Looking for some plant-based recipes for beginners? Eating a more plant-based diet is never a bad idea. Eating plants improves your health, boosts your energy level, and can help prevent chronic diseases. Adding even a handful of plant-based recipes to your recipe box, which includes nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and beans (in addition to fruits and vegetables), can improve your health. If you are thinking that eating more plant-based sounds great but need some recipes to get you started, look no further. These 15 delicious plant-based recipes for beginners will get you started on your new healthier food journey.
Easy Coconut Chickpea Curry
This easy coconut curry builds layers of flavor with onions, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and turmeric that will wow your taste buds. It is simple to make and takes only 30 minutes to cook. Get this and other plant-based recipes for beginners on Yup, it’s Vegan.
Buffalo Cauliflower with Blue Cheese Sauce
Replace wing night with some easy and delicious plant-based recipes for beginners. The cauliflower in this Buffalo Cauliflower with Blue Cheese Sauce takes just a little over 30 minutes to roast in the oven. Toss it in the easy but spicy buffalo sauce and you have wings that will make you forget about chicken. If you are not a fan of blue cheese, you can always dip your cauliflower in ranch dressing or whatever sauce tickles your fancy.
Bright and Bold Moroccan-Spiced Cauliflower Bites
If plant-based recipes for beginners where cauliflower is the star, these Moroccan-Spiced Cauliflower Bites are just the thing. Turmeric gives this cauliflower its vibrant golden color while a combination of cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, and thyme make for a fragrant spice combo you will want to use on loads of other vegetables. Then there is the turmeric yogurt dipping sauce – you may want to make extra of this delicious sauce. Find this recipe that is ready in 30 minutes on Canada’s FoodNetwork.
Vegan BLATs (BLTs with Avocado)
Give this baconless BLT a try. Roast shiitake mushrooms that have been soaked in a Japanese soy sauce (or substitute with the soy sauce you regularly use), smoked paprika, and avocado oil for 30 minutes. Then put them on your sandwich using your favorite bread, crispy lettuce, and a slice of tomato. This recipe adds sliced avocado to your BLT. Go for it. It is delicious. Although the recipe for these sandwiches calls for vegan mayo, feel free to use whatever mayonnaise you like best. Get the full recipe on EatingWell.com.
Ultimate Vegan Chili
If you are looking for super filling plant-based recipes for beginners this chili is for you. It is full of tomatoes, beans, quinoa, and a hint of adobo sauce for a complex savory flavor. If you have never had chipotles in adobo sauce, beware! That stuff is spicy, so do not go overboard unless you love the spice. Find this simple recipe on A Couple Cooks.
Use-All-the-Broccoli Stir-Fry
Try out this lo mein-inspired recipe if you love broccoli. It is delicious over rice or noodles and is quick and easy to cook. With lots of brococoli and some yummy asian flavors like ginger, chili, and soy sauce, this stirfry by Eating Well is one of the easiest plant-based recipes for beginners you can make – it will make you look like a pro when you serve it for dinner.
Banh Mi Tacos
A riff on the Vietnamese sandwich, these Banh Mi Tacos are bursting with flavor and texture with portobello mushrooms, fresh herbs, and pickled veggies. This is one of the easiest plant-based recipes for beginners because it takes less than thirty minutes to make and only requires cooking the mushrooms. A quick pickling of carrots and cucumber give some crunch and sriracha mayo adds a kick. Find the full recipe on Food Revolution Network.
Vegetarian Enchiladas
These enchiladas are stuffed with corn, beans, and zucchini. The vegetables are cooked with onion, garlic, chili powder, and cumin before being wrapped in tortillas and covered in enchilada sauce and two types of cheese. They bake in the oven for 20 minutes and are served with avocado, tomato, onion, and cilantro.
Spinach Lasagna
This lasagna layers noodles with marinara, spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella. Surprisingly, the ricotta mixture is seasoned with a dash of cinnamon! Bake the assembled lasagna for an hour and serve it for your next meatless Monday dinner. It will win over any meat lover. Get the recipe on Delish.com.
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Put this soup on your list of plant-based recipes for beginners right away because it is super simple and so delicious. There are only two steps to this recipe – stir peppers and onions with garlic and cumin in a large pot and cook for five minutes. Mix in tomatoes, chili peppers, and broth, bringing it to a boil before simmering the soup for 30 minutes. At the last minute, add in corn and serve in a bowl over tortilla chips. Get the recipe on Allrecipes.com.
Homemade Vegetarian Chili
This chili recipe is basic, but the flavor is absolutely not. With traditional chili spices and some smoked paprika, canned beans, and tomatoes, this chili only needs around 30 minutes of simmering but will taste like it has been cooking all day. The trick to the delicious taste is a splash of either sherry vinegar or lime juice and fresh cilantro that give it a vibrant, fresh taste. Get this complex tasting, but simple recipe from Cookie + Kate.
Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli Sauce
This pasta with broccoli sauce uses a ton of broccoli that you cook until super tender and then thrown into a pan where you break it up into little pieces with a spatula and cook it with some garlic and chili flakes. The broccoli will break apart until it basically becomes a sauce. Throw in your cooked pasta and toss until coated. Garnish with cheese and a squeeze of lemon. Find all the details on Feasting at Home.
Veggie Fajitas
Have a fajita night with this speedy plant-based recipe for beginners that is perfect for the whole family to enjoy in just 30 minutes. Use some mild chili powder for a little kick and add a little smoked paprika for color. Top it with the easy avocado salsa and you have the perfect veggie fajita. Find the recipe on Olive Magazine.
Best Chickpea Salad
This delicious chickpea salad takes only twenty minutes and three steps. Perfect for an easy dinner or a refreshing Sunday lunch. Add tomatoes, dates, cucumbers, red pepper, and parsley to those chickpeas and top with goat cheese and you could not have a more delicious salad.
Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant
Baked eggplant never tasted so good! Ready in less than 30 minutes, this garlic Parmesan eggplant is a delicious and easy way to enjoy eggplant besides smothering it in spaghetti sauce and covering it in cheese. Get the recipe on Crunchy Creamy Sweet.
Vegetarian recipes do not need to be complicated or scary. Any of these plant-based recipes for beginners are simple enough for a quick weeknight meal if you are considering adding a meatless Monday to your weekly routine. They are easy yet delicious and may have you considering adding more vegetarian dishes to your recipe box.
WANT TO READ MORE?
Interested in other healthy options? Check out this article on The Incredible Benefits of Fermented Food + Recipes!
Sources: Plant-Based Primer: The Beginner’s Guide to a Plant-Based Diet
Photo Credits: Unsplash.com
