Missed World Vegan Day but still want to celebrate or eat more plants?
Vegan and plant-based eating can be tremendously tasty, as well as fantastic for our health. According to a University of Oxford study, going vegan could reduce our individual carbon footprints by up to 73%.
Eating a vegan diet or trying vegan recipes doesn’t mean having to endure boring meals or just eating salads. In fact, the recipes we’re sharing today are so tasty we thought we might have to add a disclaimer!
Peruse our best vegan recipes for inspiration, for something to cook again and again, or for the chance to proclaim ‘you won’t believe it’s vegan’ (don’t be shy, we’ve all done it). The proof is in the pudding (and lunches and dinners).
The easy lunch
It’s important that we can fuel up at lunch without worrying about feeling sluggish later in the day. We love these make ahead vegan jacket potatoes from BBC Good Food - they’re great for those who like to meal prep and help stave off the mid-afternoon hunger without feeling too full or sleepy.
The satisfying dinner
We don’t know anyone who doesn’t love lasagne. No one in existence could turn down a tasty slab of this layered pasta dish. Our favourite mid-week vegan dinner option is a Tesco recipe for aubergine and red pepper lasagne. Super easy and decidedly delicious, we can’t stop making it. Sometimes we even have it twice a week (no judgement please).
The Friday night feast
Naturally we had to include an Ottolenghi recipe in this article - and unsurprisingly, this is one of the knockout recipes on our list. We’re obsessed with this almost steak and chips-like (even that comparison doesn’t do it justice) dish which uses the tastiest of vegetables and most intriguing of herbs and spices to create a warming yet fancy end-of-the-week meal. For Friday night feasting with a twist, try Ottolenghi’s portobello mushroom steaks with butterbean mash.
The show stopper
Looking to pull out all of the stops while extolling the virtues of veganism? Olive’s whole roast cauliflower with warm harissa hummus makes even the most elaborate of meat or vegetarian dishes look a little sad. This is one to go to when we’re really trying to impress.
The indulgent pud
For those of us with a sweet tooth and who want to try a few new fun ingredients without stepping out of our cooking comfort zone, these peanut butter cookie bars from Love & Lemons are great to whiz up and scoff down. We suggest doubling the mixture as they just seem to disappear...
The go-to snack
The Healthy Family and Home’s sweet potato balls are not only seasonal but they’re a great, well-rounded snack to prepare ahead and pop in a bag for when we are on the go. They’re made of just four ingredients, super speedy to make and tick a lot of the ‘healthy snack’ boxes without feeling like we’re sacrificing taste or volume.