Top 10 Vegan Dishes

At first glance, a plant-based diet may seem restrictive. While avoiding animal-based products can be tricky at first, it’s easy once you get the hang of it! Whether you’re a full-time vegan or you just enjoy meat-free meals before stepping onto the yoga mat, this article is packed with scrumptious recipes to inspire you. If you’re interested in our top 10 vegan dishes, keep reading!

1. Vegan Pad Thai

Ingredients

1 cup of water
1 10-oz. of rice noodles
2 tbsp. of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 12-oz. of package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into chunks
4 tbsp. of soy sauce
2 tbsp. of peanut butter
Juice of 2 limes
3 tbsp. of sugar
Sriracha, to taste
Sliced green onions, for garnish
Chopped peanuts, for garnish

Instructions

1. Begin by filling a large microwaveable bowl with water and heat in the microwave until boiling. Once the water is boiling, place the rice noodles into the water and soak for 15 minutes.
2. Over a medium heat, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the garlic and tofu. Coat the tofu with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and sauté until golden brown.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice, peanut butter, sugar, Sriracha, remaining soy sauce, and 1 cup of water.
4. Once the mixture is well combined, add the soaked noodles and pour the mix into the tofu pan. Cook the ingredients for another 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Enjoy!

2. Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Ingredients

1 cup of water or soy milk
1 cup of flour
2 tsp. of garlic powder
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into pieces
1 cup of hot sauce
1 tbsp. of vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Begin by heating the oven to 450°F.
2. Add the soy milk or water, flour, and garlic powder into a bowl and mix together. Once the mixture is well combined, use it to coat the cauliflower pieces and place them into a shallow baking dish. Put into the oven and bake for 18 minutes.
3. While the cauliflower is cooking, mix together your hot sauce and vegetable oil in a small bowl.
4. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and pour the hot sauce mixture over it. Return it to the oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Remove your dish from the oven and serve with celery sticks and vegan blue cheese dressing. Enjoy!

3. Tofu-Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients

1/2 lb. of lasagna sheets
2 10-oz. packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 lb. of soft tofu
1 lb. of firm tofu
1 tbsp. of sugar
1/4 cup of soy milk
1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
2 tbsp. of lemon juice
3 tsp. of minced fresh basil
2 tsp. of salt
4 cups of tomato sauce

Instructions

1. Cook the lasagna sheets according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Once the spinach has defrosted, squeeze as much water out as possible and set aside.
4. Place the tofu, soy milk, sugar, garlic powder, basil, lemon juice, and salt into a food processor and blend until smooth. When the mixture is well combined, stir in the spinach.
5. Coat the bottom of a medium-sized baking dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of lasagna sheets. Finally, add half of the tofu filling. Continue in the same order until the ingredients are used up. The final layer of lasagna sheets should be coated in the remaining tomato sauce. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through. Enjoy!

4. Rainbow Cheese Toasties

Ingredients

2 pkg. of mozzarella-style vegan cheese
5 colors of food coloring
3 tbsp. of vegan butter or mayo
10 slices of bread

Instructions

1. To begin, divide the vegan cheese between 5 small bowls. Add 5 drops of food coloring to each, stirring well to distribute the color evenly.
2. Spread the vegan butter or mayo onto one side of each slice of bread. Place the bread butter-side down into a large pan.
3. On each slice of bread, create colorful rows from the vegan cheese. Add the remaining bread slices to the top, butter-side up.
4. Fry the bread until both sides are golden brown and the vegan cheese has melted. Enjoy!

5. Vegan Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Ingredients

1 clove garlic
1 tsp. of turmeric
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
1 cup of cashews, soaked for 2 hours and drained
1/4 cup of water
1 8-oz. pkg. of pasta, cooked and drained

Instructions

1. Place the turmeric, garlic, salt, cashews, nutritional yeast, and water into a food processor or blender. Mix until completely smooth.
2. Pour the mixture over the pasta and stir until the sauce is mixed through. Enjoy!

6. Vegan French Toast

Ingredients

1 cup of soy milk
2 tbsp. of flour
1 tbsp. of nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp. of sugar or sweetener of your choice
1 tsp. of vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch of nutmeg
6 slices of whole wheat bread

Instructions

1. Place all the ingredients, except the bread slices, into a shallow bowl and mix until well combined.
2. Dip the bread slices into the mixture until they’re well-coated and cook on a nonstick griddle until golden brown on both sides. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 400°F and cook on a greased baking sheet until golden brown on both sides. Enjoy!

7. Spinach Salad with Orange Dressing

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. of olive oil
2 Tbsp. of rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. of freshly squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp. of toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. of agave nectar
1 clove of garlic
1/4 tsp. of smoked paprika
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed, drained, and chopped
2 medium-sized sweet peppers, sliced and deseeded
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 orange, sliced into rounds or halves
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

1. To begin, place the olive oil, orange juice, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, agave nectar, and smoked paprika into a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. In a large bowl, mix the spinach, onions, peppers, and orange slices, then coat with the orange-sesame dressing. Enjoy!

8. Smoky Vegan Mozzarella Pumpkin Pizza

Ingredients

1 vegan pizza crust or dough for 1 pizza
1 can of pumpkin purée
1/8 tsp. of cumin
1/8 tsp. of cinnamon
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
6 tbsp. of Smoked MozzaRisella
1 butternut squash, sliced into ribbons
1 handful of arugulas

Instructions

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F.
2. If you’re using pizza dough, roll the dough out to 12-inches in diameter.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly onto your pizza crust or dough.
4. Top your pizza with Smoked MozzaRisella and squash ribbons.
5. Cook for 25 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through and the crust is golden brown. Enjoy!

9. Vegan Philly Cheesesteak

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. of vegan margarine or olive oil
1 green pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced
1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 8-oz. pkg. seitan or 1 pkg. Gardein Beefless Tips, cubed
1/4 tsp. of garlic powder
1 tsp. of celery flakes
1/4 tsp. of onion powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 7-oz. block Follow Your Heart dairy-free provolone slices
2 vegan French rolls, cut in half lengthwise

Instructions

1. To begin, preheat the oven to 375˚F.
2. In a large pan, melt 2 tablespoons of vegan margarine over a medium heat. Saute the onion, seitan, and green pepper for around 5 minutes, or until the seitan is cooked through. Add the celery flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
3. Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe pan. Top with the dairy-free provolone slices and oven cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegan cheese is melted.
4. In another pan, melt the remaining margarine over a medium heat. Place the French rolls into the pan and cook until golden brown and crispy.
5. Finally, fill each roll with the green pepper, seitan, onion, and vegan cheese. Enjoy!

10. Vegan Churros

Ingredients

1 cup of water
2 1/2 tbsp. of sugar
1/2 tsp. of salt
2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil
2 cups of all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tsp. of ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized pan, boil the water and then add the salt and sugar. When dissolved, add the oil and remove the pan from the heat. Add the flour and mix until well combined. Pour the mixture into a piping bag.
2. In a medium-sized pan or wok, heat the oil over a medium heat. Squeeze churro-length pieces of the mixture into the pan and fry until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
3. Place the sugar and ground cinnamon into a small bowl and stir until well combined. Place each churro into the bowl to coat evenly. Enjoy!

In Summary

If you’re craving a delicious meat-free meal, choose from the selection of vegan dishes above. We promise they won’t disappoint! If you’re eating before a yoga class, remember to leave at least 1 hour in-between finishing your food and putting on your yoga pants!