10 Easy Vegan Recipes To Celebrate Plant Power Day

Once considered to be a fad, veganism has now proven to be an effective diet to maintain a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle. It seems like no matter which way you turn, what restaurant magazine you read or food blog you stumble upon, the word vegan is showing up more than ever before. This isn't a coincidence that this dietary trend is on an all-time high which makes it pretty clear that Veganism is here to stay. And seeing that Plant Power Day (7th March) is just around the corner, here's a list of some of our favorite vegan recipes that include super-simple yet scrumptious plant-based meals that you would absolutely love.

1. Masala Chickpea Buddha Bowl

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 medium carrot, chopped into 2-inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp of each: garam masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika
• 2 and 1/2 cup water
• 500 grams cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup quinoa 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 cups chopped spinach (rinsed)
• salt, pepper
• 1 cup red cabbage, finely shredded
• 1/4 cup slightly crushed roasted cashews
• fresh coriander 

Instructions:

• Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Once the oil is hot, add the onions, garlic, and grated ginger and cook on medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
• Add the carrot and red bell pepper, continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add spices and salt and cover with the water.
• Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Let simmer for about 35 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. 
• Remove from heat and process in a blender until silky smooth. Pour the sauce back into the skillet and stir in the chickpeas. Cover to keep warm.
• Combine the quinoa with the water and soy sauce in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the quinoa is cooked and almost no liquid remains.
• Heat some olive oil in a skillet, add the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add spinach and cook for 5-7 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the quinoa into 3 serving bowls, add spinach and masala chickpeas on top. Top with crushed cashews, red cabbage, and fresh Coriander leaves.

2.  Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head cauliflower- quartered and sliced 1⁄4 inch thick
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. vinegar
• 2 onions- thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup almonds -roasted
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries -optional
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 200 degrees C. On a baking sheet/tray, toss cauliflower, 2 tablespoon oil, and 1⁄2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast until tender and golden brown, 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together vinegar, the remaining 2 tablespoon oil, and 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Toss in onions, almonds, raisins, and cranberries. Let sit, tossing occasionally, while cauliflower roasts.
• Toss roasted cauliflower with almond mixture and serve.

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3. Vegan Breakfast Smoothie Bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 heaping cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 small ripe frozen banana- sliced
• 2-3 Tbsp light coconut or almond milk (plus more as needed)
• 1 Tbsp shredded coconut (desiccated)
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds

Instructions:

• Add frozen berries and banana to a blender and blend on low until small bits remain.
• Add a bit of coconut or almond milk and blend on low again, scraping down sides as needed, until the mixture reaches a soft-serve consistency.
• Scoop into 1-2 serving bowls and top with chia seeds, coconut, and fruit or nut topping of choice.

4. Chunky Guacamole 

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe tomato
• 3 avocados, very ripe but not bruised
• juice 1 large lime
• handful coriander, leaves and stalks chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 chili, red or green, deseeded and finely chopped
• tortilla chips, to serve

Instructions:

• Use a large knife to pulverize 1 large ripe tomato to a pulp on a board, then tip into a bowl.
• Halve and stone the 3 avocados (saving a stone) and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into the bowl with the tomato.
• Tip the juice of 1 large lime, a handful of roughly chopped coriander, 1 finely chopped small onion, and 1 deseeded and finely chopped green chili into the bowl, then season with salt and pepper.
• Use a whisk to roughly mash everything together. If not serving straight away, sit a stone in the guacamole (this helps to stop it going brown), cover with cling film, and chill until needed. Serve with tortilla chips or any chips of your choice.

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5. Eggplant Tomato Tartine (Open Sandwich)

Ingredients:

• 8 slices of any bread
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 small eggplants, thinly sliced
• salt as per taste
• 4 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
• Basil leaves for garnish- optional

Instructions:

• Heat grill to medium. Grill the bread for 5 minutes, or until well toasted, turning once. Transfer to a large platter. Rub bread lightly with garlic; drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Toss eggplants with remaining olive oil; sprinkle with salt. Grill 5 minutes; Top bread with tomatoes and salt. Layer with eggplant. Garnish with basil.

6. Chickpea Omelet

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• ½ teaspoon onion powder (optional)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor (optional)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 spring onions (white and green parts), chopped
• 100 grams sautéed mushrooms 
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup baby spinach

Instructions:

• Combine the chickpea flour, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, nutritional yeast, and baking soda in a small bowl. Add 1 cup water and stir until the batter is smooth.
• Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Pour the batter into the pan, as if making pancakes. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of the green onions, chopped tomato, and mushrooms into the batter for each omelet as it cooks. Flip the omelet. When the underside is browned, flip the omelet again, and cook the other side for a minute.
• Serve your amazing Chickpea Omelet topped with tomatoes, spinach, hot sauce, or whatever heart-safe, plant-perfect fixings you like.

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7. “Nacho” Baked Potato

Ingredients:

• 1 large potato
• 1½ teaspoons nutritional yeast (optional)
• ½ cup black beans, boiled (can be replaced with red kidney beans)
• ¼ to ½ avocado, cubed, sliced, or smashed
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Coriander leaves for garnish
• Lime wedges for garnish

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 230°C if baking the potato (rather than microwaving it).
• Pierce the potato with a fork or knife a few times to allow the steam to escape. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, or microwave for 4 to 6 minutes, depending on the size of the potato. Pierce the potato with a fork or knife to check if it is soft and cooked through.
• When the potato is done, slice it open, and sprinkle on the nutritional yeast, if using.
• Layer on the black beans, salsa, and avocado. Season with salt and pepper, if using, and garnish with coriander leaves and lime. Enjoy your yummy, healthy meal!

8. No-Fry Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• 1 small nob ginger, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 1 tablespoon water
• 2 cups rice
• 1 cup frozen or fresh corn
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 spring onions, chopped
• 4 mushrooms, sliced
• 50 grams chopped pineapple
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
• ½ cup chopped coriander leaves
• 1 small head of broccoli, diced

Instructions:

• Give your rice a good wash and then cook it in a pressure cooker.
• Heat a tablespoon of water over medium-high heat in a nonstick frying pan or wok, until the water begins to simmer. Add the carrots, broccoli, and green onions and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms, corn, pineapple, spinach, bell pepper, and coriander. Mix together and turn down to medium heat. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time as needed, to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan.
• To prepare the sauce, place the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and honey in a small saucepan. Stir and let it cook for a minute then add the ½ cup water.
• Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce, stir well, and let it cook and thicken further, about 2 minutes.
• Once the rice is cooked, throw it in the pan with the cooked veggies, pour your delicious sauce on top and mix it all together. Serve immediately.

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9. Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

• 150 grams dry noodles or pasta of your choice6 ounces dry noodles (brown rice noodles, pad thai style rice noodles, soba noodles, linguini)
• 4 cups mix of cabbage, carrots and radish, shredded or grated
• 1 red bell pepper, finely sliced
• 3 spring onion greens, sliced
• ½ bunch coriander leaves, chopped 
• ¼–½ cup roasted, crushed peanuts ( garnish)

For peanut sauce:

• 3 thin slices of ginger
• 1 fat clove garlic
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice ( roughly ½ an orange)
• 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice ( 1 lime)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 3 tablespoons honey 
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• ½ –1 teaspoon red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

• Cook noodles or pasta according to directions on the package. Drain and chill under cold running water.
• Blend the Peanut Sauce: while noodles are cooking, blend the peanut sauce ingredients together using a blender until smooth.
• Place shredded veggies, bell pepper, spring onion greens, and coriander leaves into a serving bowl. Toss. Add the cold noodles to the serving bowl and toss again. Pour the peanut sauce over top and toss well to combine.
• Adjust the salt (to your liking), add chili flakes if you want, and serve, garnishing with roasted peanuts, coriander leaves, and a lime wedge.

10. Chocolate-Covered Banana Ice Cream Bars

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sliced bananas (about 3 medium)
• ⅓ cup smooth natural peanut butter
• ¼ cup water
• Pinch of salt
• 1 ½ cups vegan dark chocolate bar, melted and cooled 

Instructions:

• Combine bananas, peanut butter, water, and salt in a large food processor. Pulse several times, then process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
• Divide among eight popsicle molds and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment. Working with one at a time, release the popsicles from the molds. Place the popsicles on the prepared baking sheet and return to the freezer to firm up, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Using a small spatula, spread chocolate onto the popsicles. Place the popsicles back on the baking sheet and return to the freezer until the chocolate has hardened, about 5 minutes.

FAQs

Q1. How to pre-heat my microwave?

A. You need to place a slatted rack that comes with a microwave to pre-heat it. Now, choose the convection option. Once you set it on the convection mode, your microwave’s digital display will reflect the minimum temperature setting available, you can just increase or decrease it according to your requirement and press start.

Q2. Can we replace black beans with any other ingredients in the Nacho Baked Potato?

A. Yes, you can absolutely replace black beans with red kidney beans if you want.

Q3. How to properly melt chocolate at home?

A. To melt chocolate, microwave on Medium for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving on Medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted. Or place chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir until melted.