7 Vegan Recipes You Need To Try Even If You Aren’t Vegan
Vegan recipes are so easy to find online, but often they can end up tasting bland, boring, or just incredibly weird. While some vegan recipes are terrible, there are some genuinely amazing ones out there! Below are 7 vegan recipes that will leave you amazed – even if you’re not vegan!
1. Chocolate Avocado Pudding Tarts
This recipe produces a creamy pudding that tastes better than any chocolate pudding you’ve ever had before in your entire life, guaranteed. Serve it in mini tart shells to have a transcendent spiritual and partake in the food of the angels. If you don’t want to go to the effort of making tart shells, serving it plain in bowls or jars is also acceptable.
Ingredients:
For the tart:
-1 1/3 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
-1/2 cup melted butter
For the pudding:
-2 frozen bananas, chopped
-2 frozen avocados, chopped
-1 tbsp maple syrup
-5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/3 cup coconut milk or milk of your choice
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Coat the cookie crumbs in butter and press into mini tart pans. Leave in freezer for 15 minutes.
Blend the pudding ingredients together in a blender or food processor until smooth. Scoop into tart shells and serve immediately.
Top with fresh berries and mint sprigs for a decorative display or serve as is!
2. Strawberry Mousse Cake
A delicious dessert for any occasion, this strawberry mousse cake can even replace a whole meal! Well, not really. But you’ll wish it could. This dessert is a delightful addition to any dinner and is perfect for impressing parents, friends, potential significant others – basically anyone you might want to impress with food.
Ingredients:
-16 ounces strawberries, divided
-4 tablespoons sugar
-pinch of salt
-5 grams agar-agar
-60 grams pitted dates
-60 grams graham biscuits
-2 tbsp coconut cream
-3 tablespoons aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas)
-water
Take about half of the strawberries and dice them. Put in a bowl with 2 tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt. Toss 3 grams of agar-agar in a separate bowl and cover with 1/3 cup hot water.
Take the rest of the strawberries and dice them. Place in another bowl with 2 tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt. Take 2 grams of agar-agar and put in a fourth bowl with 1/4 cup hot water.
Leave the bowls for about half an hour, stirring the strawberries occasionally.
In a food processor or blender, blend the dates and graham biscuits until combined into a powder. Press the mixture into the bottom of your cake mould.
Take the first bowl of strawberries and strain the juice through a mesh sieve into a small pot, pressing the pulp to get most of the liquid out. Simmer the juice over medium heat until thick and reduced by half.
Blend the remaining pulp in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return to the bowl and add the strawberry syrup and coconut cream, along with sugar to taste.
Put the other bowl of strawberries in a bowl lined with cheesecloth. Squeeze the juice out into the bowl. Add sugar or another sweetener to taste. The remaining pulp can be blended and added to the first bowl of strawberries.
Whip the aquafaba into the consistency of firm peak egg whites using an electric mixer.
Put the 3 grams agar-agar into a small pot over medium heat and warm until it forms a thick gel. Depending on the kind of agar-agar you use, this could take a few minutes.
Microwave the first bowl of strawberries a little to warm them up and mix into the agar-agar gel. Add to the aquafaba a little bit at a time until just combined. This is your mousse. Pour into the cake mould and leave in the fridge to set.
Take the remaining agar-agar and place it in a pot over medium heat. Dissolve as before. Pour into your strawberry juice to form the jelly that will go on top. Pour over the mousse and leave in the fridge to set.
Once it’s set, you can remove the cake from the mould and serve with coconut whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and mint, or all on its own!
3. Vegan Mac n’ Cheese
Who doesn’t like mac n’ cheese? Just because you’re vegan doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this delicious comfort food! Also, if you’re not vegan, you’ll be surprised at just how good this cheese-less mac n’ cheese is!
Ingredients:
-8 oz macaroni elbows, cooked
-1 head of broccoli, steamed and cut
-1 1/2 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
-1 small yellow onion, chopped
-1 cup peeled and grated small potato
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 tsp onion powder
-1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-pinch of red pepper flakes
-2/3 cup raw cashews
-1 cup water, more as needed
-1/4 cup nutritional yeast
-2 to 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, to taste
Heat the oil in a saucepan and saute onion for about 5 minutes. Add the grated potato, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, salt and red pepper flakes to the pot and stir. Cook for about one minute to let the flavors combine and then add the water and cashews. Bring to a simmer and leave for about 5-8 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Transfer mixture to a blender and add the vinegar and yeast. Blend until combined, about 2 minutes.
Pour the “cheese sauce” over the macaroni and broccoli and serve!
4. Pasta Salad
A good pasta salad is the best quick summer dish. Did you know they can be vegan too? This pasta salad recipe boasts a delicious homemade vinaigrette and tons of veggies!
Ingredients:
-1 pound of pasta, cooked and cooled
-1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
-1/2 cup of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
-1 small green bell pepper, chopped
-1 6 oz can of sliced black olives
-1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
-1/2 cup sliced kale
-Salt and pepper to taste
For the dressing:
-1/3 cup of olive oil
-2 tbsp of white balsamic vinegar
-1/2 tsp oregano
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp onion powder
-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
-pinch of sugar to taste (make sure it’s vegan)
Chop up all your veggies and prepare pasta according to package instructions. Cool in fridge.
Combine dressing ingredients and stir well.
Combine all ingredients in a big bowl and serve!
5. Lentil Curry
Curry is a marvelous dish and never disappoints! This curry requires lentils, which are high in protein, and a whole bunch of delicious spices!
Ingredients:
-1 cup lentils, comes
-1 cup basmati rice, cooked
-1 tbsp olive oil
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-1/2 onion
-16 oz crushed tomatoes
-2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
-2 tsp curry powder
-1 tsp garam masala
-1/2 tsp ground ginger
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Prepare lentils and rice according to package directions and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and add onions and garlic. Cook until golden brown.
Turn up to high heat and add coconut milk, crushed tomatoes, and spices. Cook for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve over lentils and rice. Enjoy!
6. Grilled Pineapple Sundaes
Not to be dramatic, but grilled pineapple is the food of the gods. Once you try this dish, you’ll never be able to eat any other desert. Make this for your friends to show them how much better you are than them!
Ingredients:
-4 pineapple slices
-vegan vanilla ice cream
-chocolate, melted
-plant milk of your choice
-coconut chips
Grill the pineapple slices on a grill until charred.
Combine melted chocolate with plant milk to make a chocolate sauce.
Top each slice with vegan vanilla ice cream, chocolate drizzle, and coconut chips.
7. Açai Smoothie Bowl
Smoothie bowls are the perfect sweet ice-cream-like snack that makes you feel like you’re having a treat when in reality, it’s a healthy snack. The açai smoothie bowl is sweetened naturally by the fruit in it, which means that you can eat as much as you want and feel good about it!
Ingredients:
-100 mL açai berries, chopped and frozen (or 100 mL pre-made açai purée)
-2 large bananas, chopped and frozen
-1/2 cup milk of your choice
-2 Medjool date
-2 tbsp peanut or almond butter
-coconut chips
-shaved dark chocolate
Toss the açai berries, bananas, milk, and dates in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Scoop into a bowl and top with peanut or almond butter, coconut chips, and dark chocolate.
