Plant Based Diet Recipes for Beginners

The term “plant-based” is thrown around a lot these days. It can refer to a range of diet choices from hardcore vegan to flexitarian. All have one thing in common: they center around foods that come from the earth rather than foods that come from animals. Here we will provide a few plant based recipes that are easy to make and taste great,

Purple Powered Lunch Bowl

This is an easy to make salad that features chickpeas and potatoes!

Ingredients

Roasted Chickpeas and Vegetables

• 1 ½ cups chickpeas (home cooked or BPA-free canned, drained)
• ¼ tsp salt (optional)
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper (optional)
• 2 cups organic purple potatoes (cut into 1” cubes) -if purple potatoes are not available you can substitute sweet potatoes.
• 2 small beets, scrubbed, greens removed, cut into 1” cubes (skin on or off)

Bowl Ingredients

• 4 cups organic kale (de-stemmed and sliced into ribbons)
• ½ small red onion (thinly sliced on a Mandoline)
• 1 cup red cabbage (chopped or thinly sliced on a Mandoline)
• 1 Avocado (sliced)
• 1 batch Tangy Blueberry Dressing (see recipe)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Roast the chickpeas, beets and potatoes: Spread the chickpeas on one side and the potatoes on the other side of the baking sheet. Spread each of them out evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired.
3. Place the beets in parchment paper (enough to wrap around them). Place foil around the parchment paper and bring the edges of the foil up to seal for steaming the beets. Place on a small baking sheet.
4. Roast the chickpeas, potatoes, and beets for 35–40 minutes (or until the chickpeas are crispy and potatoes and beets are tender), tossing the chickpeas and potatoes halfway through. Once finished cooking, remove from the oven and set aside.
5. Meanwhile, prepare your bowl ingredients: Divide the kale, onion, avocado, cabbage between two bowls.
6. When the beets, potatoes, and chickpeas are finished cooking, divide them between the two bowls.
7. Add the Tangy Blueberry Dressing to each bowl (the amount is up to you, but you should have plenty for both bowls).
8. Top with freshly ground pepper, if desired.

Vegan Breakfast Hash

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil split
• 1 shallot thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
• 1 portobello mushroom thinly sliced
• ½ tsp cracked black pepper or more to taste
• 1 sprig fresh oregano
• 2 tsp salt split
• 2 sweet potatoes medium
• 6 oz extra firm tofu pressed, cut into cubes
• 1 cup kale chopped or torn
• 1 banana pepper seeds removed, thinly sliced into rings

Spices

• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp mustard powder
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Garnish

• ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
• chili flakes optional, to taste

Directions:

1. In a pot, bring some water to a boil and add 1 tsp of salt. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 15 minutes until partway done. You should be able to pierce them easily with a butter knife, yet the potatoes should stay intact. Drain the liquid and allow to cool.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a cast iron pan. Add shallot, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook them with oregano and black pepper until the mushrooms have shrunk and turned brown.
3. Once the potatoes are cool enough, carefully cut them into cubes. Add potatoes, tofu cubes, and kale to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the spices and the remaining salt over the top and mix everything together.
4. Add shallot and mushroom mixture and stir everything again, before transferring the contents back into the cast iron. Layer the top of your breakfast hash with slices of banana peppers. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
5. Cook in a preheated oven at 400 F for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fully cooked. Serve topped with fresh parsley and chili flakes to taste.

Easy Vegan Veggie Pasta

Ingredients

Vegan Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

This easy vegan pot pie recipe is perfect for holidays and weeknight dinner. A flaky puff pastry crust sits atop mixed veggies and non-dairy gravy, resulting in a wonderfully filling meal.

Ingredients

• 1 frozen puff pastry thawed
• ¼ cup vegan butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 yellow or white onion diced
• ½ cup baby bella mushrooms sliced
• 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 ½ cups plain non-dairy milk unsweetened
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Fresh herbs for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Cook the onions and mushrooms until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper, then cook for another 30 seconds.
2. Add the flour and mix until fully dissolved. The onions and mushrooms should be coated and creamy.
3. Add the broth, non-dairy milk, and frozen vegetables.
4. Simmer until thick, about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly. If the mixture seems too thin, simmer for a few more minutes. If the mixture seems too thick, add a bit of broth or non-dairy milk. Keep in mind that the gravy will thicken as it cools.
5. Transfer the vegetable-gravy mixture into a greased deep pie dish.
6. Add the puff pastry dough on top of the vegetable filling. You can trim the dough (which is square) to fit the circle pie dish, if you’d like. Press the edges of the dough with a fork and cut at least two slits into the top.
7. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Garnish with fresh herbs, if you’d like. Let cool slightly, then serve warm.