In a worldwide trend, a lot of people try to take part in Veganuary each year – switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet for a month. Whilst sticking to a meat-free diet long term isn’t for everyone, there are benefits of including plant-based meals in our menu. Those benefits include increasing fibre consumption (the vast majority of adults don’t hit their targets), and supplying our bodies with foods rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. January might be coming to an end, but it’s still a good time to try to diversify your diet and include more plant-rich options! Here are some of my favourite vegan and vegetarian recipes, in no particular order. They will satisfy even the biggest meat eaters too.
1. vegan Quinoa With Black Beans And Avocado
Let’s start with a delicious, flavourful and nutritious vegan quinoa with black beans and avocado. It’s a perfectly balanced meal, including complex carbohydrates, fibre, healthy fats from the avocado and protein from the black beans and quinoa. This recipe is particularly great for cold, winter days – it includes a lot of spices that will instantly warm you up like a tight hug. You need to give it a go!
2. Vegetarian High Protein Lasagne (With Vegan Swaps)
Meat-free meals don’t have to be boring! It’s perfectly doable to recreate popular comfort foods in vegetarian versions. This lasagne recipe is extremely high in protein, despite the lack of meat. And if you prefer vegan recipes and don’t mind sacrificing some of the protein sources, I included a list of ingredient swaps that will transform the original recipe to completely plant-based one. It may require a bit of work, but it’s totally worth the effort.
3. Vegan Sweet Potato Stew
Another great recipe for winter is this vegan sweet potato stew. Don’t let the visual representation fool you – it may not look the most beautiful, but it truly is delicious. It’s quite spicy, thanks to a hot chili pepper, and I don’t recommend leaving it out. Hot spices perfectly complement the sweetness of the potato. The vegan sweet potato stew goes well with coconut rice, but feel free to experiment with other carbs too!
4. Vegan Chickpea Bell Pepper Curry
When sticking to a completely plant-based diet, it’s important to include sources of protein. Some of the good options include chickpeas and quinoa. This vegan chickpea and bell pepper curry, served with quinoa, will fuel your body with fibre and vitamin-rich vegetables and plant-based protein. To make it even better, this is a single-pot recipe, so you won’t have a pile of dishes to wash up once you’re done cooking! What’s not to love?
5. Vegan Tomato And Roasted Vegetable Soup
If you’re a soup aficionado, this vegan tomato and roasted vegetable soup will hit the spot – especially in winter. With over 10 different vegetables on the recipe list, each serving comes with a whooping 15 grams of fibre – half of the daily recommended intake – and lots of vitamins and micronutrients. Seasoned to perfection, it will warm you up on a cold day. This soup is naturally creamy, but doesn’t use any cream. It’s all plant-based, vegan deliciousness!
6. Vegan Air Fryer Potato Wedges
I also had to include the best side dish of all times on this list. Naturally vegan, these air fried crispy potato wedges are just phenomenal. Much healthier than traditional, deep-fried chips, but they’re just as tasty – or actually, even better! You can season these potato wedges with your favourite spices, which is an easy way to tweak the recipe to your own needs. If you have an air fryer, this is a recipe you need to try.
7. Vegan Roasted Chickpeas
If you’re looking for healthy, plant-based savoury snacks, you need to try these roasted chickpeas. Rich in fibre and protein, it’s a fantastic snack that you can munch on completely guilt-free. You can also season them with your favourite spices, altering the recipe to match your cravings. I love these roasted chickpeas with smoked paprika, but garlic and mixed herbs are great too!
8. Vegetarian Chickpea And Green Pea Fritters
If you enjoy fritters, you need to try these green pea and chickpea fritters. These patties not only look fun, thanks to the vibrant green of the peas, but they also taste divine. They can be eaten on their own as a snack, or used as a base for vegetarian burgers. Paired with garlic sauce, they make just the perfect combo. Plus, they include sources of protein, which makes these fritters even more nutritious. Yum!
9. Vegetarian Baked Red Lentil Pate
Sometimes, great recipes are found by accident. That’s exactly what happened in this case. I bought a large bag of red lentils and quickly realised that it would take me ages to use it up. So, I looked up some recipes and ended up baking a vegetarian red lentil pate. I loved it! It’s flavourful and aromatic, but also rich in protein from red lentils and eggs. It’s been a while since I last made it, but I remembered about it while writing this post and will definitely be making it again soon.
Closing thoughts
Vegan and vegetarian meals can be a great way to diversify our diets and encourage us to eat more vegetables – rich in fibre, vitamins and micronutrients. Whether you’re attempting to participate in Veganuary, following a meat-free diet already or just trying to add some variety to your meal plan, I hope you found something to try in my list! Let us know if you decide to give any of these recipes a go, and don’t hesitate to share your thoughts. Happy cooking!
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