As America’s most influential Spanish chef, José Andrés has been an early advocate of vegetables and plant-forward flavors. From the Spanish flavors of Jaleo to the Greek, Lebanese and Turkish influences of his mezze-centric Zaytina, Chef Andrés has popularized the rich tradition of Mediterranean small plates that are often centered around vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil, herbs, and spices. With the opening of his fast casual restaurant group Beefsteak—whose tagline is “Vegetables, Unleashed”—this James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef has thrown his considerable support behind the acceleration of these trends.

Named one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People” and “Outstanding Chef” by the James Beard Foundation, José Andrés is an internationally-recognized culinary innovator, author, educator, television personality, humanitarian and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup. A pioneer of Spanish tapas in the United States, he is known for his avant-garde cuisine and his award-winning group of 27 restaurants throughout the country and beyond. His innovative minibar by José Andrés earned two Michelin stars in 2016 and with that, José is the only chef globally that has both a two-star Michelin restaurant and four Bib Gourmands. Andrés’ work has earned numerous awards including the 2015 National Humanities Medal, one of 12 distinguished recipients of the award from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

His approach
To me, vegetables deserve to be the star of the plate. They are amazingly versatile, and can be eaten in so many exciting ways. We eat too much meat in America, and not nearly enough fruits and vegetables – we should be eating the exact opposite way. Vegetables can be at the center of a meal. This is what we do at Beefsteak, my ‘fast good’ chain – the centerpiece is cauliflower, tomatoes, beets, carrots, peas, greens, and so much more. One of the major goals with Beefsteak is to bring vegetables to more people – chefs so often only are able to feed the few, but with delicious, filling, inexpensive, plant-forward dishes, we can feed the many!: Where do you look for inspiration?
I am always looking for inspiration in everything, from the friends I follow on Twitter and Instagram to dishes I eat when I travel to talking to farmers and producers when I visit the farmers’ market. I love playing with kitchen tools in new ways to discover different preparations … you cannot imagine all of the things you can do with a simple juicer! I also find inspiration from vegetables themselves, they have so much to say if we can only listen to them. Peeling a carrot in a new way, cutting a scallion differently than before, cooking a cabbage whole instead of chopped – these are all inspirational, when we simply open ourselves up to hearing what the vegetables are telling us.: What plant is the most versatile to cook with?
One of my favorite vegetables of all time is the tomato! Well, I guess they are a fruit, but we think of them as vegetables. Tomatoes have so many different uses, they are so juicy and can be so sexy. And what’s amazing about them – there are so many different textures in a single tomato. There’s the skin of course, and then the rich, meaty flesh, and then the gelatinous part – what I call the “tomato heart” – is so incredible, this pulp with the seeds inside. You can eat tomatoes raw with some salt and olive oil, or blend them into a gazpacho, or cook them down into the deepest, richest sauces imaginable. And this is just one simple tomato!