaller pan, one tablespoon will do just fine.) It's important that you use a coarse grained salt—this will provide the traction you need to remove food particles.

What is the first thing you do on a cast iron skillet? ›

First cleaning

Place the pan on a stove burner on low heat for about 2 minutes to evaporate any excess water. After removing from the heat, wipe the interior of the pan with a paper towel and a few drops of oil or our cast iron seasoning a in order to protect the surface from rust.

Making Sauces in a Cast Iron Melting Pot

Add a small amount of fat, like butter or olive oil. Add minced garlic or shallots and cook until translucent. Add aromatics like rosemary, thyme, or sage. Add additional ingredients, like broth, soy sauce, and tomato sauce.

Eggs fall into the category of sticky foods that are not ideal for cast iron skillets that haven't built up their seasoning yet. While cast iron can become non-stick with sufficient use over time, a newer skillet will almost certainly cause your eggs to stick to its porous surface.

Polymerization: The science of cast iron seasoning

This reaction creates a layer of seasoning that is molecularly bonded to the iron. Without this layer of carbonized oil, iron cookware would corrode and rust due to the oxygen and moisture in the air.

Can I use soap to wash cast iron? Contrary to popular belief, you can use a small amount of soap to clean cast iron cookware! Large amounts of soap can strip the seasoning off your pan, but you can easily re-season your pan as needed.

Chickpeas, navy beans, white beans, kidney beans, and black-eyed peas are also good sources of iron. In addition to this, these complex carbohydrates are high in heart-healthy dietary fiber and contain vitamins and minerals including folate, a type of B vitamin that's used to treat anemia.

You can get all the iron you need from a well-planned vegan diet because there are lots of plant foods containing reliable sources of non-haem iron, such as leafy greens and kidney beans.

Your body doesn't absorb iron from plant-based sources as readily as it does from meat, so you may need to incorporate more iron-rich foods into your daily diet. Some sources to consider are beans, such as lentils; dark leafy vegetables, including spinach; iron-fortified breads and cereals; and tofu.