7 Plant Based Recipes For Easy Everyday Meals
New to plant-based cooking? These approachable recipes use familiar pantry staples and straightforward techniques, so you can make creamy pasta, chickpea curry, zucchini rollatini, crusty bread, or crisp pan-fried buns without hunting for specialty tools. The collection also includes a bright chimichurri sauce, giving you simple options for weeknight dinners, sides, and flavorful finishing touches.
Why These Plant Based Recipes Work
- Familiar Ingredients: Canned chickpeas, pasta, vegetables, herbs, and everyday seasonings keep shopping practical and flexible.
- Straightforward Methods: The recipes rely on baking, pan-frying, simmering, and one-pot cooking instead of complicated techniques.
- Flexible Meal Options: Choose from hearty pasta and curry dinners, vegetable-forward rollatini, bread, buns, and a fresh sauce.
- Low-Stress Cooking: Creamy sauces, marinara, and bold spices add flavor without requiring precise or fussy preparation.
1. Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Fettuccine with Creamy Coconut Sauce
Dinner can be prepared in 25 minutes with two burners, one for the pasta and one for the sauce․ The vegan sun-dried tomato fettuccine recipe involves combining fettuccine with a creamy coconut sauce and other toppings, such as balsamic vinegar, garlic, and cherry tomatoes․ This is a quick, dairy-free option for weeknight dinners at home․ The sauce is prepared in a skillet with garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes․ Italian seasoning and balsamic vinegar and tomato paste are added to the sauce to enhance flavor․ Cherry tomatoes are cooked and mashed to add texture and tomato flavor to the sauce․ Coconut cream and nutritional yeast are added to the sauce․ Arugula is mixed into the pasta before serving, and parsley is sprinkled on top․ Water or vegetable broth can be added during cooking or at the end of cooking as directed․ Choose ripe cherry tomatoes that yield easily to a spoon․ Five to ten minutes of cooking will thicken tomato sauce․ Drain pasta al dente and toss with arugula to ensure even mixing․ Problems to avoid include insufficient cooking time with a lid on the pot and hard cherry tomatoes that don't mix well with other ingredients․ Season with salt and pepper at the end of cooking․ Serve the pasta straight from the pan, with fresh parsley and shaved vegan parmesan, if using․ Keep cooked pasta in an airtight container․ When reheating leftovers, add some broth to help moisten the sauce․ Pasta can be prepared in advance, if needed․ Make the sauce fresh․
2. Vegan Zucchini Rollatini with Spinach Ricotta and Marinara
This 1-hour zucchini rollatini vegetable recipe uses a limited number of ingredients to provide a quick vegetable main dish․ Baked zucchini is stuffed with dairy-free ricotta and spinach and topped with marinara and dairy-free mozzarella cheese․ The rollatini has an Italian flavor․ The recipe directions call for sautéing chopped spinach in a skillet until tender and draining it․ Mix spinach with dairy-free ricotta cheese‚ basil‚ Italian seasoning‚ and salt․ Baked zucchini slices are soft and require no other preparation to wrap around other ingredients․ Spinach and zucchini rolls are baked with marinara sauce and topped with dairy-free mozzarella cheese․ Check moisture in spinach before combining it with other filling ingredients․ The spinach should be cooked and dry․ Zucchini should hold together during the first cooking and rolling step but be soft enough to roll easily․ Watery spinach may add extra moisture and make it difficult to roll the zucchini successfully․ Let the oven-baked rollatini rest for a few minutes before serving so the filling sets․ The dish is classified as both a main course and side dish․ It can be used as a substitute for meat dishes and other Italian vegetable side dishes․
3. One-Hour French Bread With a Crusty Golden Finish
Make French bread to eat throughout the week by baking two loaves at once‚ either sliced or unsliced․ One hour and four ingredients are all you need to bake French bread loaves with a crisp crust and soft interior․ Bread flour is an ingredient in quick breads to add structure․ Other ingredients in the quick breads include sea salt and yeast mixed with warm water to add flavor and leavening․ Tips for making quick breads include preheating the oven briefly and using oven heat to help bread rise․ You can begin with 3 cups of flour and add more flour if needed to form a dough that does not adhere to pressed fingers․ The dough is sticky when touched by water and yeast but will be less sticky as it is kneaded with other ingredients․ Dough and fingers that are no longer sticky are usually a sign that it's time to shape the dough․ Overproofing is a common issue and can lead to loaves falling while baking․ Shape each half into a dense loaf with seams on the bottom․ Bake the bread right away after the oven reaches 425° for easier slicing after 10 to 15 minutes of cooling․ Serve bread warm with soups and other foods that complement fresh bread․
4. One-Pot Creamy Pesto Pasta with Tagliatelle and Cherry Tomatoes
Use this recipe for a weeknight meal․ One-Pot Creamy Pesto Pasta includes tagliatelle‚ cherry tomatoes‚ spinach‚ garlic‚ and basil in a one-pot dish․ Oat cream and green pesto make a creamy sauce for the pasta․ Start by adding the pasta nests to a large skillet․ Add tomato to one side of the nests and spinach and basil to the other․ Add sliced garlic‚ green pesto‚ Italian seasoning‚ salt‚ pepper‚ oat cream‚ and vegetable broth to the skillet with the pasta․ Vegetable broth will cook into the pasta․ Tomato juices will cook into the sauce․ Spinach will wilt into the pasta․ Cover the pasta pan over medium heat and stir often to keep it from sticking to the pan․ The pasta is ready when the tagliatelle is cooked to al dente and the sauce thickens enough to coat the tagliatelle when stirred․ Typical cooking errors are not using enough sauce and not stirring the pasta; more stock may be needed․ Pasta dishes can be served hot with chili flakes or vegan parmesan options and sides like a green salad or garlic bread․ Pasta dishes should be eaten within a few days to prevent thickening․ A little oat milk or vegetable stock added when reheating can help make pasta dishes more creamy again․
5. Pan-Fried Cabbage and Noodle Buns with Crisp Golden Crusts
Serve these warm sides or snacks․ Pan-fried cabbage and noodle bao are steamed fillings enclosed in fried dough wrappers․ Other ingredients in the bao fillings include cabbage‚ vermicelli‚ carrots‚ green onions‚ and soy and sesame oils‚ topped with sesame seeds․ This recipe serves several people․ The home recipe's dough includes all-purpose flour‚ instant yeast‚ soy milk‚ sesame oil‚ sugar‚ salt‚ and sesame seeds․ The filling includes broken vermicelli noodles and cooked cabbage‚ carrots‚ green onions or scallions‚ sesame oil‚ soy sauce‚ salt‚ and sesame seeds․ To keep the filling from leaking through the noodle wrappers‚ drain excess liquid from cooked filling ingredients․ When baking buns‚ only one side should be brown before flipping․ Adding a measured amount of water to the pan and covering it will generate steam cooking for the buns without damaging the crust․ Issues with rolled buns include moisture loss and storage problems‚ which can lead to sticking and cracking after the buns are filled․ Serve cooked buns with soy sauce‚ sugar‚ chili sauce‚ and sesame seeds‚ if desired․ Store cooked buns in sealed containers in the refrigerator or on trays in the freezer‚ then pack into bags․ Buns can be reheated directly from the freezer without thawing․
6. Easy Vegan Chimichurri Sauce with Parsley, Oregano, Garlic, and Lime
Choose a fresh bunch of flat-leaf Italian parsley to make a vegan chimichurri sauce․ Flat-leaf Italian parsley is less strongly flavored than other types of parsley and can be used to make chimichurri sauce․ Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce made with parsley‚ oregano‚ garlic‚ lime juice‚ and olive oil․ Fresh oregano is listed as an ingredient because it has a stronger flavor than dried oregano‚ which is also listed as an ingredient․ Lime juice adds tartness; red wine vinegar is a substitute․ Extra-virgin olive oil helps hold the chopped herbs together so they can be easily scooped up with a spoon․ Chili peppers and red pepper flakes add some spiciness․ Grated garlic adds garlic flavor to the oregano rather than large pieces of raw garlic․ Mix parsley‚ oregano‚ oil‚ chili‚ and lime juice or vinegar in the sauce to the desired texture‚ or chop parsley and oregano with a knife for a coarser texture․ The parsley and oregano should be well combined with oil․ Risks associated with chopping the herbs by hand include garlic pieces‚ which the recipe says can be bitter and unpalatable when raw․ Use chimichurri sauce as a topping or marinade for tacos‚ bread‚ vegetarian veggie burgers‚ vegan steaks‚ roasted vegetables‚ sweet potatoes‚ and pizza․ Tips for making chimichurri in advance and storing it in a sealed container are provided with the recipe․ Another option is to freeze chimichurri in ice cube trays for later use․
7. Vegan Chickpea Curry With Creamy Coconut Tomato Sauce
This vegan Indian chickpea curry recipe made with canned chickpeas and coconut cream sauce is a good option for a weeknight dinner served to family․ Seasonings such as turmeric‚ paprika‚ coriander‚ garam masala‚ and Kashmiri chili powder add flavor to a mild chickpea curry dish that takes about 40 minutes to make․ The base is made with sliced onions and oil and sautéed garlic and ginger․ Seasonings added to the base include cooked turmeric‚ paprika‚ ground coriander‚ Kashmiri chile powder‚ garam masala‚ and salt‚ along with chopped tomatoes․ Additional ingredients in the base include vegetable broth‚ drained canned chickpeas‚ and unsweetened coconut cream mixed into the chopped tomatoes to make a thick sauce that coats a spoon․ Cook the tomatoes‚ not time the tomatoes‚ and cook the tomatoes until they are soft and mushy before mixing in broth and coconut cream․ Chickpeas cooked in tomato sauce for 15 minutes will have a thicker tomato sauce than chickpeas in sauce cooked for 15 minutes․ Home cooks often undercook tomatoes in curry and other dishes‚ making the curry less tasty․ Letting the curry rest for 5 minutes can help thicken the sauce․ Serve this dish with basmati rice or naan․ Recommended garnishes include fresh cilantro and yogurt․ Other side dishes to add to this menu include vegan raita‚ mango chutney‚ Kachumber‚ and pickles․ This recipe is intended for preparing meals in bulk․ Chickpeas in this recipe are reported to hold up well after freezing․