I hope you all have been having a successful and enjoyable Veganuary! If you want to carry on and include more plant-based meals here on out, I've put together a list of recipes that I've tried and tested and use religiously, with some extra tips and suggestions from me. This list is by no means exhaustive and is in no particular order of preference! Links to the recipes are included on and below the images.
1. Cauliflower Tacos
This recipe was recommended to me by a friend and my husband and I have loved it since! I have lost count how many times I've made these cauliflower tacos. It's a perfect blend of textures and flavors and is super yummy, summery meal. To make the sauce I use peanut butter instead of cashew butter, which makes these almost like Asian style tacos because of the peanut lime sauce. I also omit the radish and white onion and instead make a quick pickle with red onions (see recipe for roasted eggplant pitas which has this quick pickle). I sometimes put the components of the cauliflower tacos into a bowl and serve with rice and salad to make a really yummy meal. I have used the sauce recipe for many other meals, its really good with crispy tofu too!
2. Slow cooker chickpea tagine
This tagine recipe is so simple yet so effective. It's packed with hearty veggies like butternut squash and is the perfect autumn and winter warmer. I love making this for those cold nights! This recipe introduced me to harissa paste which I love putting in other meals too. The tagine is a perfect blend of sweet, spicy and savory. The recipe is vegetarian as it includes honey and yoghurt but can easily be made vegan by:
opting for maple syrup instead of honey, or any vegan sweetener/syrup of your choice;
omitting the Greek yogurt or using a vegan yoghurt/sour cream/cream cheese instead.
3. Blueberry and Coconut Bircher Muesli
This Bircher/overnight oats is packed with seeds and is so delicious. I normally quadruple the recipe for meal prep. I love making this in the summer as its a cooling breakfast as well as being filling and satisfying. The muesli is very quick to prepare, simply mix all the ingredients together the night before.
4. Crispy air fried tofu
I know I've mentioned this crispy air fried tofu before on my air fryer post, but it's so good I have to include it here too! So easy to make and so delicious, I use this recipe to make crispy tofu to add to stir fries, curries, Asian style bowls, and just devour it on its own with a dipping sauce. Make sure to press the tofu before marinating. If I know I have time, I press and marinate for as long as I can, even for hours for the crispiest and most flavorsome tofu.
5. Vegan Moussaka
I love this recipe specifically for the creamy béchamel sauce. It's a game changer for me and I've used it to make vegan lasagna too. I take many liberties with the remaining recipe: instead of the soy mince I've used Gardein Ground Be'f one time and finely chopped mushrooms another, my preference was the mushroom as it isn't processed! I used garam masala in place of the warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, To be fair it's even more warming and rounded if you feel me! And finally I used red wine vinegar instead of red wine which was still very yummy and just added that acidity it needed. Be warned, like any moussaka or lasagna recipe, give yourself plenty of time to prepare and cook all the layers, and it will put you in a food coma afterwards, it's very rich!
6. Roasted eggplant pitas with tzatziki & quick pickled onions
A friend recommended the Mealime app which I found incredibly helpful for meal inspiration and meal prep when I moved away from home. This recipe is from their collection and I make these eggplant pitas regularly in the summer. The recipe has been a game changer for me as it taught me how to make tzatziki and quick pickled onions, both of which I now make frequently to pair with other meals! Feel free to switch the Greek yogurt for a dairy free one to make it vegan.
7. Spicy Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup
This coconut pumpkin soup is also a recipe I found on Mealime and has become a autumn and winter staple. It's warming and sweet and spicy and satisfying, I love it! This recipe is actually what inspired me to make the vegan pumpkin haleem! I made the soup recently and added some boiled rice noodles to it making it it extra yummy and filling. Switch out the honey for maple or another sweetener/syrup to make it vegan.
8. Dairy Free Cheesy Broccoli Soup
Those who follow me on Instagram know my obsession with my soup maker! This is one of my favorite soups to make, its creamy, cheesy and dairy free! Goes perfectly with some crunchy bread.
9. Vegan Cheese Sauce
This vegan cheese sauce has been so handy! I use it as a vegan queso/cheese dip and as a cheese sauce for cauliflower cheese, mac and cheese etc. So easy to make, just go out and grab coconut milk, nutritional yeast and tapioca starch in bulk because you will be making it again and again! I normally get tapioca starch from our local Asian supermarket as it is a little tricky to find at mainstream supermarkets.
10. Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug
Those who know me know I get a sudden craving for a chocolate chip cookie! This recipe is perfect when I'm having one of those moments, it's quick, satisfying, doesn't involve baking a whole batch, it's vegan and uses simple ingredients that I have in the pantry all the time like peanut butter and ground flax. Who would have thought that flax would give that chewy satisfaction of a cookie! Do check out the recipe for when you need a treat!
I hope you enjoy trying some of these out. As you can probably tell by now I love recipes that introduce me to new ingredients and components that I can replicate and use in other recipes. I hope you found this list helpful and please share vegan recipes you swear by too in the comments, I'd love to know!
