Plant-Based Hot Dogs for the Nine Days

Can we talk about plant-based meat substitutes? 

Because Wednesday evening, July 15, begins a period of nine days when traditional Jews don’t eat meat. They culminate in the observance of Tisha b’Av (9th of Av), which begins Wednesday evening, July 22. 

What is Tisha b’Av? Tradition tells us that several tragedies for the Jewish people happened on the 9th of Av. The first Temple was destroyed on this date by the Babylonians after a nine-day siege. The Second Temple was also destroyed on Tisha b’Av by the Romans. History tells us that other tragedies occurred on the 9th of Av, including the final crushing of the Bar Kochba revolt in 136 CE, our expulsion from England in 1290, and our expulsion from Spain in 1492.

For folks who typically rely on some kind of meat for the center of their plate, following a vegetarian diet can seem challenging. So, let’s talk about non-meat meat.

What about plant-based meat alternatives? The number of companies and product offerings in this category has skyrocketed. There was enormous interest in meat alternatives for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons is also why sales have declined in the last couple of years.

According to Forbes magazine (March 2025), “In 2019, Beyond Meat went public with one of the most successful IPOs of the decade, while rival Impossible Foods scored deals with Burger King and Starbucks following the buzz around its Impossible Burger. Fast-forward just a few years, and sales have declined, along with interest in fake meat. Does this mean that consumers are no longer interested in cutting back on meat? Absolutely not. The future does contain more plant-based diets, but meat dupes likely won’t be a part of them.”

Turns out that consumers who are looking to eat healthier diets are reconsidering whether these “meats” contribute to that goal or just add another set of unnatural, chemical-laden foods to their shopping carts. “. . . the main barrier to purchase for consumers is very simple: people just don’t understand what they are eating. In their effort to mimic real meat, these companies have left consumers perplexed and without appetite,” according to Forbes.

Optimistic projections for this previously booming category were not based just on people looking to eat healthier. Pioneers with a passion for plant-based meat alternatives hoped that consumers would substitute these products for some of the meat in their diets because of concern about the environment.

Global industrial meat production uses land that could otherwise grow plant proteins, produces a significant amount of methane, and accounts for about a third of all agricultural water usage. The bottom line is this: it is less efficient, more expensive, and worse for the environment to raise meat than to grow plants. Because vegetarians and vegans already don’t eat meat, the only way to reduce global meat production is to encourage meat-eaters to eat less of it. Companies like Impossible and Beyond thought the only way to do that is to produce meat substitutes that look, feel, and taste like the real deal. But it hasn’t turned out that way.

Also, ounce for ounce, plant-based meat is more expensive than real meat, especially if you don’t keep kosher and can buy meat on sale. So that has been another deterrent.

All the ‘tarians. I have a tote bag I bought at a grocery store in France. It says, in French, “Welcome to the vegetarians, flexitarians, and all the tarians.”

I am not vegetarian, but as someone who keeps a kosher home, I have long used these products to prepare dishes that combine meat and cheese. I prefer these meat substitutes over non-dairy cheese substitutes. So, I keep a bag of crumbles in the freezer for vegetarian chili or taco filling. I also like the breakfast sausage patties for a quick English muffin egg sandwich with cheese.

Impossible hot dogs. I have been waiting for the new Impossible Hot Dog for two years. They finally hit supermarket shelves just a couple of months ago. So I did a taste test with my faithful guinea pigs, my husband and son, both avowed meat eaters. I cooked Impossible dogs and Hebrew Nationals. I boiled half and roasted half in the oven (a great substitute for grilling). Then I prepared them Chicago dog style. Although I couldn’t find poppyseed buns, I did have the other necessary ingredients: yellow mustard, chopped onion, hot peppers, tomato slices, a pickle spear, and the key to authenticity, Vienna Chicago Style Relish. Certified kosher by the CRC, this neon green relish is super specific and can’t be replaced with any other relish.

The verdict: my men completely approved of the Impossible dog, saying that they couldn’t really taste a difference, especially with all the toppings. Another preparation is more classic – top the dog with brown mustard, chopped onion, and sauerkraut. Equally delicious. So fire up your grills for burgers and dogs, even during the nine days.

Chopped Cole Slaw

Whether your cookout is vegetarian or not, this creamy coleslaw is a perfect accompaniment. It’s crunchy and a bit sweet & sour. It works great as a side or on top of a dog, burger, or sandwich.

I found an adorable little head of cabbage, called Dew Drop, that is just the right size for this recipe.

Cheese Soufflé

Soufflés can be a little temperamental, but if you follow the directions this recipe will succeed. It calls for only 4 eggs, so I call it dinner for two, served with a light green salad.

Notes: Leave eggs out of fridge until they are room temperature.

If you don’t have cream of tartar, wipe inside of the large mixing bowl with a paper towel dipped in white vinegar before adding the egg whites.

You need a soufflé dish or casserole with high sides; a low Pyrex won’t work.

Try not to open oven during baking, except at the end to test. Use the oven window to see that the soufflé has risen and doesn’t look liquidy in the middle before testing.

There are 3 mixing techniques in this recipe. 

1) To combine the milk with the flour roux, use a whisk. 

2) To stir milk mixture, to add cheese, & to add ¼ of egg whites, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. 

3) To fold mixture into egg whites, use a rubber spatula in an up-and-over motion to FOLD the 2 things together. Work gently so you don’t deflate the egg whites.