For nearly a decade, Brandi Doming built a devoted following in the vegan community by keeping things simple: Every recipe on her blog, The Vegan 8, featured just eight ingredients or fewer (not counting salt, pepper, or water). A few years ago, when Doming decided to move beyond that limit, she worried that her audience might not come along for the ride.
“I wondered, ‘Are people still going to want to make my stuff?’” Doming says. The response surprised her. “When I made the announcement, a lot of people said that they never even knew what the ‘8’ in Vegan 8 meant. They just liked my recipes because they were healthy while still being delicious and impressing non-vegans in their family. [The number of ingredients] didn’t matter.”
Stepping outside the constraint of eight ingredients gave Doming room to experiment with more complex flavor combinations while keeping her recipes healthful and accessible. Now, she’s compiled her latest creations into her second cookbook, Vegan Wholesome: High-Protein Meals and Snacks to Energize and Nourish (out April 15). The book highlights satisfying, quick meals that deliver lasting energy (think casseroles, soups, pasta, and flatbreads), along with oil-free vegan takes on day-to-day essentials like cream cheese and barbecue sauce.
We caught up with Doming to discuss the inspiration behind her new book, how her own fitness journey over the past few years influenced the recipes, her favorite quick meals, must-have kitchen gadgets, and more. Read on for the full conversation!
What drew you to a vegan lifestyle?
Brandi Doming: I went vegan in 2012, almost 13 years ago now, because my [husband at the time] had gout. He was on a lot of medications, and we tried multiple different diets. He had been going to doctors for years and they would always tell him the same thing, to eat more chicken and to eat yogurt and dairy—which never helped. Gout can be excruciatingly painful, and he had a very serious form. His knees would flare up, his ankles, his elbows. And so he would be on crutches a lot of the time. After we had our daughter in 2011, it was really hard for me to take care of him and a newborn.
So, after following what doctors told us for so many years and none of it working, I was like, “You know what? I’m just going to start researching things myself.” And I would stay up till 2 o’clock in the morning reading as much as I could online. Somehow, I came across plant-based eating. I started reading about how meat and dairy were inflammatory. I thought, “We’ve tried everything else.” And I didn’t want him to be on all those medications for the rest of his life, which had side effects and weren’t good for his heart. So, I said, “OK. We’re going vegan.” He wasn’t real thrilled about it, because he’s from Louisiana and he lived off seafood. But I said, “I’ll do it with you.” It ended up helping him dramatically. He was able to get off the crutches and off the medications. … And I actually got better, myself. I’d had really bad digestion problems since I was a little girl. My mom used to take me to the doctors all the time for my stomach problems, and they could never figure it out. I went vegan and within two, three weeks, the symptoms all vanished. At that point, I thought, “Wait a minute, I think I’m going to stick to this.” Then I started researching animal cruelty [of the meat and dairy industries], and once I saw that I knew I would never go back.
When you went vegan, were you immediately eating a wholesome vegan diet?
BD: Yes. I did not buy anything pre-made. I’ve cooked my whole life anyways. I’ve always been health-focused, in that sense. So, I just started making everything with vegetables and fruits. [At first we just ate] a lot of vegetables, potatoes and fruit and whole wheat pasta. I started learning how to cook more and working with nuts to make creamy sauces. And that’s been my way of cooking all these years: to make it whole food-based, but still be really satisfying and delicious and rich, because taste is super important to me. I grew up here in Texas eating very filling, indulgent meals.
How did your blog, the Vegan 8, start?
BD: When I first started cooking [plant-based], I had a different blog called The Healthy Flavor. I realized there were a lot of vegan blogs out there. So, I thought, “How can I reach more people so I can help them eat healthier and trust my recipes?” I looked at the recipes on my blog that people were making the most, and I noticed they were all eight ingredients or less—because they were simple but delicious. So I decided to call my blog “The Vegan 8” and to make every recipe eight ingredients or less, not counting salt, pepper, or water. And then my blog just took off. I did that for about nine or 10 years. And then three or four years ago, I stopped doing only eight ingredient recipes because it was limiting my creativity. I still do [short ingredient lists], but I do more than eight now. It’s still my style, still whole-food–based, still oil-free. It’s just more ingredients and more creative.
You write in the book’s introduction that you allow a little bit of oil into your diet personally. Why is it important to you that you keep your recipes oil-free?
BD: A lot of people started following me from the Forks Over Knives group on Facebook, or from some of the plant-based doctors who don’t use oil. And I just felt after learning everything I could that it is best to stick with whole-food fats, such as cashews and hemp seeds. Oil adds up so quickly. One tablespoon is 14 grams of fat. By contrast, nut butter is 8 grams.
When I go out to eat, I don’t stress about perfection. That’s just not my way, and I don’t want to raise my daughter that way. But when we cook at home, we eat oil-free as much as possible. I do use nonstick spray for baking certain things so they don’t stick to the pan. But for the most part, I try to avoid oil. And my recipes don’t taste like they’re oil-free or lacking in something, which is why so many people will say, “I can’t believe there’s not butter in this.” Because taste and texture is number one.
How did you decide on the high-protein focus for this cookbook?
BD: When I switched my blog from just eight ingredients, around that time was also when I got divorced and I started incorporating fitness to help me mentally. It was a big transition, a lot going on in my life. I started working out to help me deal with everything that was going on. So, I started sharing my workouts online with my followers, and a lot of people started following my workout plans and asking me for a higher-protein cookbook. And this book is healthier than my first book. They’re both oil-free and whole-food-based and healthy, but the first book had higher-sodium recipes and way more desserts. This one’s lower-sodium and has fewer desserts. It’s also more creative because the recipes have more ingredients.
In the book, you talk about how you try to achieve an overall balanced plate but don’t worry about counting calories or macros. Can you speak to that?
BD: I include the nutritional stats because a lot of readers like that, so that’s for them. But on a day-to-day basis, I don’t count my calories. I pretty much know, just from doing this for so long, what is in most foods, and I try to keep a balance. But I don’t like obsessing over it. I just don’t feel that’s healthy, for me personally, anyway. Everybody’s different. But I don’t want to raise my daughter with that mentality that she’s got to count every calorie and eat perfectly. … It should be a balance. Mental health relates to physical health.
What are some of your daughter’s favorite snacks?
BD: She loves the nut-free chocolate chip granola bars, which are on my blog. She doesn’t like actual granola, which is weird, but she loves those granola bars. She also loves my thin mint cookies that are on the blog. And then I have some peanut butter cookies in Vegan Wholesome, but I make them with almond butter for her, and she loves those.
What would be your top-three favorite recipes in the new book for people to try?
BD: The Swedish Meatballs with gravy and the Vegan “Tuna” Casserole. Those were the most requested recipes. And then also, my Protein-Packed Mac ‘n’ Cheese. Those three are amazing. They got approval from [my daughter] Olivia—which is saying a lot, because she’s a teenager. The soup chapter is my favorite—so many amazing soups in there that are really creative, really different. One of them, the Feel-Good Roasted Red Pepper and Veggie soup, the base is made from roasting bell peppers and then blending them up with broth and seasonings. So, it has so much flavor in it.
You mention in the book that you’ll buy nondairy yogurt from the store sometimes. Are there any other convenience foods that you recommend to make life a little easier?
BD: Definitely. Some of the recipes in the book where I use mozzarella, I give the option to use my homemade mozzarella (which is in the book and is amazing), but you can also use Miyoko’s liquid mozzarella. I feel like [Miyoko’s] is probably the healthiest vegan mozzarella, because it’s not full of all preservatives and processed stuff. It’s got real ingredients. [Editor’s note: It does contain oil.] The same thing if I call for barbecue sauce: You can use my homemade recipe or store-bought. I let the reader decide. Because I know sometimes, we’re in a hurry. Or maybe you’re making something for non-vegan guests, you could use store-bought vegan cheese, which has oil in it but maybe tastes a little bit more indulgent.
Say you’re home for an hour before rushing out to dance practice: What’s your go-to quick nourishing meal?
BD: The 20-minute Alfredo from my blog. I’ve timed it, start to finish. You can finish it in 20 minutes—including the pasta-cooking time—and it’s really creamy and rich. You just mix cashew butter, onion powder, broth, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and a couple other ingredients. And you could add any veggies you want, like broccoli or spinach or even chickpeas if you want higher protein.
On the blog I also have a homemade ramen soup seasoning mix that you can keep in your pantry. Add it to broth with a little bit of soy sauce, and you have homemade, low-sodium ramen soup in less than 10 minutes. You could add tofu or whatever else you like. Those are a couple of my go-tos. Olivia really likes Italian flavors, so I’ll do pasta topped with a blend of basil, tomato sauce, some of my mozzarella and some Italian seasonings. I’ll add a little bit of tahini or almond butter. I know that sounds weird, but it tastes amazing. It makes it rich and creamy, and then it gives some fat for her, because I really try to make sure she eats enough fat since she’s growing and does a lot of gymnastics, so I make sure I keep her calories high.
Did anything surprise you in the course of writing Vegan Wholesome?
BD: How much more work it was to photograph every recipe myself! I didn’t do that with the first book.
You photographed every recipe yourself?!
BD: Yes. It was crazy. At first, I was like, “Well, why not? I know how to take pictures.” But now I understand that for a cookbook, the photography style is different than typically what you put on your blog. For a cookbook, you want to give readers the feel that they’re eating it right there, with a few crumbs or seasonings spilled on the side, as opposed to everything looking perfect. And it’s true; it gives you more of a home feel. I learned so much about food styling through this book.
You include gram measurements alongside cup measurements in your recipes. Why?
BD: I’ve been cooking by grams for over a decade. It seems a little awkward at first, but a large majority of my followers make my recipes by gram weights now, because it becomes so easy. You don’t have to get out the measuring cups at all, just get out a bowl and turn the kitchen scale to zero, add the first ingredient, hit zero, add the next. You don’t use the kitchen scale for tablespoons or teaspoons, because they’re too small, and it probably won’t detect it accurately. But any measurements around three tablespoons and up, you can use the scale. Everybody measures a little bit differently when they use cups. And I want people to enjoy the recipes. So, following gram weights, you’re going to get the exact way I tested it in my kitchen. I provide cup measurements, too, and you can use those. But using the scale is so quick. And you have way less cleanup, too.
Any other essential kitchen gadgets?
BD: The Vitamix. I think probably every vegan has a Vitamix or a Blendtec. And also, a food processor, because there are some things that work better in a food processor than a blender. Those two and the scale are really the main things that I can think of that are a necessity for my recipes. Because when you’re blending up nuts and stuff, you’re going to get way better results with a high-powered blender. But if you only have a food processor, just soak the nuts longer and it’ll be fine.
At the same time you were working on this second cookbook, you’ve been pursuing your dream of becoming a dancer. What has that been like?
BD: When I started working out, like I said, I was dealing with a lot. I was in a bad depression. I started working out and getting more self-love, trying to take care of myself mentally, and I had always dreamed of being a ballroom dancer. Since I was a little girl, I always wanted to do it. I watched Dancing with the Stars for years. After I got divorced, that urge became very heavy. It was almost like it was saying, “It’s time.” Since I was sharing my workouts online with my followers and they were really interested in it, I thought, “You know what? I’m going to be honest about what I’m going through. I’m going through a divorce. I’m going through depression.” Because I feel like being honest with people helps me to connect with them more. I’m not just some perfect person who posts recipes online. I’m a human being. I’ve gone through changes and I wanted to be open and that helps my followers as well going through divorce and life changes. So, I started sharing about my dance journey, and many of my followers started taking dance lessons as well, because they were inspired to pursue their own dream. My message is, “Live your life. It’s short. Do something that you love, that you’re passionate about because you only got one life. And when you do something for yourself, you’re going to be happier mentally and physically.” Mental goes with physical; you need to take care of both. It all just ties in together.
What else would you like Forks Over Knives readers to know about Vegan Wholesome?
BD: With these recipes, I am completely confident that not only will you as a plant-based eater or vegan enjoy them, but that you can serve them to your non-vegan guests. I know a lot of people think that vegan food is only going to appeal to vegan taste buds. My goal is always to appeal to every eater. A lot of my followers are not vegan—that is my proof.
You can have something healthy and whole-food based, but it can still taste just as good as non-vegan food. And it doesn’t have to be complicated or full of a bunch of processed ingredients. My recipes are good for you and will appeal to anybody.
Brandi Doming headshot by Kim Schaffer Photography
