Easy vegan recipe is what saved me from cheating on my vegan diet!
It is simple enough to commit to an eating style or diet in its truest meaning but not so easy when it comes to finding and preparing the right foods. It is one thing to say you will be a vegan and another knowing how to create enough variety from easy vegan recipes so you do not get bored out of your mind in one week! There is a learning curve and if you are not patient, creative and open to possibilities, you may as well kiss your new eating promises goodbye.
In the first part of this easy vegan recipes series, I wrote about the subtle perspectives that help you ease into a radical life change, in this case a vegan diet. The premise, nonetheless, you can apply to any other change in your life. Now it’s time to get practical, to share some real advice on what to eat, how to prepare easy vegan recipes, and how to watch for symptoms so that you make sure this is indeed the best and most nutritious diet for you.
I love food and I love to eat. My first 5-day juice fast tried every ounce of patience in my body. Juice fasting is hard but so rewarding! In the end, I won but it was extremely hard. I am not one of those women who eat three bites or never more than half of their plate or skip meals or starve all day. I simply cannot be. I expend far, far too much energy and I am blessed (although I swear that lifestyle has helped this one) with a wonderful metabolism. Ravi, a yoga teacher, says, “Metabolism moves youth and beauty.” Incredibly powerful words! If I had to summarize, I’d say that I eat for a strong, healthy metabolism. In other words, I eat what I know I can easily digest and I need an easy vegan recipe to make in order to make those delicious foods.
To make an eating style accessible, an easy vegan recipe must meet 4 nonnegotiable elements:
1. Delicious.
2. Nutritious
3. Easy to prepare.
4. Full of variety
In this post, I focus on the easy vegan recipes that are both delicious and give you heaps of variety, nutrition and enjoyment. Hope you find some fun recipes here and enjoy the photos as well.
Easy Vegan Recipes to Make at Home
Easy Vegan Recipe #1: Chipotle Hummus with Salad
I finally – finally! – learned how to make hummus at home. It is a delicious food and a great source for protein. Hummus salads are wonderful filling lunches. I usually add baby spinach, green onions, lettuce, tomato, dill and pepper. Be selective about your hummus. There are many brands out there. Find one that you love or learn to make it at home. Hummus has got to be my favorite easy vegan recipe of all!
Easy Vegan Recipe #1: Chipotle Hummus Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cans of Trader Joe’s chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 dashes of sea salt and optional a dash of paprika
3 individual Chipotle peppers from Trader Joe’s can
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 heaping cup of tahini sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Makes about 3 cups of hummus.
Directions:
Wash the garbanzo beans with cold water. Then put them in your food processor – you need a food processor for this. Add everything else above on top except olive oil, which you pour gently and very very slowly as you process. Process for about 2 minutes, stop it, taste, then add more olive oil if need be. Stop it to scrape down the sides and continue til it is the texture to your taste. If you are not used to spicy pepper, use only 2 Chipotle peppers. Same with garlic, you can use less if you are sensitive. Refrigerate immediately. It tastes much better when cold!
Easy Vegan Recipe #2: Pesto with Greens
I have learned to make a mean pesto!! It is delicious and filling. You can eat it with vegetables, greens or crackers. It stays good in the refrigerator for a few days.
Basil Pesto Recipe:
Ingredients:
3 cups of fresh basil leaves
1 cup of baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup of Trader Joe’s sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 or 5 garlic cloves
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
A dash of sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Makes about 2 cups of pesto
Directions:
Put all ingredients except olive oil and the greens inside the food processor. Pulse it a few times. Then add all the greens and keep processing as you pour the olive oil slowly over the chute. Stop it to scrape down the sides and continue til it is the texture to your taste. Refrigerate right away. Served best when cold.
Easy Vegan Recipe #3: Coconut Mushroom Soup
Andy, the resident chef, makes amazing, mouth-watering, beyond-delicious kind of soups. His genius is coming out through his cooking and I was thanking heavens for this talent when celebrating our 9th year anniversary this week. But I digress. You want the soup recipe, I know. Relax, I got him to give it up and I’ll give it to you. Just realize you’ll fall in love with his soups; here’s another one for proof. This may not be the best example of easy vegan recipe but it’s SO worth the extra effort.
Ingredients:
2 14.5 oz cans of coconut milk
2 cups water
2 inch piece of ginger, chopped into a few pieces
4 stalks lemongrass, bruised and coarsely chopped
6 fresh basil leaves, torn
1 lb shiitake (or crimini) mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup lime juice
3 Tablespoons vegetarian fish sauce or soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar
1- 2 teaspoon red curry paste
2 Tablespoons sliced green onions or cilantro, as garnish
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, as garnish
Directions:
In a large pot, bring the coconut mile and 2 cups of water to a simmer. Add the ginger, lemongrass, and basil. Simmer about 20 minutes, then strain coconut milk into a clean pan. Discard the seasonings. Simmer your mushrooms in coconut milk for about 5 minutes. Stir in veggie fish/soy sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar. Add curry paste. Ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with green onions (or cilantro) and red pepper flakes.
Easy Vegan Recipe #4: Chipotle Baked Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts
After you eat baked vegetables done the right way, you may never think about vegetables the same way! My favorites baked are cauliflower and brussel sprouts (above), mushrooms (below) and also broccoli, which I would not eat any other way except baked. Here’s how we do it.
Ingredients:
3 cups of fresh or frozen cauliflower (or broccoli)
3 cups of fresh or frozen Brussels Sprouts
1/3 cup olive oil
A pinch of salt/pepper
2 spoonfuls of Chipotle paste from the jar (not the whole peppers)
A good dash of turmeric
Directions:
Set the oven to bake at 400 degrees. Wash the vegetables, even if frozen, with some cold water. Rinse. Cut your Brussels Sprouts in half so the oil takes out the slight bitterness of this vegetable. Make sure cauliflower is bite size; if not cut or break by hand. Pour in a big bowl. Put all ingredients in the bowl. Wear gloves or not. Mix everything really well. Get two big oven pans and use either Parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spread the vegetables. Put them in the oven when ready. At 15 minutes in, swap the top and bottom and even switch the front/back position so they bake evenly. Bake for another 15 minutes. Serve hot.
Easy Vegan Recipe #5: Ginger Garlic Baked Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms
This one is very similar to above but with different taste.
Ingredients:
3 cups of crimini mushrooms (or your favorite mushroom)
3 cups of Brussels Sprouts
2 heaping spoonful of a ginger-garlic paste sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
A pinch of salt/pepper
A pinch of Garam Masala
A good dash of turmeric
Few leaves of fresh rosemary
Directions:
Set the oven to bake at 400 degrees. Wash the vegetables, even if frozen, with some cold water. Rinse. Cut your Brussels Sprouts in half so the oil takes out the slight bitterness of this vegetable. Cut mushrooms in half. Pour in a big bowl. Put all ingredients in the bowl. Wear gloves or not. Mix everything really well. Get two big oven pans and use either Parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spread the vegetables. Put them in the oven when ready. At 15 minutes in, swap the top and bottom and even switch the front/back position so they bake evenly. Bake for another 15 minutes. Serve hot with rosemary sprinkled on top.
Easy Vegan Recipe #6: Green Smoothie
For breakfast or anytime during the day, I love green smoothies. I make green smoothies instead of all-fruit smoothies to cut down sugar level and sweetness factor.
Ingredients:
3 cups of collard greens, kale or spinach or a combination
A few fresh mint-leaves
1 banana
½ avocado
½ cup of frozen strawberries or fresh pineapple
2 spoons of coconut milk
1 spoonful of peanut butter or a handful of pecans for protein
2-3 ice cubes if desired
Directions:
Blend in your blender and pureé to your desired consistency. Enjoy!
Easy Vegan Recipe #7: Fruits and Nuts:
Snacks are a must. I eat every 2 hours at least. Fruits and nuts can be a great snack in the winter. Berries and walnuts go very well together. Or you can cut up pineapple or avocado. Yes, each by itself with Oolong tea. Quantities depend on you.
Easy Vegan Recipe #8: Buckwheat Noodles with Baked beets:
One of my favorite noodles are the Japanese buckwheat noodles. They are so easy to make. And just note that they are not related to wheat so it should be considered gluten-free. Thanks to Sandra Lee for pointing this out!
Directions for buckwheat noodles: Bring hot water to boil and throw the noodles in for about 5-7 minutes. Rinse with warm water or if you like them cold, rinse with cold water and serve. Add a dash of soy sauce and some fresh chopped cilantro.
Directions for the baked beets: Beets are an amazing fruit, and another delicious treat and wonderful for your digestion. Wash and peel. Cut them in slices. Lather some olive oil and any herbs. Bake them in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Easy Vegan Recipe #9: Baked Chipotle Sweet Potatoes
I like baking so much more than cooking where vegetables are concerned. Something about baking brings out the taste! Sweet potatoes have nutritional value and can be very delicious.
Directions for sweet potatoes: Clean and peel 2 sweet potatoes. Cut into shapes of fries. Throw them in a bowl. Put in 1-2 spoonful of Trader Joe’s Chipotle pepper from a jar if you wish, 1/3 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Put in the over at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Yum!
I know that everyone has different food sensitivities; for instance, I know that many people may be gluten-intolerant, thanks to Sandra’s post for awareness. You can modify even a vegan diet to suit that lifestyle; I found the 150 gluten-free easy vegan recipes book among others on US Classifieds.
There you have it! Some of my favorite easy vegan recipes!
Tell me if you make them, if they taste appetizing and filling, and if you are eating for your heart and your metabolism these days.
Are you feeling stuck in business or life?
If you like what you see here, and want to know how to do the same for yourself, be it creating your business or blog as well as building up your confidence, then book your free 20-minute consult with me and learn my systems & tools: coaching page.
{ 39 brilliant comments, Care to add another? }
It’s easy to make almost anything taste good with the proper herbs, spices and oils. I am glad to see more healthy eating and vegetarian style restaurants opening up where I live.
It used to be a rare find to find natural, healthy and organic type restaurants.
The recipes look awesome, I learned how to make pesto from watching a youtube video.
Hello dear Justin, everything tastes better with the right herbs and spices and oils yes but also with the right way of cooking. Some things need to be baked, some broiled, some grilled, and it really makes a huge difference in the outcome. Glad to hear you have more options in your hometown but still not easy to find those types of restaurants because demand is low. African food is usually very vegan friendly though – well, Ethiopian is. Thanks so much for your foodie thoughts
!
I love baked vegetables too. These recipes all look delicious, yum!
I like making a salad with baked sweet potatoes, lentils and sauteed spinach with garlic – delicious!
And I started having green smoothies a few weeks ago – I use spinach, banana, another fruit (blueberry, kiwi or whatever is at hands), some non-dairy milk, a couple of dates and 1 teaspoon of spirulina powder. Sometimes I also add a spoonful of milled seeds (chia, pumpkin, flaxseeds, sunflower) or handmade almond butter, for the extra protein. Green smoothies are delicious, and my skin is looking much, much better!
I totally agree with Justin: with oil, spices and herbs you can make anything taste good.
Cristina, hi! thank you for that quick yummy recipe. I eat all those separately but not combined
Green smoothies are delicious. I think between that and juicing, the skin starts to glow, assuming rest of the diet is pretty good too. Thank you so much for sharing the vegetable excitement with us here.
HI Sweetie,
Tomato with basil being my all time favorite.
What a wide spread of vegan recipes here. I am trying to go vegan…just not quite there yet.
I often love all my food with a dash of olive oil and garlic…makes anything and I mean anything taste soulfully filling and comforting.
I have got to try some of these recipes this weekend. I especially love the soup…i am crazy about soups…my hubby often has to tell me, “Zee please no soup today”
Thank you for sharing these yummy in the tummy recipes.
Lots of love to you,
Z~
p.s. congratulations on the blogworld Speaking opportunity. How exciting. Take a video..please.
Hello Zeenat, darling, you are trying to go vegan?? Olive oil and garlic came down straight from heaven, that’s why! Soups are delicious. That’s too funny about your hubby
! So happy that you share my excitement. I am going to make sure the video for blogworld is captured if ONLY for you.
Wow, Farnoosh, these recipes look so fulfilling, wholesome and delicious. So much colour, texture and ofcourse aroma to them. Hummus is my fav! I like to have with Indian roti; as sandwich spread and even just like that. And the green smoothie you’ve shared looks divine! I’m a pure vegetarian but not a Vegan.
In Vegetarian Indian cooking, curd is a very important ingredient that we almost can’t do without. It’s either a part of the cooking process in gravy or for fermentation or used as a side dish (raita, lassi etc) But then, if I look at ‘my’ cooking, a whole host of the dishes I make will pass off as Vegan because the ingredients are primarily that. So, I can say I am ‘sort of’ Vegan. Ha ha!
Thank you dear for sharing these yummy recipes. And the photos makes them look all the more irresistible!
Rashmie, I shared the bit about Indian cooking with my avid-Indian-food-chef hubby. He loves Indian food – well and so do I, and believe me, I am not trying to flatter you. Your food is the *best*; it even tops Japanese and Persian (what I grew up on) foods. I can eat Indian food very very frequently and they are mostly vegetarian if not vegan. We just recently discovered a South Indian restaurant and I loved the Dosa – which I had also had in NY once. So God bless you for the cuisine among a hundred other reasons. And thank you for stopping by as always!
Dear Farnoosh,
It’s great that you are so open to different types of cuisine. Everyone in my family too loves all kinds of food – Thai, Mediterranean, Italian, Mexican. And, I have to try yours too – Persian. Have to hunt for a Persian restaurant here in Delhi. Or, better still, look for vegetarian Persian recipes on the net and cook myself at home. I LOVE cooking! 
I had to come back and thank you for your kind and generous words about Indian food!
Rashmie, I came back here to reply to another comment and had to say to this that I LOVE Indian food even more and guess what food I missed MOST desperately when I was doing my raw vegan challenge? Yep! Indian food all the way! I am feeling much better now that I am eating so much more of it
! Heavenly, I tell you!
Good Lord, how did I miss the soup! Shie..I have to make a correction to my above observation. The soup here looks the yummiest of them all! My – it’s pure pleasure! Honest!
LOL. You missed it cause I have far too many photos, I think and I still had to cut a few recipes out. Glad you enjoyed it. The soups he makes are out of this world. I am so lucky. Try it and tell me what you think, Rashmie!
I have LOVED the 30 Minute Vegan cookbook you recommended, so now I will have to try this as well. You’re right, it’s been so easy to incorporate more vegan recipes into our diet. We’re about half-time vegan/vegetarian now, and my husband said, “I’ve never eaten so many veges in my life–and enjoyed it.”
And I agree with Sid. These would make for a lovely ebook.
Oh good, I am so glad the cookbook worked out so well. So are you doing a vegan diet now and if so, I am dying to know what you think and how you like it, Jen. I love the way it opens me up to creativity and also a new world of vegetables which I did not know before…..Thank you for stopping by. I don’t think I am anywhere near an ebook here but it’s great to have confidence of my friends. Maybe if I am still vegan by year end
!
Hi Farnoosh:
I enjoyed this post. While not a vegetarian, I want to cut back on my meat consumption and eat better. For someone like me who’s grown up eating meat, your post is a good place to start. As always, your pictures make the food look incredibly appetizing. It makes me realize that eating vegetarian need not sacrifice good flavor. Like you, I also enjoy roasted vegetables. Once again, I really enjoyed your post and ideas here.
Hi Tim, believe me, I grew up eating meat. Without meat, we were told we wouldn’t grow and plus, Iranian children don’t’ have many options in general; we do as our parents tell us
! But you know what, I figured I ate all that meat and now I am doing something different for a little while to see how I feel and what happens. And you won’t have to sacrifice flavor, texture, heartiness or fulfillment but it takes some creativity and effort. So so happy you enjoyed this post. Thank you for telling me. Good luck with your very worthwhile endeavor, Tim.
Farnoosh,
These all look so incredibly delicious. My husband will love you forever since he prefers a vegan diet and is already in love with your smoothies.
Thanks for the link love. BTW, buckwheat noodles, if they are 100% buckwheat, do not contain gluten. The name is confusing, but buckwheat is not a cereal or a grain and it’s not related to gluten.
It’s interesting to hear that you eat every 2 hours. I guess that keeps your energy even and avoids any problem with hunger. So healthy looking!
Dearest Sandra, hi!
!
!
Your hubby likes green smoothies. I WISH I could get Andy to at least try them. He is so picky but he eats healthy so I don’t fuss toooo much
And gosh, thank you for the buckwheat noodle correction; I meant to look this up right before writing and it slipped my mind. I hope you don’t mind that I already corrected it with a thank you to you. And oh yes, I eat a lot. Thank you for being here for the food chat
Its great when everyone comes together to realize that eating from nature instead of what man created from his laboratory that if we stick to what we were meant to eat we will inevitably feel like we should. We all have different digestive systems, so one person could eat nuts while it will destroy another. So finding our own personalization once we decide we want to live a long and lush life. We find peace and meaning and vitality in ourselves again. I am going to go eat now this made me hungry. Thanks
Hey Amber, we are indeed very different and have wildly different digestive systems. I think overall, the healthiest choices would work best for everyone but maybe not immediately because when bodies are used to eating poorly, they will first reject healthy food too. There is an adjustment period if you are eating wildly differently and say, you want to go on a vegan diet. Actually, I have been starving all morning and this is the ideal time to go eat
! Thanks so much for your comment.
Hi Farnoosh, Images are tastefully awesome.
I will try Coconut Mushroom Soup and Green Smoothie.
Nice recipes.
Nazim, I have a way of using that camera to make them look irresistible but honestly, the soup doesn’t need help. It is beyond delicious. Enjoy!
hi Farnoosh, photos of your recipes are really mouth watering and I will try coconut mushroom soup recipe because I have a great interest in soup recipes and I findout this recipe little different.
Hi waterpearls, thank you so much. Good choice on what to try! You won’t go wrong but follow instructions carefully. It is wonderful to explore the world of soups! Enjoy and thanks for your comment.
Wow, it takes a *lot* to make me want to cook, but these photos and recipes just did it. I did not start yoga with any intention of changing diet at all, either, but the body seems to want no alcohol, way less meat, lots of fruits, nuts, vegetables, and (I’m not kidding) chocolate. Thanks for this post. I’ll start with baked vegetables!
My dear Rebekah, it takes me a lot too – and usually, I still manage to pass it off to Andy. I am so happy to hear that yoga is whispering sweet things to you. It knows the body’s timing best too. I think baked vegetables are an excellent choice. Let me know how they turn out and bon appetit!
Hi Farnoosh,
What a great set of recipes you’ve put for us in this post! I surely would try your Coconut Mushroom Soup, sounds delicious! I’d skip on the red pepper flakes though, as I can’t tolerate spicy food. The Fruits and Nuts is probably the best and easiest snack to prepare. I will try that this coming weekend. I only usually eat an apple or orange, so fruits and nuts sounds more fun to snack on for a change.
Hello dear Felicia, gosh forgive my tardy. It’s been a very hectic week. So have you tried the coconut mushroom soup yet? And it’s delicious even without the pepper flakes. I assure you! Anyway, you sound healthy enough to me as you are
! Thanks so much for dropping by.
How delicious! Hummus and pesto are some of my favorite foods. I have never tried adding chipotles, but I am definitely going to! The pictures of everything make them look so appetizing. People always wonder what vegans eat but I think I eat more variety than most other people I know, who are bouncing back and forth between Kraft Mac & Cheese, Hamburger Helper, and McDonalds. I’ll take the fresh veggies & grains any day!
Hi Maggie, let me tell you that chipotle makes all the difference in the hummus. I love hummus without it but this particular pepper has amazing taste and after-taste. So you are vegan too then? There is so so so much variety. It’s just lack of awareness and education on their part so that is why I really go out of my way (probably a bit too much) to explain how easy it is to be a vegan. It was lovely to see you here!
Hi Farnoosh,
No doubt I’m going to bookmark this particular page for future reference.
I’m falling in love with your Vegan Journey Series especially the recipes
Hi Jemina, just replied to your other comment at length. So so glad you found this post useful. Come back anytime! Thanks!
Hi Farnoosh,
I look foward to reading this section! Heading to Trader Joe’s right now with this food item list in hand to make Chipotle Hummus Recipe. We are not true Vegans, but my husband and I eat plenty of fresh and healthy vegetarian food.
Hi Mary Louise, so glad to hear it. I love Trader Joe’s too and I hope you enjoy your hummus. I am no longer vegan either but I do love a good delicious meal. Enjoy and let me know how it comes out!
Hummus update,
I just finished making it. Delicious! Great recipe.
Trader Joe’s at Union Square didn’t carry chipolte peppers, so I went to Whole Foods down the street instead for everything.
A bowl of freshly made tabouli is cooling in the fridge. I bought whole wheat Tandoori, and a roasted chicken too.
Buon Appetito!
Hi Mary Louise, great! But do you mean Tabouli or hummus?
!!
Tabouli, hummus, Tandoori and chicken!!
Just came upon this blog and this post. My family and I aren’t going vegan, but we are trying to add more vegetables to our diet, so these recipes are helpful.
You can save some money by cooking dried beans from scratch. To cook chickpeas, rinse them, place in a pan with water to cover one knuckle length, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let sit overnight. The next day, bring to a boil again and simmer until you can crush a cooked chickpea with your tongue.
I am no longer vegan either, Alan. Glad you found these recipes helpful. Still eating healthy. Thanks for stopping by.
{ 6 brilliant comments, Care to add another? }